JANIARV, 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



writes, that others can do likewise in case 

 there should be a shortage of sugar next 

 sirring. The Administration, howevcT, feels 

 that there Avill be no shortage after Jan. 1, 

 altho some high authorities on sugar say this 

 relief cannot come before Feb. 1 or even 

 later. 



Claus Spreckels, in an interview before 

 the Senate Committee, declared that 1,323,- 

 000 tons more of sugar had been produced 

 this year than last for the world 's usage. 

 He seemed to feel that the shortage was due 

 to too much official red tape. However that 

 may be, and it may well be doubted, we have 

 been told time and again that plenty of 

 sugar Avas going to be available. As a mat- 

 ter of fact, it has seemed to become scarcer 

 up to this time. 



If what President Jager has said else- 

 where is true, that there is little or no sugar 

 in Europe, when this surplus that Mr. 

 Spreckels speaks of becomes available it will 

 likelj' be sent to Europe. In view of the 

 crying need of sugar thruout the world there 

 will be a big and constant demand for sugar, 

 and for honey also. 



Altho the U. S. Food Administi-ation has 

 not yet declared a policy or method of pro- 

 cedure in furnishing beekeepers with sugar 

 necessary for feeding their bees, yet we be- 

 lieve that this will be done. The govern- 

 ments of both France and Switzerland l>ave 

 attended to providing for the needs of bee- 

 keepers in those countries for sugar. It is 

 in no way probable that the United States 

 Government will be so shortsighted as to do 

 otherwise. 



WE HAVE TAKEN in practically the entire 

 series of state conventions, comprisina: Il- 

 linois, Ohio, West- 

 The Demuth ern New York, 

 Method of Michigan, Iowa, 



Wintering Minnesota, Wiscon- 



sin, and Ontario. 

 Canada. At each of these conventions we 

 carried along one of those inner cases as 

 described in our last issue, page 921. Con- 

 trary to what we had expected, the largest 

 lieekeepers believe that there is much in that 

 method of wintering, and thought it well 

 worthy of a trial. 



We learned in Michigan of one man who 

 had tried it, and found it to be successful; 

 but his objection to it was the work of pack- 

 ing and unpacking. 



At other conventions we encountered the 

 question as to whether a ten-frame colony 

 could be squeezed down to seven frames; 

 and others expressed a fear that it might 

 be necessary to give the bees more room 

 for brood in the spring, before it would be 

 wise to unpack. 



Chalon Fowls, of Oberlin, Ohio, to whom 

 we have often made reference, would over- 

 come the last objection by making the inner 

 case capable of holding eight instead of 

 seven frames, as shown in our December is- 

 sue. He thinks a ten-frame colony could be 



squeezed down to eight in the fall, and an 

 eight-frame would leave all the room that 

 would be needed for brood up to the time 

 of un])acking. He admits, however, that he 

 prefers a seven-frame capacity, provided 

 there was a chance to give sufficient room in 

 the spring. It might be advisable for the 

 beekeeper who jiroposes to winter by this 

 plan next fall to make a thoro trial of both 

 seven and eight frame inner cases, to de- 

 termine which is bettC'i- adapted to his needs. 



IT WILL BE remembered that some time 

 ago Francis Jager, Professor of Apiculture 

 in the University of 

 Honey and Minnesota, and also 

 .Other Sweets President of the Na- 

 'in Europe tional Beekeepers' As- 

 sociation, was sent to 

 Europe by the United States Government as 

 a deputy commissioner to investigate the 

 Eed Cross conditions in Servia. As he 

 speaks nearly all the languages of Europe 

 he w^as eminently fitted fo'i- the job. In our 

 last issue we announced that he was about 

 to return. He arrived home on^y a few davs 

 ago. and we had the pleasure of meeting him 

 at the Minnesota beekeepers ' convention 

 where he told us something of the condi- 

 tions in Europe. 



He is now a commissioned officer with the 

 rank of major, wearing the uniform indicat- 

 ing that rank. It would be impossible, he 

 said, in explanation, to go anywhere in Eu- 

 rope without a commission and a uniform. 

 One of the questions we aeked was how hon- 

 ey was selling in Europe. In answer he ex- 

 hibited some samples he brought home of 

 what he was sure was American honey, judg- 

 ing it by the color and taste. He showed 

 a half-pound jar that was selling at 55 

 cents, and pound jars for $1.10 retail, and 

 they were very much in demand at that. 

 The honey was of good body and flavor, some 

 of it mountain sage, some of it clover, and 

 some from other well-known American 

 sources. 



As to what the nations of Europe are us- 

 ing in the shape of sweets or sugar, he said 

 that the German population had no sugar 

 of any sort, and were using saccharino. This 

 has absolutely no food value, and, we are 

 told on good authority, is a cumulative 

 poison. The allies were using some sac- 

 charine, but they had a little sugar at the 

 hospitals and at some of the barracks; but 

 honey was the real sweet* which any one 

 could buy, providing he had the price. 



There is no prospect, according to Profes- 

 sor Jager, that the great war will cease for 

 two or three years to come. The conditions 

 there, he says, are indescribable, unbelieva- 

 ble; that we in America know nothing of the 



* It should be remembered that Professor Jager 

 wa.s in Europe when there was a suerar shortage. 

 Whether the situation has since been relieved, as 

 would be indicated by the statement of Claus 

 Spreckels, that there was no shortage, we do not 

 know. 



