January, 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



35 



THE Honey 

 Report con- 

 tained in the 

 November issue 

 of the Monthly Crop Report contains some 

 very interesting figures on the Texas situa- 

 tion. The average yield per colony for 1917 

 is placed at 12 pounds; this amount is, in- 

 deed, very liberal considering this year's 

 entire failure of production over such an 

 extensive area of the principal honey sec- 

 tions. Of the honey produced, there was a 

 very decided tendency toward the extracted, 

 and there is every reason to believe that this 

 tendency will increase in the future. Local 

 trade everywhere is being induced to pur- 

 chase extracted honey. The term ' ' chunk ' ' 

 honey has been discarded on the local trade 

 market, and " bulk comb " honey is now 

 applied to this product. The amount of hon- 

 ey placed upon outside markets from this 

 state was exceedingly small this year. And 

 this amount should have been still less, for 

 honey was shipped in to supply the local 

 demand, in a few localities. The local de- 

 mand for honey has been very good over the 

 entire state, no doubt due largely to the 

 sugar shortage, and somewhat to the desire 

 of all to economize. This has resulted in 

 very good prices being received for all good 

 local offerings of honey in any form. 



The Honey Market Reports which were is- 

 sued by the Office of Markets, during the 

 selling season, were not given proper con- 

 sideration by all of the producers of this 

 state. This may be due to two reasons: 

 low production and excellent local demand. 

 Regardless of these conditions the bee- 

 keepers of this state should certainly avail 

 themselves of the information found in the 

 reports, which is given for their benefit. 

 Cases came to our attention where the pro- 

 ducer was offering honey on the local market 

 at a price below what was indicated in these 

 market reports. We found on the part of 

 many too much of a feeling of indifference 

 - — a disregard for outside prevailing condi- 

 tions, and a tendency to offer their honey 

 at prices that prevailed locally in former 

 years. It is one thing to produce honey 

 satisfactorily, but it is another thing to mar- 

 ket it at profit. Marketing is fast becom- 

 ing recognized as a science; and when every 

 possible aid is given by experts it should be 

 accorded consideration by the producers. It 

 is to be hoped that the excellent service 

 rendered by the Honey Market Reports will 

 be given again this year. 



With the great feeding problem on hand, 

 there arises again the question, ' ' Which is 

 better to feed, sugar or honey f" Provided 

 it is possible to obtain either in sufficient 

 quantity, which makes the better winter 

 feed? There are plenty of beekeepers who 

 maintain that bees are killed by feeding a 

 sugar syrup. Of course, we know that sugar 



IN TEXAS 



F. B. Paddock, State Entomologist 



is not the natu- 

 ral food of bees 

 and on such food 

 alone they can- 

 not rear brood; but it is a fact that many 

 a. colony of bees will be carried safely thru 

 the winter on a sugar feed. Another inter- 

 esting question along this line is the com- 

 mercial value of honey and sugar as a feed 

 for bees. With sugar at Sy^ cents per pound, 

 wiiat can one afford to pay for honey? There 

 are those who contend that sugar at this 

 price will go further than honey at fifteen 

 cents a pound. This question will bear care- 

 ful examination and experimental work. 



This has been a year of trial for the care- 

 ful and serious beekeeper. Conditions have 

 not been so hard in many years; but in 

 spite of the heavy losses suffered in many 

 sections, the older beekeepers are optimistic 

 concerning the future. This year the bees 

 need more help than ever, and now is the 

 tiTue for every one to take the best care of 

 his bees. There is too much of a tendency 

 at such times to throw up the hands and 

 allow ' ' hard times ' ' to finish its work. 

 When the bees need feed it should be given. 

 Sugar should be purchased if honey cannot 

 be procured. There are many who have not 

 examined their bees for some time; and 

 when they do they will find only empty hives 

 where colonies of bees used to be. This has 

 already been the experience of some, and 

 will be the experience of many others before 

 next season. Give the bees a chance. 



In spite of the unprecedented high prices 

 of honey of any description there was more 

 honey left with the colonies this year than 

 ever before. On every hand, beekeepers 

 took from the hives only a positive surplus 

 of honey. There is also a growing tendency 

 to have some surplus stored in brood-frames 

 to facilitate feeding in the spring. This 

 practice should be extended. Some spring 

 feed is always needed by a few colonies; 

 for even when the average conditions have 

 been favorable, a colony here and there will 

 need a little help to put it in good condi- 

 tion. 



* * * 



A few beekeepers who are willing to face 

 the situation squarely have set aside a liber- 

 al sum for feeding each colony of bees. In 

 one instance an estimate was made which 

 was half of the value of a good colony of 

 bees. With many colonies to feed, such an 

 estimate would mean a considerable sum. It 

 shows that there are those who have plenty 

 of confidence in the future. Next spring 

 bees will command a good price, and the 

 careful beekeeper will certainly be rewarded. 



« * * 



Rains have been quite general over a con- 

 siderable portion of the honey-producing 

 area of tlie state. Such rains will prove to 

 be a great benefit to the honey flora of these 



