38 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Januaey, 1918 



FLORIDA SUNSHINE 



E. G. Baldwin, Deland, Fla. 



ANOTHE E 

 inquiry has 

 come to 

 hand for a book- 

 let on Florida beekeeping. While Florida 

 is not as large as all the rest of the United 

 States put together, by any means, still it is 

 a big state; and while the state as a whole 

 is not of even value, for honey production, 

 still certain localities are excellent, and in 

 good seasons have yielded the largest crops 

 of any localities known in the world. We 

 refer to the mangrove sections of the East 

 Coast. The whole problem is one of the 

 man and the locality combined. If a man 

 knows how to make the most of his locality, 

 or can shift his bees by boat from one place 

 to another, it is almost six to one that he 

 will succeed. But conditions are so radically 

 different that but very little that is written 

 for even the Cotton Belt will apply fully to 

 Florida. The editors have given considerable 

 thought to the question of a Florida book- 

 let on ajjiculture, but the honest question is, 

 " Will it pay the publisher?" It will pay 

 the few who want and need such a manual, 

 no doubt. Perhaps the time for it is not yet 

 ripe; but it is probable that, after this war, 

 such a book will be forthcoming. At pres- 

 ent, almost all writers who make a general 

 survey of beekeeping conditions in the Unit- 

 ed States do make a separate class for 



Florida. 



» * » 



Kenneth Hawkins, apicultural assistant, 

 in general charge of the southern states, 

 has just gone south (Nov. 10). His main 

 aim is to study diseases and diseased condi- 

 tions in Florida, and, secondarily, to meet 

 bee-men there and associate with them fra- 

 ternally. He has several meetings in view. 

 C. K. McQuarrie, State Agent, Dep 't A and 

 M., Gainesville, Fla., has indorsed the pro- 

 posed trip of Mr. Hawkins, and is ready to 

 extend a cordial hand of greeting. We feel 

 that Mr. Hawkins will be welcome anywhere 

 and everywhere. So far as our memory 

 serves us, this is the first federal agent that 

 has visited Florida since Mr. Demuth, now 

 assistant to Dr. Phillips, visited the state 

 six or more years ago. We do not yet know 

 whether or not Dr. Phillips plans to include 

 Florida in the extension work that he is 

 planning for the coming year. 



An inquiry has come to hand from a 

 correspondent in Mayville, N. Y., asking for 

 information on raising bees in Florida. His 

 questions follow: 



1. How many colonies would be required 

 to produce 50 pounds of bees for shipping 

 nortli? 



2. At what ])rice can bees be bought lo- 

 cally? 



3. Are there many wild swarms in the 

 woods'? 



4. Is it necessary to feed any during the 

 winter? 



5. What section of the state would you 



consider the 

 most desirable 

 for rearing 

 bees? 



1. It depends much on what condition you 

 plan to leave the bees in, after shipping 

 from them. Fifteen would leave the colonies 

 weak, probably; twenty-five would allow the 

 fifty jDounds to be shipped with little diminu- 

 tion of the working strength. It could be 

 done from ten colonies, but if shipped in 

 time for clover in the North they would not 

 be more than fragments of colonies after the 

 fifty pounds had been shipped away. If 

 taken thruout the season, even ten colonies 

 could be left in good shape for winter. 



2. At prices ranging from three to five 

 dollars per colony, usually, if at all. 



3. In some localities, near woods, many 

 swarms are to be found. One man near 

 Bradentown told me that he had " spotted " 

 fifty swarms, and was awaiting leisure time 

 to cut the trees. 



4. No, not if ordinarily good care has 

 been given. Like every other state, Florida 

 offers no openings for slovenly methods. 



5. Not north of a line drawn straight east 

 from Tampa; the further south the better, 

 generally speaking, for weather conditions. 

 As for flora, a man must come down and 

 see for himself first. No offhand directions 

 can be given. 



* * * 



With prospects of a thrilling demand for 

 all the honey the country can be made to 

 produce another year, surely Florida beemen 

 ought to ' ' move up on the proposition ' ' 

 with all the force and brains in them; and 

 one of the best means for making a big drive 

 in the spring is to start in the winter with 

 full colonies and full hives of honey. I have 

 ne\er yet found a colony with the hive too 

 full of honey for good results; but, alas! too 

 often have we found colonies that suffered 

 from too little stores. The bees always 

 seem to find room for the honey somehow. 



"Mr. Pellett announces to us that Prof. 

 Milieu has now 75 girls taking the special 

 course in beekeeping at Ames College 

 (Iowa), American Bee Journal, p. 193. Dr. 

 Phillips says there are now 22 colleges and 

 universities offering courses in beekeeping. 

 Every state produces honey, therefore every 

 state should have a state apicultural de- 

 partment in its colleges or universities, one 

 to every state. Not until then can it be 

 truly said that we are abreast of the times 

 apiculturally. 



» '» * 



W. F. LaEoche, of Courtenay, Fla., writes: 

 "Thanks to the cabbage palmetto, we have 

 harvested a very satisfactory crop this sea- 

 son." Good for you, friend LaEoche! You 

 stand almost in a class by yourself, this year 

 in the state. Not many beemen can writo 

 ' ' satisfactory ' ' as their verdict of this 

 year's honey crop. 



