E 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



3 



EDITORIAL 



LET US AGAIN emphasize that the bee- 

 keeper who has not yet ordered supplies for 

 the coining season 



Don't Delay — 



Order Supplies 



Now. 



do so at once. At 

 this writing, Jan. 

 1.5, freights, espe- 

 cially in the East, 

 are congested as never before in railroad 

 history. Many carload shipments have been 

 lying unmoved on the roalroad tracks for 

 over a month. 



The Administration at Washington has 

 taken over the railroads and it is hoped that 

 the present congestion will be relieved. In 

 all events, war material and food stuffs have 

 the preference. 



The situation became so acute that a rep- 

 resentative of Gleanings conferred at 

 length with several representatives of the 

 Sugar Division of the United States Food 

 Administration, explaining that cai loads of 

 bee supplies and less than carloads were 

 very much delayed and unless the beekeeper 

 could have his goods in time it would nin- 

 terially cut down the production of honey, 

 and we asked that bee supplies be given a 

 preferential standing along with agricultural 

 implements. While the Sugar Division could 

 not give us any definite promise, an official 

 told us that if we would furnish the Sugar 

 Division with the car numbers, routing and 

 other particulars regarding less than car- 

 load shipments, that office would do what 

 it could to hasten delivery. 



The railroad companies are powerless until 

 the Food Administration makes a discrimina- 

 tion that will allow certain freights to be 

 moved. 



We don't hesitate to say that it 13 a seri- 

 ous situation that confronts the beekeeper 

 today. In many cases supplies have been 

 oidered and will be delivered soon. In other 

 cases goods have already been received. The 

 r.-.an who has not placed his order for his en- 

 tire requirements for 1918, unless transpor- 

 tation conditions improve, may b-i in a sor- 

 ry plight in March and April if he does not 

 order at once. To get goods by express is 

 very expensive, and that's what many who 

 order late will have to do if they got their 

 goods at all. 



Just as we left Dr. Phillips, in Washing- 

 ton, the apicultural expert of the Bureau of 

 Entomology, said: "You can't make it 



too emphatic that bee-supplies should be or- 

 dered at once, if not already ordered." 



THE EDITOE of Gleanings has been in the 

 East to look up the sugar situation. Con- 

 ditions are improv- 

 How to Get ing and the Food 



Sugarfor Administration, 



Feeding. Sugar Division, 



at Washington, as- 

 sured us that there ought to be no lack of 

 sugar within 30 or 40 days. As stated in 

 January Gleanings, where beekeepers need 

 sugar at once to prevent starvation, they 

 should make a statement of the facts, the 

 number of colonies and the amount of sugar 

 needed, when tlie Food Administration will 

 issue a permit by which they can secure the 

 sugar required. Address the United States 

 J'ood Adrjiinistration, Sugar Division, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



In one or two cases beekeepers have writ- 

 ten us that they have gone to their local 

 and wholesale grocers with a permit, but 

 were unable to get sugar, as there were no 

 stocks on hand, not even enough to take care 

 of the limit allowed to the householder. In 

 that case, we would recommend that the 

 beekeeper apply to the next nearest whole- 

 sale grocery house, either thru his local 

 grocer or in person himself, and continue the 

 search from grocery to grocery, retail and 

 wholesale. 



Dr. Burton N. Gates, of Amherst, Mass., 

 has made arrangements by which beekeepers 

 of his state can get bee candy of the local 

 dealers. They should apply to H. H. Jepson, 

 182 Friend Street, Boston, Mass.; A. C. An- 

 drews, Springfield, Mass., Box 1474; Koss 

 Bros. Co., 90 Front Street, Worcester, Mass. 



Mr. B. F. Kindig, East Lansing, Mich., 

 State Inspector of Apiaries, has arranged for 

 beekeepers to secure sugar. Michigan bee- 

 keepers may write to him and he will issue 

 a form by which they can secure sugar thru 

 the Federal Food Administration for Michi- 

 gan, which has directed that wholesalers sup- 

 ply beekeepers with sugar, so far as possible. 



Where beekeepers are not able to secure 

 sugar, or can't wait to get a special permit, 

 as a last desperate resort we suggest that 

 they ask for common cane molasses, some- 

 times called New Orleans molasses, for 



