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GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



1 



MARCH, 1918 



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EDITORIAL 



IT IS NOW authoritatively announced by 

 the U. S. Food Administration that beekeep- 

 ers are to be allow- 

 Sugar for ed the sugar neees- 



Feeding Bees sary for feeding 

 Now Assured. their bees. This an- 

 nouncement is 

 .made in the following public bulletin just 

 issued, signed by C. W. Holman, the official 

 in chcarge: 



The Food Administration, trusting in the in- 

 dustry of the bee, has decided that even in the 

 face of a world sugar scarcity bees are entitled to 

 their share. Beekeepers thruout the country ha^e 

 ■been reporting to the United States Food Adminis- 

 tration their inability to secure sugar with which 

 to prevent starvation among their colonies. Last 

 season was a particularly unfavorable one. Owing 

 to droughts and failure of clover and other crops 

 in some sections, the bees were unable to store 

 sufficient food to carry them thru the winter. Under 

 such conditions a syrup made from white granu- 

 lated sugar is needed to feed them. Any other 

 kind of food, except when bees are flying frequently, 

 tends to produce a condition of the bees known as 

 dysentery. But some dealers fearing they might 

 violate rules or at least the spirit of the Food 

 Administration, have hesitated to deliver sugar to 

 beekeepers. In handling this problem the Food 

 Administration has not only authorized but en- 

 couraged the delivery to beekeepers of a sufficient 

 quantity of sugar to meet urgent bee feeding re- 

 quirements. Dr. E. F. Phillips, Apiculturist of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture, estimates 

 that every pound of sugar now fed to starring bees 

 will result in the production of at least 10 pounds 

 of honey next season. In many cases the increase 

 will greatly exceed this. C. W. Holman. 



We interpret this official bulletin to mean 

 that the beekeeper in need of sugar to feed 

 his bees can show a copy of this bulletin to 

 his nearest wholesaler or retail sugar dealer, 

 and, upon satisfying the dealer that he is a 

 beekeeper in need of feed for his bees, can 

 get all the sugar he wants, provided the 

 dealer has the sugar. More than this, we 

 interpret the bulletin to mean that the 

 wholesaler or retail sugar dealer can secure 

 an extra allotment of sugar for supplying the 

 beekeeper. We suggest that the beekeeper's 

 demand be made as moderate as possible and 

 to cover only actual, necessity of certain 

 colonies that are running short of stores. 

 One or two pounds of sugar per colony will 

 probable tide them over until fruit bloom 

 or other source of honey. If necessary later, 

 more sugar can be obtained for feeding pur- 

 poses. 



In case sugar cannot be obtained of your 



local dealer, write to Gleanings and we will 

 try to tell you how to proceed and where 

 you can get the sugar. But impress upon 

 your local dealer the fact that he will be 

 allowed a special allotment of sugar for the 

 use of beekeepers and that he can get it for 

 you on this claim if he will. 



Elsewhere in this issue will be found full 

 directions for making candy for feeding 

 providing the weather is cold. In case the 

 bees can fly two or three days a week, ordi- 

 nary thick sugar syrup should be given. 



In case your dealer can not supply you 

 with sugar and the weather is warm enough 

 so bees can fly two or three times a week, 

 cane molasses may be given, and there is no 

 doubt that the permit as above given would 

 authorize the distribution of molasses or 

 any other form of sweet. 



In a few localities maple sugar or maple 

 syrup can be given to bees. The ordinary 

 evaporated maple syrup is nearly equal to 

 granulated sugar syrup. 



In case sugar has to be obtained from a 

 distance, where the quantity is not large, we 

 would advise having it sent by parcel post. 

 Go to your local postmaster and have him 

 tell you how much extra you will have to 

 send to cover postage from dealer to you. 

 Sugar should be furnished probably at the 

 prevailing rates, somewhere around 9c or 10c 

 a pound. 



It is perhaps unnecessary to remind our 

 readers that a severe punishment in the way 

 of line and imprisonment will be meted out 

 to anyone who buys sugar for feeding bees 

 and then uses it for other purposes. For that 

 reason no more sugar should be purchased 

 than is absolutely required for the purpose 

 of feeding. 



Later. — Some press notices seem to indi- 

 cate that there will be plenty of sugar 

 within the near future; but from an inter- 

 view that the editor of Gleanings had with 

 the Ohio Department of the U. S. Food Ad- 

 ministration at Columbus, on Feb. 16, we are 

 convinced that there will be a sugar short- 

 age in many states lasting till the next hon- 

 ey flow, and that some definite arrangements 

 should now be made to divert sugar ex- 

 clusively for the use of beekeepers to some 

 central point in each state. With that end 

 in view, we made arrangements with the 

 Ohio Food Administration, Sugar Division, 

 to buy some 7,000 pounds of sugar. This 



