July. 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



417 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



or we will soon be back numbers and listed 

 among the down-and-outs. 



The San Bernardino County Beekeepers ' 

 Club held its monthly meeting Saturday, 

 June 1, with a very large attendance. Word 

 had been given out that honey buyers would 

 be present at this meeting, and beekeepers 

 having honey for sale were requested to 

 bring samples. This honey would be sold at 

 auction to the highest bidder. (A very suc- 

 cessful sale was held in this way last year 

 and the producers were again ready to sell 

 by the same method.) Many samples were 

 brought in, representing about 1,400 cases 

 of fine extracted orange honey. Producers 

 of the county had fixed 21 cents a pound as 

 the minimum price they would consider for 

 white orange honey, and they stood pat when 

 the representatives of various firms declined 

 to start the auction at that figure. It was 

 reported that the buyers were ready to offer 

 20y2 cents per pound. But the beemen de- 

 clined to open the auction at that figure, in- 

 sisting that the opening price must be 21 

 cents. After considerable discussion it was 

 decided to call the auction off and not put 

 the honey up for sale in that way. The hon- 

 ey sold last year at their auction for 13.85 

 cents for the water white and 13 1^ cents 

 for the white. The year previous the price 

 paid for white honey was G^^ cents per 

 pound. 



A second carload of cans and cases was 

 ordered by the club at quite a saving to 

 members when compared with the price in- 

 dividuals would have to pay for small lots. 



Some sales of orange honey have been 

 made at 21 cents, but many producers — es- 

 pecially those producing a considerable 

 amount of honey — are not selling, as they 

 feel sure of getting a higher price later on. 

 White honey is the kind most sought, altho 

 buyers are willing to take light amber at 

 from 17 to 18 cents. 



The Riverside County Beekeepers ' Club 

 will hold its regular monthly meeting Satur- 

 day, June 8, at 5:30 p. m. A family picnic 

 supper will be enjoyed at Fairmount Park, 

 Riverside. The club will furnish coffee, 

 cream, and sugar, while those attending are 

 requested to bring their own basket supper. 

 Following the supper a business meeting will 

 be held when State Organizer Massey and 

 J. D. Bixby, a member of the promotion com- 

 mittee, will both speak in favor of the State 

 organization. Honey buyers and those hav- 

 ing honey for sale will have an oi)portunity 

 of getting together for the sale of the sea- 

 son 's crop. Members of the San Barnardino 

 County Club have been invited, and beekeep- 

 ers from Los Angeles County will also be 

 present. An exceptionally fine meeting is 

 expected, as these "picnic meetings" are 

 always very popular and well attended. 



My sister, Elizabeth Andrews, expects to 

 leave in i\ few days for France to do recon- 



struction work along apicultural lines. She 



is one of 15 chosen from Stanford University 



Alumni for special work and will be under 



the supervision of the Red Cross. 



Corona, Calif. L. L. Andrews. 



* » * 



In Michigan Beekeepers in the south- 



o ern part of the State are 



not feeling very optimistic regarding this 

 year's honey crop. Dry and cool weather 

 has prevented secretion of nectar in many 

 localities. In the southwestern part of the 

 State there is not a very good stand of 

 white and alsike clovers; and not much of a 

 crop is expected from these sources. Reports 

 from the central and northern parts of the 

 State are very encouraging. In many places 

 fruit bloom and dandelion have yielded sev- 

 eral times the usual amount of honey. 



The high cost of living and travel has hit 

 the State Inspection Service pretty hard. 

 Instead of having two regular deputy in- 

 spectors, as during the past year, it now 

 looks as tho the number would have to 

 be reduced to one, in order to keep within 

 the limits of the appropriation provided. 

 As next January is the time of the next 

 meeting of the State Legislature, this might 

 be a good time to consider whether or not 

 the candidates are friendly to the interests 

 of the beekeepers. 



Plans are now under way for the next 

 meeting of the State Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion. This will be held in Battle Creek some 

 time during the latter part of November 

 or the first of December. The exact date 

 will be announced in the August numbers of , 

 the various bee journals. The holding of the 

 meeting at Thanksgiving time, as has been 

 done for the last several years, will be 

 abandoned. It is hoped that each of the 

 county associations will send one or more 

 delegates. A new premium list will be ar- 

 ranged. Make plans now for attending and 

 for bringing along an exhibit. 



East Lansing, Mich. B. F. Kindig. 



* * * 



In Iowa Iowa, especially the central 



part, has experienced a veri- 

 table deluge for over a month, about 20 

 inches of rainfall being the record at this 

 writing (June 6). The fruit bloom has 

 been seriously injured, especially cherries. 

 The weather has been very unsatisfactory 

 for the flight of bees on account of coolness 

 and incessant showers. A very heavy rain 

 and hail storm struck central Iowa when 

 cherry and apple trees were in full bloom, 

 washing the pollen quite thoroly. If this 

 weather continues, the bee business in Iowa 

 will likely have a backset for another year. 

 The clovers are beginning to bloom profuse- 

 ly, but the bees can gather no nectar thus 

 far because of cool and rainy conditions. 



If the Iowa beekeeper does not retail his 

 honey at 25 cents per pound this year, he 



