GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Atcr.sT. 1918 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



years even where trees are still fairly abun- 

 dant, so it is not counted on very much any 

 more in most parts of Ontario. 



While I have no idea as to condition in 

 the Province at large in regard to pros- 

 pects for buckwheat, in our own locality the 

 heaviest acreage ever grown is being sown. 

 The grain has gone into the ground in an 

 ideal condition, as soil worked up well, and 

 frequent rains insure quick germination of 

 the seed. A buckwheat flow in August 

 makes things splendid for building up nuclei 

 that have been made to make up losses, or 

 for increase; for if the nucleus is formed 

 during clover flow with a comb or two of 

 brood and queen, it is very easy to draw 

 brood from strong colonies in August, when 

 buckwheat is yielding, to make up these lit- 

 tle colonies to full strength. Possibly, that 

 system works out about the cheapest and 

 most simple of any plan known for making 

 increase — a,t least I prefer it to any other 

 way I have ever tried, and at present I have 

 a number of nuclei formed for just that pur- 

 pose. 



This so-called "disappearing disease" is 

 certainly a mystery in so far as we have any 

 positive knowledge as to what causes the 

 malady. During a warm, dry spell in May 

 this year, it appeared in many apiaries, do- 

 iiig a lot of damage at a time when the 

 adult bees were badly needed to keep up 

 strength in colonies none too strong after 

 the sever© winter. Then it stopped just as 

 suddenly as it first started. Locally we saw 

 nothing more of it till about a week ago, 

 when I walked into one of our apiaries one 

 morning and found the ground literally 

 covered with bees frantically traveling in 

 every direction. A visit to another apiary 

 in the afternoon showed clusters of dead 

 bees in every little hollow in the ground, 

 showing that the same trouble had been 

 there also. I saw nothing since till this 

 morning, when I again noticed a lot of bees 

 acting the same way. The weather has 

 been warm and no rain for a week, with 

 honey coming in from clover. If food causes 

 this trouble as claimed by many, how can 

 we reconcile that idea when bees are getting 

 fresh honey and pollen from clover? We 

 may know a little about this disease, but, 

 certainly, what is not known about it is by 

 far the larger (|uantit\-. 



Markham, Ont. ' J. L. Byer. 



InT 



exas 



.It is a nmtter of considerable 

 wonder how well so many of 

 the beekeepers really do make out. The im- 

 pressions of this State were well summed 

 up recently by one in a position to state, as 

 follows: "If you are doing so well with 

 present methods, what could you do with 

 good practices?" So many beekeepers of 

 tliis State are just keeping bees and getting 

 what tlu'V can. The aVdlity to recognize the 

 l)roo<l diseases of bees is lacking with a very 



great percentage of the beekeepers. No 

 wonder beekeeping is not in any better 

 standing than it is, and no wonder so many 

 can not make money at it. It would seem to 

 be the proper order of things to learn some- 

 thing about the pitfalls of beekeeping be- 

 fore investing much capital. Any beekeeper 

 who pretends to keep bees, should be able 

 to diagnose American foul brood as a matter 

 of self -protection. After the bees have 

 been lost, there is no time to begin to in- 

 (|uire into the details of how it looks and 

 how it acts. Only the beekeeper is to 

 blame for the ])resent standard of industry. 



The beekeeper is often forced to explain 

 ;it length that bees really maile the honey 

 he is offering for sale, and that honey is 

 really a fit food for human consumi)tion. 

 WJien one sees some of the packages of 

 honey put on local markets, it is evident 

 that the consumer has reason for questions. 

 It is a matter of no surprise that 

 syrup is preferred in many sections. 

 Fermented honey is often placed on the 

 market, and such a practice makes future 

 sales of honey very diflicult even for a 

 good product. Many who sell honey do not 

 know just the proper honey to put on the 

 market, and then there are many who inno- 

 cently put in unsealed and unripe honey. 

 Furthermore, many are careless and allow 

 pollen and broken parts of the bees to re- 

 main in the honey sold on the market. Such 

 j.ractice will ruin a good market. Much 

 honey is jiurchased by the dealers from par- 

 ties unknown, and the containers have no 

 standard label, so that if the contents are 

 unsatisfactory, it is difficult to get the poor 

 goods replaced. This is a day of fancy 

 markets, and the beekeeper must come to 

 realize that fact. The consumer demands 

 a first-class product put up in first-class 

 manner. 



The Extension Service at A. & M. College 

 expects to do considerable extension work 

 in apiculture during the coming year. The 

 beekeepers will certainly welcome this an- 

 nouncement. There is- a big field for the 

 work in this State and there is no doubt 

 but that decided results can be obtained. 

 The work will be started with the smaller 

 beekeepers and in those sections where the 

 industry is not developed at present, but 

 where conditions are favorable to beekeep- 

 ing with modern metho<ls. 



The shippers of pound packages of bees 

 have had a very difficult season. The 

 drouth reduced the honey flow so that the 

 bees could not build u\). The season was 

 equally unfavorable for queen-breeding. 



(/onditions over the State have generally 

 inijiroved during the past month. In some 

 sections prospects now are quite good for 

 a honey flow. During the last week, local 

 rains have occurred over much of the honey- 

 jiroducing territoiy. In much of the mes- 

 quite section, there has been a good second 



