GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



October, 1918 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH gl| 



as well as the farmer. As I bought clover 

 seed for a number of years for a large seed 

 house, naturally I was interested in the 

 clover crop from more than one angle. Con- 

 trary to expectations, alsike seems to be in 

 as great demand as ever, and prices paid 

 this year are high and the crop an abundant 

 one in so far as yield per acre is concerned. 

 Many fields around us have averaged 10 and 

 12 bushels per acre while a few have gone 

 14, and, in two cases at least that I know 

 of, very nearly 15 bushels per acre were ob- 

 tained. When one considers the small size 

 of alsike seed, surely we must concede alsike 

 to be one of the most prolific yielders of all 

 the clovers, when conditions are right. 

 Twelve and a half dollars a bushel, as seed 

 came from machine, was a common price. 

 So it needs no argument to prove that it is 

 a great paying crop even in a time of in- 

 flated prices for grain and all other produce. 

 Alsike is the premier honey plant of On- 

 tario — no doubt about it — and naturally all 

 beekeepers will be glad to know that for the 

 present at least the acreage is not apt to 

 grow less. Alsike and buckwheat when 

 grown in a locality, make a combination 

 hard to beat in so far as a honey-producing 

 location is concerned, altho localities that 

 have no buckwheat sometimes produce a 

 little whiter honey than it is possible to get 

 in a buckwheat locality by reason of the 

 buckwheat coming up the following sjiring 

 in the grain and blooming at time that 

 clover is blossoming. Then again, if bees 

 are wintered heavy on buckwheat, one has 

 to be careful that none is put in supers, 

 particularly if much hoisting of brood is 

 practiced, as a very little buckwheat soon 

 makes a showing in clover honey. But, for 

 all its disadvantages, I still think that the 

 advantages far more than make up for this, 

 and, having bees in localities that have 

 buckwheat and in other places where none 

 is grown, I speak from experience on this 

 question. 



This phase of the beekeeping business was 

 brought forcibly to my mind a few days ago 

 when a friend from one of the eastern coun- 

 ties of Ontario called at my home to ask ad- 

 vice as to the merits of a location in the 

 great clay belt of northern Ontario above 

 New Liskeard. While big crops have been 

 obtained in that north country and the 

 quality is always fine, yet taking one year 

 with another, I believe the clover-buck- 

 wheat combination is the safest, and so ad- 

 vised my friend. But all cannot keep bees 

 in one part of the country, and I am free to 

 admit, if I were a younger man not tied up 

 with a family, that I would like the plunge 

 into that new virile country, as I visited 

 it some years ago and impressions received 

 at that time as to the beekeeping possibili- 

 ties have not yet left me by any means. 



Goldenrod has always been a negligible 

 yieldej- pf jjectar in our apiaries, but this 



year appears to be a definite exception. 

 Markham, Ont. J. L. Byer. 



Tj, Tpxas Sweet clover as a honey plant 



for Texas has been given quite 

 an extensive test in a few of the northern 

 localities during the past season. The plant 

 does very well wherever sown, and the 

 growth is especially attractive on the 

 poorer soils and so-called waste places. This 

 year it was called upon to furnish honey for 

 a good many colonies to build up on. The 

 flow was heav}^ and of a very good duration. 

 Many apiaries enjoyed a good surplus from 

 sweet clover. The results of this venture 

 should be of interest to beekeepers over the 

 entire State. Sweet clover as a honey plant 

 is worthy of more consideration by the bee- 

 keepers. 



The Texas Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion has recently issued two publications of 

 interest to beekeepers generally. Bulletin 

 231, entitled ' ' The Beemoth or Waxworm, ' ' 

 is a revised and enlarged discussion of the 

 same topic formerly contained in Bulletin 

 158. The new bulletin discusses the experi- 

 ments conducted with the beemoth very 

 fully. Every beekeeper should become more 

 familiar with the details of the life history 

 of this expensive pest of the apiary and the 

 possible control measures. This bulletin is 

 free upon application to the director at Col- 

 lege Station. In Control Circular "B, " are 

 contained the foul brood law and the new 

 regulations issued by the State Entomolo- 

 gist in the Apiary Inspection service. Every 

 beekeeper who buys or ships bees, honey, or 

 appliances should be thoroly acquainted 

 with the provisions of the law and regula- 

 tions. The vast majority of the violations 

 are due to ignorance on the part of the bee- 

 keeper. Certain changes are to be noted in 

 the new regulations. A copy of this bulle- 

 tin can be had upon application, as mention- 

 ed above. 



Local rains have occurred over most of 

 the State during the last month. Eeports 

 indicate that untold benefit will result from 

 these rains. In the eastern sections, condi- 

 tions are now more favorable than at any 

 time in months. Fall flows of honey are now 

 expected in several sections, and it is hoped 

 that sufficient stores will be gathered to car- 

 ry the bees thruout the winter. Good crops 

 of honey have been gathered in localities 

 in the northern part of the State. In one 

 section, the cotton flow was very heavy on 

 the black heavy land, but was almost noth- 

 ing on the light sandy lands. This is usu- 

 ally the case, as was determined last spring 

 when a survey of the honey plants was 

 made. 



Honey prices are still very steady with a 

 slight advance in some sections. Those bee- 

 keepers who prepare their honey carefully 

 for the trade arc entitled to a big increase 



