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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



August 



Crop Reports and Market Conditions 



For our August issue we asked the following ques- 

 tions of reporters : 



1. How large is the honey crop compared to last year? 



2. What are the prospects for the rest of the season 

 compared to last year? 



3. Is honey in good demand? Is it being sold as fast 

 as harvested? What prices are being obtained, whole- 

 sale and retail? 



4. Has the tin can shortage affected the honey situa- 

 tion? Will it stimulate local sales by beekeepers? 



THE HONEY CROP 



As intimated before on this page, the honey flow was 

 extremely late this year, owing to the backward sea- 

 son, so that instead of harvesting in the middle of July, 

 many northern beekeepers are just at the beginnmg of 



the flow. 



In New England and the East, generally, crop pros- 

 pects are about the equal, if not a little better than last 

 year. In the central west, however, the situation is from 

 poor to serious. Some few localities report from 50 to 

 100% of last year, but most report either a total failure 

 or only a very small proportion of last year's crop. In 

 our own locality colonies which already had near 150 

 pounds of honey harvested, at this tihie last year, have 

 nothing in the supers and nothing in sight. 



Michigan and Wisconsin report backward weather 

 and generally a short crop. Minnesota seems to have 

 fared a little better. Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, 

 Kansas Nebraska and other Central States are way be- 

 low normal. Beekeepers in these states will need to im- 

 port honey to supply the home demand, if they can get it. 



Georgia and Florida have had a crop much better than 

 a year ago. Practically all honey harvested has been sold 

 and delivered on a basis of about 10 cents for extracted. 

 Alabama and Mississippi are still waiting on sweet clo- 

 ver, with a very short crop in prospect. 



Texas estimates run all the way from less than noth- 

 ing to 40% of last year's crop. The northern and west- 

 ern parts of this state seem to have fared better than 

 the southern, where many bees are starving. 



In Colorado, Idaho and Montana the crop is now on. 

 It promises to be good, probably in excess of 1916, as the 

 flow was a failure in Idaho, especially in 1916. 



California and the Coast are hardly up to the last 

 season, though many reports claim as low as 50% of last 

 year's crop. In restricted areas there haye recently been 

 large losses from forest fires and excessive heat. 

 PROSPECTS 



Recent rains in some parts of Texas have increased 

 the chances for later crops there. In the southeast the 

 later crop may be normal. Rains in the central region 

 will almost assure a fair crop wherever heartsease and 

 Spanish needle are available. On the whole, later crop 



prospects will hardly come up to those of last season. 



HONEY DEMAND AND SALES 



Probably not since the civil war has there been such 

 an enormous demand for honey. As fast as honey is be- 

 ing offered it is being "gobbled up" either by the big job- 

 ber or by the small consumer. Sales are very easily 

 made now on a basis of 10 cents for extracted and not a 

 few have been reported as high as 12'/2 cents. This is in 

 a wholesale way. One beekeeper has contracted a car- 

 load of alfalfa extracted at 1154 cents f. o. b. Denver. 



More honey than ever before has been contracted 

 ahead, leaving probably a minor proportion to be sold 

 after harvest. This holds true, especially, of the big pro- 

 ducing areas of the west. One large bottling firm, we un- 

 derstand, is circulating broadcast offers of Syi cents for 

 this season's extracting. Most offers, however, range 

 from 9'/^ to 12 cents, depending on the quality of the 

 honey. 



The beekeeper who sells his honey at home or by mail 

 is getting more inquiries than he will likely be able to 

 fill. One of these has set a price for consumers of $1.25 

 for a 5-pound can ; $2.00 for a 10-pound can, and $18.00 

 for two sixty-pound cans. He reports as many sales as 

 last year. Will his prices not be too low, if he expects 

 to supply his trade throughout the winter? 



THE TIN CAN SHORTAGE 



Generally speaking, the tin can shortage has not pre- 

 vented the sale of the honey crop, as many of the larger 

 producers were supplied before the shortage became evi- 

 dent. In the west cases of two si.xty-pound cans are sell- 

 ing at $1.15 to $1.35. Friction top pails are still to be had 

 and at prices not above the proportion of rise in other 

 commodities. Glass jars for a while were unobtainable, 

 but the situation is now much easier. 



Some big producers who usually sold some locally will 

 not do so on account of the favorable prices in quanti- 

 ties, but on the whole the local sales are very large pro- 

 portionately and should continue so. 



SUMMARY 



The crop this year can hardly equal last year, while 

 the demand is much greater than it was at the same date 

 in 1916. We do not see how prices can drop any below 

 the present level. Nor do we understand how an advance 

 can be avoided. Beekeepers for years have insisted on 

 the food value of honey. Are the prices yet anywhere 

 near the level they should be to correspond with other 

 foods? 



No movements of comb honey are as yet reported. 

 However, the price on this also is bound to be advanced 

 by the high price of extracted. Old stocks are cleaned 

 up. New stocks should realize from 50c to $1.00 a case 

 more than a year ago. 



HONEY AND BEESWAX 



Kansas City, Mo., July 17, 1917.— Your let- 

 ter to hand and in reply will say that the mar- 

 ket on comb honey here is around $3.65 per 24 

 section case for strictly No. 1. Very little ex- 

 tracted honey on the market. 



Hardly know what the trade will pay for 

 same, but find a few offerings from the west 

 at from 11 to 12 cents a pound f. o. b. Kansas 

 City Beeswax, strictly No. 1, is 40 cents per 

 pound. C. C. Clemons Bee Supply Co. 



■ New York, July 16, 1917.— There is nothing 

 doing at all in comb honey to speak of. Stocks 

 are well exhausted and what little there is left 

 on the market is dragging; prices range from 

 lOc to 14c per pound, according to quality. 



The market on extracted honey is very much 

 unsettled, and prices are fluctuating. Califor- 

 nia new crop is quoted at from 954 to lie for 

 light amber, 12 to 14c for white, and we are 

 informed that sales of fancy white have been 

 made at as high as 15c per pound f. o. b. 



Coast. Receipts of West Indian honey are 

 normal and uncertain at this time of the year, 

 but find ready sale at from .$1.10 to $1.20 per 

 gallon, and exceptionally fine lots at even 

 higher figure It is too early to say, at this 

 date, what the crop in the East and Middle 

 West wiM be, but as bees were in good condi- 

 tion in the spring, a good average crop should 

 be produced. Hildreth & Segelken. 



San Antonio, July 14, 1917. — Only a few 

 offerings of honey are being made and these in 

 limited quantities. No considerable movement 

 will be felt until the cotton surplus is harvest- 

 ed, about September 1. Prices are a little 

 weaker, ranging about 9c for amber to 12c for 

 white. Bulk comb, very scarce at 12c to 15c. 

 Beeswax, 30c cash and 32c exchange. 



Southwestern Bee Co. 



Chicago. July 16, 1917. — At this writing 

 none of the new crop of honey has appeared 

 on the market with the exception of a few 

 cases of extracted from Minnesota that is little 

 better than sweet water. What it was gath- 

 ered from we do not know. At this writing it 

 has not been sold, it having been rejected foi 



the reason given. 



What little white extracted honey that has 

 come on the market during the past month has 

 sold at about 14c per pound, without any am- 

 ber from which to quote. 



Advices now coming would indicate that be- 

 fore the month closes there will be honey from 

 nearby sections and the same should meet with- 

 a ready sale, for the market is entirely free 

 from offerings of the preceding crops, or that 

 gathered in 1915 and 1916. 



Beeswax is ranging from 35c to 40c per lb., 

 according to color and cleanliness. 



R. A. Burnett & Co. 



Denver, July 21 .1917. — We herewith send 

 you market report for the August number of 

 your journal: 



A few cases new crop comb honey coming in 

 now, which sell in a local way at $4.50 for 

 No. 1 white and $4.00 for No. 2 white. Crop 

 promises to be light. White extracted sells 

 wholesale at 16c, no light amber or amber 

 available yet. 



We pay 36 cents in cash and 38 cents in 

 trade for clean yellow beeswax, delivered here. 

 The Colorado Honey Producers' Assn. 



