572 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Beekeeping in the Southwest 



Louis H. SdholL New BraMinifels, Texas. 



B TEXAS HONEY-CROP PROSPECTS 

 So far, southwest Texas reports 

 a comparatively short crop of 

 honey. The spring was quite un- 

 favorable for good results, and 

 1 the early flows were affected 



materially by the long-drawn-out 

 cold s))ring weather. Huajilla and cat- 

 claw did not give the expected yield, and 

 in some localities were reported as hav- 

 ing failed entirely. The yields of light 

 honey seem very scattering over the south- 

 west' Texas territory, and of small yield. 

 Much of this is extracted honey, as tlie 

 flows were not favorable enough for 

 comb honey. Unlike the usual condition 

 in more favorable years, there is very little 

 comb honey indeed offered at present. 



There is hope that the mesquite will give 

 a yield in many of the beekeeping locali- 

 ties Avhere it ;i bounds, since reports have 

 been to the effect that it was budded quite 

 well, and coming into bloom. Quite a 

 number of beekeepers have expressed very 

 little faith in a yield from tliis source on 

 account of the fact that mesquite has not 

 yielded them any honey crop for a number 

 of years. This source has indeed been a 

 veiy uncertain one for the past few years. 

 Throughout the central part of the state 

 there has been considerable horsemint, and 

 some honey is being obtained from that 

 source. While the mesquite here too is 

 just coming into bloom it is not of the 

 usual profusion that obtains when there 

 has been a yield of mesquite honey. The 

 unfavorableness of the springtime has had 

 its serious effect upon all kinds of vegeta- 

 tion and crops. Nearly everything is about 

 a month delayed as compared with the 

 aveiage year. Since the "cotton belt" 

 extends pretty well throughout all of 

 central Texas, and since this plant comes 

 into bloom in our immediate portion, about 

 the middle of June, although it is a little 

 later this year, the bees will be kept busy 

 for some time. Cotton is one of the most 

 certain yielders year after year, according 

 to my experience, and I feel assured of 

 the usual yield from it. Just now rains 

 are very much needed ihi'oughout the 

 greater ])art of this section. The cotton 

 has not really suffered, but more abundant 

 rains means a much moi'c luxuriant growl li 

 of this plant. I have found that this is 

 e-ssential toward a good honey yield. 



Tt is indeed didicult for a person to 

 report for the honey-croj) conditions for the 



great Lone Star State without a great deal 

 of assistance from beekeepers located in 

 the widely different portions of the .great 

 state. For instance, I have just learned by 

 reports from north Texas that tlie bees have 

 just begun to swarm, and that one corres- 

 ]iondent reports having hived four swarms 

 a few days ago. This is well past the mid- 

 dle of June. The honey season is coming on 

 in this part of Texas while the beekeei3ers of 

 southwest Texas have long passed the 

 swanning season and even the spring flow. 



FIRE-PROOF BUILDINGS. 



T have long dreamed of a fire-proof honey- 

 house and work-shop. My present quarters 

 have become too small, and it will soon be 

 necessai"!' to erect a larger building. It 

 is my fondest hope that my dreams will all 

 come true. There will be a basement for 

 honey-storage purposes. This must be di-y 

 and well ventilated, and special heating 

 apparatus will be provided so as to keep 

 the honey from granulating in the combs. 



Tlie main reason for only partly sinking 

 the basement below the ground line is to 

 elevate the first floor about four feet, or 

 about even with the beds of the wagons in 

 use. I have found that this is quite an 

 advantage in that it saves lots of lifting 

 otherwise necessary. It is easier simply to 

 set the articles to be loaded or unloaded 

 directly from the wagon into the honey- 

 house or vice versa. 



Concrete is to be used for the main part 

 of the construction, but in the upper stories 

 corrugated iron will occupy the greater 

 ]-)ortion of both walls and roof. In fact, I 

 feel like the inventor of a new wall for the 

 building I have in view. The new idea is 

 tliat of filling out the panels between the 

 re-enforced concrete frame-work of the 

 building, with solid walls of corrugated iron 

 in such a way that both the ends of the 

 upright sheets of the metal will be inserted 

 in the concrete at the sill-line, at the joist- 

 line above, and into the upi'ight piers at 

 eacli side of each panel. To brace these 

 walls of corrugated panels, angle iron will 

 be used at proper distances across their 

 height, to which the metal will be fastened 

 by means of wiring. The roof will be 

 similarity fastened. 



T'or ordinary purposes such walls as 

 described would be good enough, but it is 

 my intention to use metal latli and plaster 

 on the inside of tlie building, ap])lied by 

 fastening the metal studding directly to the 

 angle-iron bracings that hold the iron walls. 



