AUGUST 15, 1915 



659 



Beekeeping in the Southwest 



wilh a 



LdMiSs H. Scholl, 

 While tlie Texas honey crop will 

 be somewhat short as a whole, 

 some beekeepers have made very 

 fair crops. These are scattered 

 considerably, however, over the 

 stale. While the crop is short there 

 was quite a good deal of honey, 

 rood demand for it. 



Grassy apiaries are exceedingly danger- 

 ous these dry seasons on account of destruc- 

 tion by fire. Just a little spark from the 

 smoker luay mean the end of the entire 

 apiary of some beekeepers I have visited, 

 where the grass and weeds were knee-high 

 and as dry as powder. Clean them up! 

 m » * 



" Don't give up the ship " is mighty good 

 ad\ice to those who may become discourag- 

 ed because they did not make a good crop 

 I his year. Be kind to your bees and do not 

 neglect feeding them if it becomes neces- 

 sary. By all means save thera, as they may 

 reward you thrice over for your kindness 

 i:ext year. , , , 



" Bulk comb honey " and " chunk honey " 

 are two different tilings, yet some of our 

 friends of the North and East frequently 

 make the mistake of referring to our bulk- 

 comb honey as " chunk honey." Get away 

 from that! You may seem to think it all 

 right to do so, but we don't. We think it 

 betrays a good deal of ignorance on the 

 part of the person so using the right and 

 the wrong names of this thing, and we hate 

 to think that. Jt is, therefore, better to 

 use the names correctly. 

 « • » 



" HOXKY IN THE ICE-BOX." 



The editor calls attention to the foolish 

 habit which some merchants have o:^ placing 

 honey in the ice-box. I have given many 

 instructions to my customers in time gone 

 by, along exactly the same line. Of late, 

 however, my instructions have been just 

 entirely opposite. I'll tell you why. I 

 made a discovery by chance. A tumbler of 

 honey found its way from the table into 

 the ice-box with the other things by mi.s- 

 take. It had just come from the ice-box on 

 t(i the table when I ate some of it with my 

 liot cakes. What a difference between it 

 and the usual thinner honey as we find it. 

 and especially during warm weather! 



Since then my instructions to customers 

 have been to place the table dish in the re- 

 frigerator if Ihey wish to enjoy improve- 



Braemfels, Texas?, 

 uient in already good honey for table use. 

 Since these instructions were given, the 

 consumption is gi'eater because they enjoy 

 the nice, thick, cool honey far better than 

 thoy would if it were in the original state. 

 And I do not see that any harm can come 

 from such procedure. Of cour.se, it would 

 be wrong to place the entire vessel contain- 

 ing a larger (juanlity of honey in the ice- 

 box. [Our editorial referred to was aimed 

 against the storing of honey in the deal- 

 e^-'s ice-box; and comb honey, of course, 

 should never be placed in a refrigerator, 

 whether in the home or in the store. — Ed.] 



BEEKEEPERS'' FIELD MEETINGS. 



I have been calling the attention of bee- 

 keepers, especially of Texas, to the great 

 importance of holding field meetings and 

 beekeepers' picnics from time to time. The 

 Bexar County Beekeepers' Association re- 

 cently held such a picnic, 9.nd it was indeed 

 a most successful venture. This association 

 is one of the livest organizations in this 

 state. Tt includes the beekeepers of the San 

 Antonio district, as this city is the county- 

 seat of Bexar County. There is not only a 

 good membership, but the most of the mem- 

 bei's are real live wires. 



The picnic was held at the apiary of Mr. 

 A. P. Heinen, at Southton Park, about ten 

 miles out of San Antonio. A grove near 

 the San Antonio River banks served splen- 

 didly for such an outing. With a bountiful 

 supply of eatables and refreshments, and a 

 regular feast of bee-lore, there was plenty 

 of real enjoyment for young and old, for 

 the ladies as well as the men folks. There 

 were visitors from seven counties. 



A short address by the president, Lewis 

 Maverick, some pertinent remarks on the 

 subject of bee diseases by M. M. Faust, of 

 Floresville, followed by a talk on co-opera- 

 lion and organization by myself, was the 

 jorogram in the afternoon. All day there 

 was free discussion and demonstration. Be- 

 sides the regular hive equipment in its 

 completeness in Mr. Heinen's apiary, E. G. 

 LeStonrgeon, the secretary of the associa- 

 tion, had provided a great variety of hives 

 and other beekeepei-s' supplies and equip- 

 ment for exhibition. A person in ciiarge of 

 these supplies was kept busy all day at the 

 various occui)aiions of hive-nailing, putting 

 in foundation, and the dozen and one other 

 things that can be done to keep a crowd of 

 lookers-on busy. 



