GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



NOTES FEOM CANA 



J. L. Byer, Markham, Ontario 



As mentioned in my September 

 Notes, clover is vei^y rank, and 

 gives promise of being abundant 

 for next year; so, after all, the wet 

 Aveather has perhaps been a benefit 

 in one way at least. Reports were 

 circulated last spring that, owing 

 to the war, alsike would not have a market 

 at all; but as any seed harvested this year 

 is bringing around $8.00 a bushel as it 

 conies from the machine, likely many acres 

 will now be left for seed which otherwise 

 would have been plowed under this fall. 



On page 701, Sept. 1, Dr. Miller speaks 

 of his bees differing from mine in that they 

 have been very strong all through the wet 

 season — a slight jnisunderstanding, I sus- 

 pect, as T referred to the fact that, with so 

 many old bees carried over the winter, 

 during the early cold wet weather they died 

 oft' rapidly. For the past two months we 

 have had rain by the tons day after day, 

 with hardly a let-up, and at present our 

 colonies are abnoiTnally strong — in fact, 

 one Avould wonder where all the bees are 

 going to go when supers are all taken off. 



September 10. — Beautiful summer-like 

 Aveather, and yet there are hundreds of 

 acres of grain still not cut, and, judging by 

 present conditions, very much of tliis grain 

 will be a total loss. All records in regard 

 to precipitation have been broken for these 

 parts; and even if we have ten days or 

 more fair weather, the ground is so saturat- 

 ed that in many places it will be impossible 

 for horses or machinery to get on the land 

 to garner the spoiling crops. The fine 

 weather came too late for buekT\'heat in so 

 far as a crop of honej^ is concerned. It 

 yielded well dui-ing the few fair days we 

 had ; and in our own case, at least, we shall 

 have more than enough of this honey to pay 

 for any feeding required. That is something 

 to be thankful for anyway, when the high 

 price. of sugar is concerned. 



With September here again, once more 

 the question of aster stores looms up. 

 While there is nothing doing here in York 

 Co. among the bees, the apiary up north is 

 again storing aster honey in the supers, 

 and also plugging the brood-nests solid. 

 l! is coming in earlier than last veai", :n.(' 



the yield seems to be more abundant also. 

 In addition to the asters, the goldenrod is 

 also yielding, while last year the latter 

 plant yielded little if any honey. I hardly 

 know whether to be glad or sorry for this 

 late fall flow again, and I think it will take 

 me till next spring to decide the question. 

 One thing seems sure at present; and that 

 is, that the bees up there will go into winter 

 quarters again solid on these questionable 

 stores; for although T intend to send up 

 sugar and feed wherever it can be done, 

 judging by last fall's experience the bees 

 will take little sugar syrup if weather is 

 fine for a few days yet. 

 * • • 



Regarding 1 he matter of queens quahking 

 or piping, perhaps I have been at fault in 

 not distinguishing the difference (page 631, 

 Aug. 1) ; but I am not a musician, and so 

 am unable to count the length of the notes 

 properly. I have generally applied the first 

 term to queens in cell yet, and the latter to 

 those loose in the hive. But once more I 

 must express surprise that so good authori- 

 ties as we have mentioned have not heard 

 the queens calling except on comb, while it 

 is such a common occurrence here. Just a 

 few days ago I placed a queen in each coal 

 pocket, one on each side, intending to go to 

 an outyard. I was helping Mrs. Byer move 

 some furniture, when all at once both queens 

 started in "conversation." For the moment 

 I had to look where the noise was coming 

 from, when I happened to think of the 

 queens in my pocket. Mrs. Byer remarked, 

 " They have been squawking all the fore- 

 noon while lying on the sideboard." Per- 

 haps the term " squawking " will cover all 

 included in the two usual terms; anyway, 

 we often hear queens thus passing the time 

 when we get them through the mails. 



« « « 



Reports of market conditions in last 

 issue's editorials liave been read with in- 

 terest. Here on this side of the line, where 

 war conditions woi;ld necessarily seem to 

 aft'ect us worse than residents of Uncle 

 Sam's domains, we beekeepers have had a 

 genuine surprise — at least one of them ha.s 

 had, anyway. Wliile we expected slow sales 

 at somewhat lower prices than usual, owing 

 to a combination of circumstances, we ai'e 

 finding the demand extremely keen for good 

 honey. Vegetables and fruit have been 

 quite cheap; hut honey is selling like the 

 jiroverbial '"' hot cakes." We cannot thank 



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