884 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTLRE 



Beekeeping Among the Mocioei 



Wesley Fcstter, Bouilder, Colorado. 



THE LATE SEPTEMBER FLOW. 



Bees in western Colorado stored 

 honey well into September, and in 

 some localities supers of comb 

 honey were filled after the 15th of 

 the month. This late flow materi- 

 ally increased the crop upon the 

 western slope. Taken as a whole, western 

 Colorado had a better crop than the eastern 

 part. The crop was good in parts of east- 

 ern Colorado and very poor in others. 



Prices have been better than for average 

 seasons: and while the shipments ha^e been 

 going out at a good rate, there- is not much 

 indication of a weakening of the market. 



The prices secured in eastern Colorado 

 have ranged around $3.00 a ease. In west- 

 ern Colorado, where freight rates are higher, 

 $2.85 is the liighest that comb lionoy has 

 brought, except for a few shipments. Cash 

 is being paid at the car door for many of 

 the western-slope cars that are being ship- 

 ped this year. 



The associations are not permitted to 

 handle honey or produce for non-members; 

 and as few of the associations are owned 

 by the producers, there is not much produce 

 being hajxlled except by purchase. I am 

 informed, however, that the law is being 

 evaded in ^-arious ways, so that produce is 

 virtually handled on commission. Honey, 

 however, seems to be in a class by itself, as 

 cash deals are the rule. 

 « « « 



The honey-flow in many parts of Colora- 

 do was so slow that none but the very 

 strongest colonies stored honey in the comb- 

 honey supers. Medium and weak colonies 

 packed their brood-nests with honey, crowd- 

 ing out the queens so they could do scarce- 

 ly any laying. This condition is not good 

 for wintering, as there will be a lack of 

 young bees for winter strength. The men 

 who removed two or three combs of honey 

 from the brood-nest, and replaced them 

 with empty comb, will profit by it this year 

 if it was done early enough. 

 • • « 



AVhen finishing packing my comb honey 

 the thought came to weigh each section in a 

 number of cases to see how much above or 



below the minimum we were running. One 

 case of each grade will suffice to report 

 upon as representative. The ease of fancy 

 honey averaged 14% ounces, or 13% oz. net 

 weight, and it was stamped " minimum net 

 weight not less than 12 V2 oz." The hea^'iest 

 section weighed 15-'/2 oz. net, and the ligM- 

 est (and only one of them) 12^ oz. The 

 case of honey weighed 33 oz. more than 

 the raininaim weight called for. 



The selling price of fancy comb honey, 

 we will say, is $3.15 a case. This would 

 average 15 1-6 cents a pound for the honey. 

 If I had given no more than the weight 

 stam.ped it would have averaged me 16 4-5 

 cents per pound. Perhaps I am losing 

 money by not stamping the weight nearer 

 what it actually is; but there does not soem 

 to be a great deal of trouble in selling hon- 

 ey when stam[)ed as we are doing-. 



The No. 1 case is somewhat heavier than 

 the average of this grade. The lightest 

 section weighed ISVo oz., and the heaviest 

 16 '^'2, and the average weight was 141/4 oz. 

 with a little over. Three and three-fourths 

 pounds above the minimum stamped was 

 given with this case. The selling price of 

 th.is grade is placed at $3.00 a case, which 

 returns 141/2 cents for the honey actually 

 given; while if no more than the minimum 

 net weight were given the pince would be 

 18 cents a pound. 



The No. 2 ease weighed 3191/2 ounces — 

 an average of 13^/4 or 31/2 pounds above 

 the minimum requirements. If the mini- 

 mum amount of honey had been given in 

 this ease, and the price of $2.85 secured 

 (which is the going price here), the honey 

 would average 17 3-11 cents per pound. 

 The actual honey given averaged 15 3-5 cts. 

 per pound. This honey stamped "net weight 

 not less than ten ounces " brought more 

 money per pound than the other two grades, 

 as you can see by referring back. 



The lightest section in this ease weighed 

 11 ounces net, and the heaviest I374. 



The question is, " How much more could 

 be secured for this comb honey if the see- 

 lions did not vary more than one ounce in 

 any one case?" Such a pack would com- 

 ply with the demand for closer uniformity; 

 and while it would necessitate some more 

 work in packing, it would not be a serious 

 matter. 



