MAi, 1919 



GLEANINGS IN BEE C U I. T U K E 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



stores for the season if it is at all normal. 

 Of the larger hives, four were starved and 

 about half of the balance arc very short; in 

 fact I had to feed some of them at the time 

 of my visit. It simply bears out the well- 

 proven fact that colonies with a brood-nest 

 nearly solid during a mild January cannot 

 rear much brood for the simple reason that 

 there is no room, while others with more 

 empty comb space rear much brood, and thus 

 wear out the old bees and use up the stores 

 very fast. This condition is also apparent 

 this season in two of the yards near home 

 where there are large and small hives in 

 each yard. The small hives fed solid in 

 October are nearly all in fine shape, while 

 many of the larger hives have used a very 

 large amount of stores, and the vitality of 

 the bees is sapped by winter brood-rearing. 

 This is not an argument in favor of small 

 hives over larger hives, as I prefer the lat- 

 ter, but it is an argument in favor of re- 

 stricted brood-nests for winter and with 

 less empty space in the combs during early 

 winter. Another factor that has favored the 

 smaller hive for wintering during the last 

 twj seasons in our home locality, is the 

 (|uestion of quality of stores. The small 

 hives all requiring stores were, of course, 

 given sugar syrup; while the larger hives 

 in many cases had only natural stores that 

 praved to be poor, as it is nearly all granu- 

 lated and whole combs can be found with 

 the cappings chewed off and the poor stuff 

 still in the cells. 



In passing, I might say that the raw sugar 

 we fed last fall proved all right where we 

 fed some 3,000 pounds of a bright clean qual- 

 ity with crystals well developed. A few 

 bags of darker color and quality of crystals 

 more like ordinary yellow sugar did not 

 turn out nearly as well, as considerable dys- 

 entery showed ui> in colonies fed with this 

 sugar. All things considered, I think the 

 granulated is still the safest article, provided 

 it can be obtained. 



The conditions of the honey markets are 

 about the same as when last reported — very 

 dull and with dealers loath to quote any kind 

 of price on honey offered. 



At the late convention in Toronto the 

 general opinion exjiressed was that honey 

 prices must be considerably cheaper this 

 year than in the past season, and your cor- 

 respondent shared these views most decided- 

 ly. While I still think honey will be 

 cheaper, yet present prices on other articles 

 makes one wonder just what is going to hap- 

 pen in the price line of food commodities. 

 Butter at 70 cents and meats soaring higher 

 and higher, not to mention other items such 

 as woolen goods, etc., makes one realize that 

 the article upon which he depends for a liv- 

 ing connot get too cheap if he intends to 

 make a living and is forced to pay very 

 high figures for everything he has to buy. 

 Seemingly the present high prices of honey 



have seriously curtailed home consumption; 

 and this is a serious matter, for we cannot 

 always depend upon export markets, while 

 we always have the home consumers to de- 

 pend upon, provided we can place our prod- 

 uct before them at a price they think they 

 can afford to pay for it. Eetailers and 

 wholesalers tell me the home trade is very 

 light at present, and with our local demand 

 bearing out their statements, I feel safe in 

 making the claim that prices are too high 

 for us to expect home consumption to be up 

 to former years. Whether honey is to be 

 high or low in price, there is certainly noth- 

 ing doubtful concerning the prices of sup- 

 plies, as the number of supply catalogs to 

 hand bear mute but convincing testimony. 

 That we are not likely to have cheaper sup- 

 plies for a year or two at least, I had con- 

 vincing evidence while on my trip up north 

 looking over the bees a few days ago. While 

 up there I met a man familiar with the 

 lumbering game, and he told me of one firm 

 that had just sold their season's cut of pine 

 in the log, at a price slightly over $40.00 

 per thousand feet. What that will mean in 

 lumber ])rice3 can easily be imagined. 



^Farkliam, Out. J. L. Byer. 



* * * 



Jj^ Texas -^" March 15 Governor Hob- 

 by signed the bill creating 

 the experimental apiaries. This bill had 

 been on his desk but three days, having 

 received a unanimous vote by the Legisla- 

 ture. The beekeepers should feel proud of 

 their efforts in securing its enactment. 

 From every section of the State support 

 was given this bill, as everyone could readi- 

 ly see the advantages of such work. Plans 

 are being made to start this work imme- 

 diately after the funds become available. 

 The director of the experiment station and 

 the State entomologist are conferring with 

 beekeepers relative to the location of api- 

 aries and problems to be solved in the vari- 

 ous sections of the State. It is hoped that 

 this work can be made of immediate bene- 

 fit to the beekeepers of this State. Excel- 

 lent co-operation in this work is being given 

 by the beekeepers, and such spirit will cer- 

 tainly aid in getting results. 



On March 19 the beekeepers of Travis 

 County organized a beekeepers' association. 

 The meeting was assisted by the county 

 demonstration agent. Great interest was 

 shown in the organization, as is evidenced 

 by the fact that 40 beekeepers from every 

 section of the county were present. H. B. 

 Parks, Extension Apiculturist of the A. & 

 M. College, held several demonstrations in 

 the county just prior to the meeting. Ar- 

 rangements were made to co-operate with 

 the State Entomologist's office to secure the 

 appointment of a county apiary inspector. 

 Arrangements were made for the next meet- 

 ing to be a field meet. 



The climatic conditions to date have been 



