JVSK. 1919 (i L E A N T N n S IN REE U L T U R E 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



factory product, but in far too many cases 

 the product is not standard in every respect. 

 Those who are about to transfer have been 

 warned to secure standard equipment and 

 to use it properly. It has been well said by 

 a prominent beekeeper that what 90 per 

 cent of the people accepted aa standard was 

 good enough for him. There may be an ap- 

 parent saving in buying local supplies; but 

 this is, at best, only temporary. If the 

 time comes when additional supplies are 

 needed, the local house may not be running 

 and it will be necessary to buy elsewhere. 

 This will most certainly show that the local 

 equipment will not interchange with the 

 standard, which will be a serious handicap 

 for all time to come. In this connection it 

 is not possible to overestimate the value of 

 vising full sheets of foundation when start- 

 ing in new hives. 



During the past year several beekeepers 

 have become interested in introducing honey 

 plants, primarily sweet clover. It is hard 

 to say, but some of this seed that has come 

 from the seedmen has not developed into 

 what was expected. In a few instances 

 burr clover came when white sweet clover 

 was sown; and in other instances a close rel- 

 ative of the yellow, sweet clover, of which 

 the nectar is not available, has resulted. If 

 at any time any beekeeper feels any doubt 

 as to 'the variety and purity of his seed, he 

 should correspond with A. B. Conner of the 

 seed laboratory at College Station. Direc- 

 tions will be given for sending samples of 

 seed, which are examined free of charge. 

 Definite information concerning the growing 

 of sweet clover in any locality can be se- 

 cured by writing to the above-mentioned 

 party. 



Eeports from all sections of the State in- 

 dicate conditions which are nearly normal 

 again after the year of such extreme condi- 

 tions. In the Valley region the honey plants 

 are in good condition, but rain is needed. 

 The Coast region is also in need of rain to 

 get the best results from the horsemint, al- 

 tho catsclaw and huajilla have given a good 

 honey flow. In this region the first mesquite 

 bloom did not yield any nectar. In the 

 southwest region the honey-plant conditions 

 are better than for several years and the 

 prospects are good. Here the catsclaw and 

 huajilla are just in full bloom. It is feared 

 in this region that the first mesquite bloom 

 will not yield nectar. In the west region, 

 honey-plant prospects are good with alfalfa 

 and mesquite about to bloom. The conditions 

 are extra good in the east region, while in 

 the central region the honey plants are m 

 excellent condition, and in the north region 

 the prospects are very good. From these re- 

 ports it would seem that honey plants are 

 able to revive very quicklv when favorable 

 climatic conditions prevail. 



With honev plants in such good condition 

 it is onlv natural to expect that a good con- 



dition of the bees would follow, yet it is a 

 matter of wonder how quickly the condition 

 of the bees can change when honey plants 

 are favorable. In the Valley, bees are in 

 very good condition. In the Coast region a 

 peculiar condition has developed, that of 

 excessive swarming. This has resulted in 

 some actual loss. Brood-rearing has been 

 variable in this region. In the eastern sec- 

 tion of the southwest region the bees are 

 in excellent condition, while in the western 

 section only about half of the bees are nor- 

 mal in strength. In the west region the 

 bees are in fair condition and improving 

 rapidly. In the east region the bees are in 

 exceptionally good condition. In the central 

 region the bees are in excellent condition 

 with a tendency to excessive swarming. In 

 the north region the bees are in excellent 

 condition. 



Of course, conditions vary so much within 

 the range of the State that whether there is 

 surplus honey or not, at this time, does not 

 affect the yield for the year. However, a 

 surplus has been harvested in the Valley, 

 along the coast, and in sections of the south- 

 west regions. In the east region a surplus 

 has been made but has not been harvested. 

 The local price of this early honey varies 

 from 2-5 cents per pound retail for extracted 

 in the Valley region, to 20 cents in 60-pound 

 cans in the Coast region. 



A normal crop of hOney is expected this 

 year in the Valley region, and in the Coast 

 region a good average crop is anticipated, 

 but in some sections it will be late. In the 

 eastern sections of the southwest region a 

 normal crop is forecasted, but in the west- 

 ern section only about one-half of a nor- 

 mal crop is expected. In the west region 

 a normal crop is anticipated, as is the case 

 in the east region. Thruout the central re- 

 gion a full normal crop is expected. In the 

 north region it is yet too early to forecast 

 the probable crop of honey for this year. 



With such a vast amount of inquiries for 

 bees it is interesting to note that there are 

 still bees for sale. Not many have changed 

 hands, for it is hard to bring the seller and 

 buyer together. The price has been very 

 high, $15 in one region. There are only a 

 few now specializing in shipping nuclei and 

 pound packages. In box-hive sections there 

 are some scattered colonies for sale. 



F. B. Paddock. 



College Station, Tex. 



T„ Flrvrirlo ^ wonder how many Flor- 

 in rionud. .^^^ beekeepers took note of 

 that paragraph on page .319 of last month's 

 Gleanings relating to the appearance of foul 

 brood in .lamaica. In Cuba it has already 

 become something of a menace, and the time 

 cannot be long before this State will have 

 to fight disease. In what position will the 

 beekeepers be when that time comes? So 



