GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE November, 1919 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



one yard during the middle of September, 

 as in that yard there had been no late fall 

 flow, and brood-rearing stopped early altho 

 beehives were very populous. As more or 

 less pollen has been carried in during the 

 past three weeks here at home locations, I 

 have been wondering if the early-fed bees 

 might not use up a lot of stores in brood. 

 But they cannot rear much brood, as they 

 were fed so much at the time of prepar- 

 ing for winter. This apiary winters in a 

 cellar, and the friend who lives on the farm 

 where the bees are, puts them in for me, so 

 I do not see them from late September till 

 the following spring. Last winter they re- 

 ceived no attention whatever after being 

 put in the cellar, and, judging by results, 

 they were just as well off, or perhaps better 

 off than they would have been, if I had 

 been there to tinker with them now and 

 then, worry about the temperature of the 

 cellar, the amount of dead bees on the floor, 

 some uneasy colonies, etc., etc. 



While these bees were fed early, owing to 

 the brood being out of the combs early, 

 here around home where we had buckwheat 

 all August, just the opposite is the case and 

 we still have a lot of feeding to do. Gen- 

 erally speaking, after the first of October 

 we are rather hampered by the weather be- 

 ing too cool, but this year we cannot make 

 the headway we would like because of such 

 warm weather. It is not safe to feed much 

 before 5 P. M. on account of the danger of 

 robbing, while other years I have common- 

 ly fed at one yard in the forenoon and an- 

 other in the afternoon with no robbing. All 

 of which goes to show the need of different 

 methods of management, so far as locality 

 and weather are concerned. 



A news item in the Toronto Globe says 

 that a new apiary building is to be put up 

 at the Guelph Agricultural College, the work 

 to start right away. The building is to cost 

 $40,000, and is to be of brick with stone 

 foundation. It will be two stories and a 

 basement. A building of this nature has 

 been wanted for some time, and evidently 

 the "powers that be" have at last been 

 convinced of the jiecessity for better ac- 

 comodation for the provincial apiarist. 



In the last issue of Gleanings I stated 

 that comparatively little honey had been 

 sold yet, but for the last few weeks there 

 has been an increased movement. Yet little 

 seems to be going into the hands of the 

 wholesalers; especially is this true of the 

 clover honey. Most of the buckwheat goes 

 to large dealers in Montreal evei-y year, and 

 this season is no exception. Most sales of 

 honey seem to be between producers and 

 retailers, altho of course, the usual trade is 

 done also between producers and consumers. 

 Last week while at Toronto I went into 

 some of the wholesale houses, and in several 

 cases they had not a pound of extracted 



honey and seemingly did not wish to load up 

 with any, being afraid of a slump in prices, 

 I was told in one case. Some beautiful 

 comb honey from eastern Ontario was dis- 

 played in one house, and it was being sold 

 to the trade at 45 cents a section. The 

 dealer stated that it would probably bring 

 60 cents at retail. Comb honey at 60 cents 

 comes under the head of a luxury, and, need- 

 less to say, there is a very light crop of this 

 article in Ontario this year. 



The sugar situation is easier now, but the 

 price is high, the present quotation being 

 $11.21 f. 0. b., Toronto. While some have 

 been delayed in getting sugar, the unusual- 

 ly mild weather will allow them still to get 

 their bees in good condition for winter. 

 Personally, I have had more feeding to do 

 than for a number of years past. Bees are 

 going into winter quarters in good condi- 

 tion, as a rule, altho European foul brood 

 has weakened many apiaries. My own bees 

 are seemingly in good average condition, 

 but the clusters are not so large as in some 

 years. 



The Ontario Beekeepers ' Convention is 

 to be held in Toronto on Nov. 11-13. Don't 

 forget the date and don't forget to come 

 and see us. A hearty welcome is extended 

 to beekeepers from "over the line" to come 

 and spend a good time with us. 



Markham, Ont. J. L. Byer. 



In North Carolina. '^^'^ S'^'^^^t'Tv: 



son for North 

 Carolina is just closing. It will scarcely last 

 longer than October 15, about which time 

 killing frosts are due to choke off the final 

 honey flows. The season in this State has 

 been about a fair one in honey j)roduction. 

 The mountain regions have enjoyed quite a 

 good season, except for "near failure" in 

 some localities where sourwood was the 

 chief source of nectar. The Piedmont sec- 

 tion has had a fair season, while the eastern 

 or swampy regions have, as a rule, made a 

 poor showing, due chiefly to long seasons of 

 rain coming in the midst of important honey 

 flows. 



It is a generally noted fact, however, that 

 where there are intelligent u'anipulation of 

 bees and the use of improved hives and ap- 

 pliances, the honey crop has shown a dis- 

 tinct increase, most adequately rewarding 

 the beekeeper who gives his bees this sort 

 of care. 



It is noticeable all thru the State that the 

 old gum and box hives are giving place to 

 the improved ' ' workable ' ' hives, and impor- 

 tant commercial apiaries are springing up 

 esjiecially in the mountains and the coastal 

 sections of the State where the most abun- 

 dant and long-continu5d flora is found. 



Kaleigh, N. C. W. J. Martin. 



