44 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



Certain changes in conditions, such as you 

 mention in your excellent paper read at the 

 Ontario Bee- Keepers' convention recently 

 held in Stratford, must make a difference in 

 the bee-keeping of the future. Who can say 

 what this difference will be V Do "coming 

 events cast their shadows before." I believe 

 with you that changes in conditions render 

 the honey yield more doubtful, and no doubt 

 even those in Florida, who have or will suf- 

 fer from the late severe frosts, will assent to 

 this. Just how much the change of condi- 

 tions will decrease the honey yield on the 

 one hand, or improved methods and appli- 

 ances increase the profits on the other is dif- 

 ficult to say. That improved methods and 

 appliances will change the bee-keeping uf 

 the future no one can doubt. As you say 

 " It is astonishing to see with how little care 

 an apiary can now be managed." From 

 changed conditions in nature the honey 

 yield may be less, but it may be more than 

 counterbalanced by the lessened cost of pro- 

 duction. 



How about the differences that arise from 

 changed conditions of the markets ? This 

 cannot be as great as it has been in the last 

 twenty years, but that both the retail and 

 wholesale price of honey will be less, I have 

 not the least doubt. The low prices of 

 sugars and syrups alone will produce this, 

 not saying as to how much it will be affected 

 by the stringency of the times, increased 

 production of butter, and consequently low- 

 er prices of the same. When butter is dear, 

 honey is sometimes substituted, and when 

 sugars are low more preserved fruits are 

 eaten and consequently less honey and the 

 same with syrups. These things taken to- 

 gether with the fact that so many are unem- 

 ployed, must lower the price of honey. 

 'I'here has been nothing like the usual de- 

 mand this season for honey, either at retail 

 or wholesale. The tillers of the soil have 

 bought considerable honey from us in other 

 years. They speak of this as being the hard- 

 est year to make money they have known. 

 Whether this Ims affected the demand more 

 than have the low prices of sugars and 

 syrups, I am unable to say, but 1 believe it 

 is the latter. Another question arises, will 

 the less labor involved in the future encour- 

 age more to embark in the business, or will 

 the decreased yield induce more to go out 

 of it ? Bee-keeping at the present time com- 

 pares favorably with other industries, and 

 how to succeed is becoming better known 



so that I think the production will more 

 than keep pace with the extended markets. 



To sum up, I believe that bee-keeping in 

 the future will differ from the past as fol- 

 lows : 



1st. Improved methods and appliances 

 will lessen the cost of production more than 

 it may be increased by a decrease in the 

 yield per colony. 



2nd. That the production will more than 

 keep pace with the extended markets for it. 



iird. The supply being greater than the 

 demand the selling price will be lower. 



Bkussels, Ont. 



Jan. 31, imr,. 



Bee-Keepers' Review. 



PUBLISHED MONTHIjY. 



W. z. HUTCHINSON, Edlioi aud Proprietor. 



Tebms : — Sl.UO a year in advance. Two copies 

 $1.90; three for $2.70; five for $4.00; ten or more. 

 70 cents each. If it is desired to have the Keview 

 Hltipped at th(i expiration of the time paid for, 

 please say so when sul)scribint;. otherwise, it 

 will be continued. 



FLINT. MICHIGAN, FEB. 10. 1895. 



OoKBESPONDENOE crowds the editorial de- 

 partment pretty hard this month. 



Several Articles on the future of bee- 

 keeping are yet on hand and will be pub- 

 lished in the next issue. Some of them are 

 tjuite encouraging. If others wish to write 

 let them do so. 



" Enthusiastic " sent an article for this 

 month, but I have been " hustling " so, try- 

 ing to " catch up," that the matter for this 

 issue was nearly up when the article came, 

 so it will hav(i to go over. 



Organization to a greater extent than is 

 now perfected among bee-keepers is some- 

 thing that would be very desirable. I have 

 on hand two articles on the subject that I 

 had hoped and promised to have in this 

 issue that were unavoidably crowded out. 

 1 will try to tjive them next montli. 



"QuKKNiK. Ieanette" IS tiie name of a 

 pleasing, yet easily learned waltz song com- 

 posed and published by Mr. .). 0. Walleu- 

 meyer of Fvansville, Ind. Mr. W. is "one 



