1426 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1 



against this we introduced the testimony of a 

 practical farmer of our acquaintance who was 

 very certain that the drouth, at least in clay soils, 

 had not affected the clovers. Since then we have 

 had another talk with the same party, and he went 

 on to explain his position in thiswise: "Mr. 

 Root, the clovers have roots that run down deep 

 into the ground. If there is a good catch, and 

 the roots get fully started, the clovers will stand 

 a fall drouth very nicely. What kills the clovers 

 is not drouth, but too much water in the ground, 

 and hard freezing, resulting in what we farmers 

 generally call n.vinter-killing. It would take six 

 weeks of hard rain to wet the ground so that a 

 severe winter would do very much damage to the 

 clovers, and I do not expect it-now. If we get a 

 reasonable amount of snow and rain between now 

 and next spring, I predict that we shall see one 

 of the biggest years for clover honey that we have 

 had for years. Of course, I admit that the young 

 clovers may be killed out by fall drouth — that is, 

 before the roots have got very much of a hold. 

 But you must remember, Mr. Root, that we have 

 just had a splendid season for clover, and the 

 roots of the last season's plants have been pretty 

 well extended down into the soil. No, sir; I do 

 not think the conditions this fall have been un- 

 favorable, but quite to the contrary." 



We have been taking pains to make inquiries 

 among several farmers. One in particular, and 

 a bee-keeper as well, we approached somewhat 

 after this fashion: 



"What do you think is going to be the effect 

 of this drouth on clovers.?" 



Said he, " Why, it is not going to hurt them 

 at all. I am looking for one hundred extra col- 

 onies that I should like to buy, because I am ex- 

 pecting a big year, and I want more bees." 



" But suppose the clovers winter-kill.'" we in- 

 terposed. 



"Of course, that is possible," said he, " but 

 not probable under the conditions." 



And then, without knowing the opinion of our 

 other farmer friend, he went on to state that a dry 

 soil is less likely to kill the clovers by reason of 

 cold than a very wet one. 



We have approached other farmers, with prac- 

 tically the same result. While they are locat- 

 ed in Northern Ohio, they gave it as their opin- 

 ion that a fall drouth is not necessarily hurtful to 

 clover. 



Whether a sandy soil during a period of fall 

 drouth would be more hurtful than a clay soil on 

 clovers, we can not say; but we should be inclin- 

 ed to think that way. If so, this would go to 

 confirm, in part, the fears of Mr. Hutchinson, 

 whose bees are all located on a sandy soil. 



We should be pleased to get reports from all 

 over the country, as this is a vital and important 

 question. It is possible and even probable that 

 locality has very much to do with it; but as most 

 bee-keepers are located on a clay soil, we hope 

 the outlook may be more favorable than the edi- 

 tor of the Re'vie^M has feared. 



HAS THE SAN FRANCISCO HONEY MARKET BEEN 

 QUOTED TOO HIGH.? 



In the American Bee Journal for November, p. 

 327, is a letter to editor York, which we here re- 

 produce: 



Editor York: — In the Amtrican Bee Jturnal for October, on 

 the first editorial page, is a comment entitled, "The Honey Mar- 

 ket Unusual," wherein it is claimed that comb honey stands 

 firmly in San Francisco at 17 cents. By the way, I see Glean- 

 ings makes the same claim. 



Now, the above quotation is very far from the truth, in proof of 

 which I enclose two letters, one from a commission firm in Sac- 

 ramento, and the other from a bee-keeper in Nevada. Note the 

 commission man informs me that Mono County and Nevada have 

 had big crops of honey. Well, I know that Mono County had 

 less than 400 cases of comb honey; and Mr. J. W, Carter, of Ne- 

 vada, informed me in September that this was the poorest honey 

 season he had known in his bee-keeping experience of 17 years. 

 So far as my own experience goes, this is my first season in this 

 part of the country. H. Christensen. 



Coleville, Mono Co., Cal., Oct. 26. 



We do not see any thing in this letter that re- 

 ally pro-z'es that the market has been quoted too 

 high. While it is true that Mr. Christensen in- 

 troduced the name of a commission firm as au- 

 thority for the statement that there is a large sup- 

 ply of honey in Nevada and in Mono and Inyo 

 counties, Cal., it is proper to remark that some 

 commission firms biased by selfish interests make 

 statements going to show that there are large sup- 

 plies in sight when there are not. 



Then Mr. C. introduces another statement, to 

 the effect that a Nevada bee-keeper says all he 

 can get is 9}4 for the first grade of comb, and 8)4 

 for the second, as tending to show that our quo- 

 tations run too high. Over against these two 

 statements Mr. Christensen states on his onvn pos- 

 itive knoiuledge that Mono Co. had less than 400 

 cases of comb honey, and that J. W. Carter, of Ne- 

 vada, informed him that this was the poorest honey 

 season he had known in a bee-keeping experience 

 of 17 years. We can not understand why Mr. 

 Christensen should discredit his own knowledge 

 by introducing a claim from a party who may 

 have an "ax to grind." Then it would seem to 

 us that the statement from Mr. Carter ought to 

 have as much weight as that of the other bee- 

 keeper who said he could not get more than 9j^ 

 cents for the reason that the supply was large. 



It is a rather significant fact in this connection 

 that prices on California sage honey are relative- 

 ly high in Liverpool, England. If there is so 

 much honey available as the commission man in 

 question would have us believe, why is it quoted 

 high in Liverpool.-' and why does he not make a 

 " big scoop " by buying up all the honey in sight 

 and shipping it to England.-" 



Another significant fact worthy of note is that 

 the market in New York seems to be rather bare 

 of California sage honey of any kind, and prices 

 there are pretty well up. If there was an oversup- 

 ply at Sacramento, or even San Francisco, it 

 would naturally gravitate to the Eastern markets 

 as it always has done. But the fact is, Califor- 

 nia honey in the East is not very much in evi- 

 dence this season. 



Our quotations for San Francisco were furnish- 

 ed us by the Pacific Rural Press — a journal which 

 has no interest in quoting the market either high 

 or low. We have heretofore found their quota- 

 tions quite reliable; and with all the evidence in 

 hand we are yet to be convinced, even on Mr. 

 Christensen's letter, that the San Francisco mar- 

 ket is quoted too high. 



We shall be glad to hear from local bee-keep- 

 ers in and about San Francisco, or, in fact, from 

 all over California, for that matter. While we 

 admit that we desire to keep prices up, we do not 

 wish to do so if the facts do not warrant it. 



