1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



329 



dead and dying bees, when Mr. L. A. Aspin- 

 wall, of Jackson, Mich., the man who got up 

 the non-swarming hive, asked if there were not a 

 good many telephone or telegraph wires in the 

 direct line of the bee flight. This is exactly 

 what we do have directly oyer our sidewalks. 

 While we have not seen the bees strike the wires 

 and then drop down, the fact that the dead and 

 the dying are seen only under these wires, and 

 nowhere else, would seem to prove that Mr. As- 

 pinwall has hit on the true solution of the trou- 

 ble. 



A REMARKABLE FLOW FROM FRUIT-BLOOM. 



In this locality, at least, this is proving to be 

 a remarkable fruit-bloom season. The weather 

 has been very warm, and fruit-trees of all sorts 

 are now out in all their glory. The bees have 

 been roaring on the trees just about as they do 

 during a basswood flow. Moreover, the dande- 

 lions are showing up strong everywhere. From 

 these, bees are gathering both honey and pollen. 

 All the hives are being filled with honey, and 

 many colonies are showing swarming-cells. It 

 will be strange if we do not have at some of our 

 outyards some runaway swarms. 



That this condition prevails in other northern 

 and central States is probably true if we can 

 judge from the correspondence coming into our 

 office. If this is true it will put bees in fine con- 

 dition for the clover and basswood flow. 



Reports are somewhat conflicting as to wheth- 

 er there will be much clover in blossom this sea- 

 son or not. The conditions of weather have 

 certainly been ideal this spring, as there has been 

 a large amount of rain and warm weather. If 

 this is not followed later by a drouth and cold 

 weather we shall probably get a flow of honey. 



DO NOT SHIP DARK HONEY WITHOUT FIRST 

 WRITING. 



The following, just received from Mr. F. W. 

 Muth, of Cincinnati, a buyer of honey at that 

 point, will explain itself: 



We received last week a shipment of five carriers of comb 

 honey from Georgia. The quality of this honey is any thing but 

 what pleases a buyer. Most of it is as dark as the darkest buck- 

 wheat, with a strong flavor. It is nicely packed in no-drip ship- 

 ping caies, and also came through in tirst-class condition. 



Why a producer of honey will laise dark comb honey and send 

 it to a higtily developed market like Cincinnati, and expect any 

 kind of price, is beyond comprehension. Comb honey that a 

 developed market will take must be fancy, or at least a No. 1 

 trade: and any other grade than that is a detriment to business 

 in the comb-hooey line. 



This shipper will be sadly disappointed, for we wrote him to 

 •end OS shipping instructions and moner for the amount we ad- 

 vanced in freight, so that we can ship it further, as this market 

 will not take it any price, neither would we. We would not 

 dare thus to endanger our trade. 



It might be well in your position to warn bee-keepers at this 

 lime of the season not to ship dark comb hooey to any market, 

 as it is only a detriment to the business in general. 



Cincinnati, May 5. Frbd W. Muth. 



There are some markets that will accept dark 

 honey. Albany and New York will take almost 

 any quantity of buckwheat; but it would be fol- 

 ly to ship buckwheat or any other dark honey to 

 Cleveland or Cincinnati, or any ci^y further 

 west, without first writing to see what the mar- 

 ket ca*^. take, and at what price. We take it that 

 the honey referred to above was shipped without 

 previous notice or inquiry as to whether Mr. 

 Muth could accept it; and while we are about it 



we believe it is always bad policy to ship any 

 kind of honey, light or dark, to any market with- 

 out first making general inquiries. 



If the party above mentioned had shipped his 

 honey to Albany or New York he would have 

 obtained a better market; but even then the 

 freight would have been excessive, and he prob- 

 ably would have been very much disappointed 

 with the returns. As a general thing the dark 

 honey in the western and southern portions of 

 the country should not be allowed to go into 

 sections. There is no market for it in such 

 shape. 



CONDITIONS IN CALIFORNIA INDICATE NOT MORE 

 THAN HALF A CROP. 



The following letter from J W. George, and 

 the reports from the various bee-keepers in Cali- 

 fornia, indicate that, unless good weather comes 

 very soon, that State can not expect much more 

 than half a crop, and possibly not that. It is to 

 be hoped that the bright days may come before 

 it is too late. 



Mr. Root: — You will find enclosed a number 

 of crop reports from bee-keepers of Southern Cal- 

 ifornia. I consider the aggregate of these a fair 

 and representative report of their section. These 

 reports are not from 2X3 bee-keepers, but men 

 of large interests and long experience in their 

 several sections. I did not ask for these reports 

 for publication; but as they are all so nearly 

 unanimous I feel that the facts had better be 

 known. Prevailing winds are injuring us quite 

 a good deal now in this valley. 



Imperial, Cal. J. W. George. 



J. W. George: — Yours of the 2d is at hand. Prospects for a 

 crop here are not very good. There will not be any extracting 

 before the 15th or 20th of this month, and then only about half 

 of my apiaries will be ready. Bees are very weak, and build- 

 ing up slowly. With even favorable weather the crop will be 

 very light here, and still worse nearer the coast. I know a lot of 

 apiaries that have dwindled down to less than half what they 

 were last year. L. E. Mercer. 



Ventura, Cal., May 4. 



Friend George: — Yours was received to-day. I hardly know 

 what to advise you. It is cool, and oranges are blooming and 

 giving some honey, although nothing big. If we get half such a 

 crop as we had four years ago, I think we shall be more than sat- 

 isfied. Of course, if we get some good rains this month we 

 might make half a crop over the country. We intend to hold for 

 six cents for white honey. L. D. Andrews. 



Corona, Cal., May 4. 



Mr, George: — You have asked me just what I want to know 

 myself; and if conditions are the same elsewhere as here, and 

 stay this way all summer, honey will be scarce, as it is fog in 

 the morning, fog for dinner, and sometimes for supper; and bees 

 must make honey and eat it up at night, for it is cold unless one 

 is at work faster than I can move. The report from my bees is, 

 lots of bees in the hives, and big swarms, but only just begun to 

 take in any surplus, and since then it is cold again, which 

 means, I think, that we shall have a hot summer and hot winds 

 and no honey; but I have not heard a conjecture from any bee- 

 man since the rains quit. Bert. 



Pasadena, Cal., May 5. 



Bees are no stronger now than two months ago. I do not 

 count on over half a crop — too cold, and hardly any swarms. If 

 it does not soon get warmer we shall not have over one-fourth to 

 one-third of a crop; but to-day is better than we have had for 

 the season, which is too far advanced, and bees are not strong 

 enough to get a goo* crop. We ought to get a good price — 5^ 

 to 6 cents. M. H. Mbndleson. 



Piru, Cal., May 5. 



J. ir. George: — My bees are doing well. 1 had about 150 

 stands, and have 50 new swarms; have taken about 1500 lbs. of 

 honey. Perhaps 600 lbs. is old honey. I did not get a pound of 

 surplus last year, so the bees came through with plenty. I have 

 extracted only a part of them. 1 hope to go over them in a few 

 days more. I think I shall get a fair crop this year. The 

 weather is good now. W. E. Little. 



Perris, Cal., May 9. 



