132 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



away from the cluster, varies from 20 above 

 to 75 during winter. Yesterday, with a 

 temperature outside of 2 above zero, we took 

 the reading from a thermometer shoved 

 through the packing into the cluster of bees 

 in one of our double-walled packed hives. 

 The cluster was not disturbed, nor was the 

 hive opened up when the reading was taken. 

 The inside of the cluster was 75. Later in 

 the day we took another reading. The 

 ■cluster temperature was the same. 



While bees under some conditions can 

 stand severe freezes for a short time, our ex- 

 perience at Medina indicates that it is hard 

 •on them. If plenty of packing and a dou- 

 l)le-walled packed hive will make the air 

 ^surrounding a cluster of bees from 20 to 40 

 degrees higher than the outside tempera- 

 ture, it imposes a much less strain on the 

 vitality of the bees. We therefore believe 

 that any system of protection that provides 

 a difference of only two or three degrees be- 

 tween the outside and inside of the hive 

 would not work in this locality nor any lo- 

 cality in the vicinity of the Great Lakes. 

 Here we are liable to have long continuous 

 cold — not short zero snaps of a day or two. 



It is the long-continued low temperatures, 

 often accompanied with high winds, that 

 make packing, and lots of it, essential for 

 outdoor wintering. Our correspondent has 

 a different set of conditions, and we do not 

 say that his scheme of winter protection is 

 not the thing for his locality. — Ed.] 



WHAT THE NATIONAL BEEKEEPERS' ASSO- 

 CIATION WILL DO THIS YEAR 



BY E. B. TYKBBLL 



As every beekeeper knows, the meeting 

 of the Board of Directors held in Detroit, 

 January 23, was probably the most impor- 

 tant of any board meeting held in the his- 

 tory of the Association. Plans of reorgani- 

 zation had to be considered as well as just 

 what the Association would and should do 

 for its members. 



One of the most important needs of the 

 beekeepers, as it appeared to the directors, 

 was an accurate knowledge of crop condi- 

 tions. To get this, it was decided to send 

 out croj) reports early in the season to every 

 member, and, from the information so ob- 

 tained, advise the members, either directly 

 or through the bee journals, as to conditions. 



The Board also found that the question of 

 honey packages was an important one. At 

 the present time there is not nearly the uni- 

 formity there should be. No special weight . 

 of tin or size of can has been adopted in the 

 past, and many shippers were using a tin 

 entirely too light. Samples of honey-cans 

 were ins])ected by the Board, with the deci- 

 sion that the Secretary be instructed to make 

 the best possible arrangements for furnish- 

 ing the members with the tin honey ])ack- 

 ages the coming season. The orders will be 

 handled directly through the Association 

 office, and will not be sent by the member 

 to the can manufacturers as in the past. 



In discussing the question of jiackages for 

 comb honey, and realizing that there are a 

 number of different kinds and shapes in 

 the market, it was thought best that, in or- 

 der to promote uniformity of a comb-honey 

 package, the Association should take steps 

 to secure for its members, at the lowest pos- 

 sible prices, the double-tier 24-lb. shipping- 

 case which was adopted by the Association 

 at its last convention. 



These cases could be furnished according 

 to specifications, so that every member buy- 

 ing through the National would be using 

 exactly the same case as every other mem- 

 ber. In order to induce a more general 

 adoption, it was thought advisible to fur- 

 nish them at a low price. The secretary 

 was also instructed to investigate paper 

 shipping-cases, as well as glass packages. 

 This action was not taken with an idea of 

 getting into the supply business, but to pro- 

 mote the using of uniform packages by the 

 members, which then will simplify the 

 question of marketing, and eventually raise 

 the price the beekeepers can obtain. 



The question of marketing honey was 

 thoroughly considered, and many plans 

 were presented. The one finally decided up- 

 on was that, for the coming season, the Na- 

 tional Association should act in the capacity 

 of broker for its members where desired. It 

 is not expected nor desired that all members 

 ship their honey through the Association; 

 but realizing that many are not in touch 

 with the best markets, it was thought that 

 no better move could be made than to assist 

 these members in obtaining the proper re- 

 turn for their honey crop. To do this, sell- 

 ing agencies will be established in several 

 of the larger cities, and the sales will be di- 

 rected through the Association. A member 

 having honey to sell could first get instruc- 

 tions from the secretary, who is expected to 

 keep in close touch with market conditions, 

 take into consideration the freight rates, 

 and then give the member full instructions 

 as to shipment. The association does not 

 intend to buy and sell honey, but simply to 

 assist the producers in finding the best pos- 

 sible market. 



The promotion of local branches will be 

 encouraged; and wherever a local branch de- 

 sires to get out a booklet, such as has been 

 used by the Michigan Association, assistance 

 will be given by the National Association. 

 This feature will be encouraged. The ad- 

 vertising of this booklet will be cared for by 

 the National, but will probably be conflnetl 

 on the start to the four bee journals. 



Detroit, Mich. 



Failure in Cuba Honey Crop 



Both the summer and winter crop of honey have 

 been almost a complete failure here. From 1500 

 colonies I jrot only 110 barrels of 50 gallons each. 

 No rain until May was the cause of the failure of 

 the summer crop, and no rain all summer: then 

 three weeks of it in the heart of the honey season— 

 the cause of the failure of the winter crop. A crop, 

 according to former years, would have been :!00 

 barrels. Moreover, the price was good — from 40 to 

 46 cts. a gallon in Manzanillo. 



Frank Reiman. 



