AUGUST 15, 1912 



509 



General Correspondence 



WHAT HAS THE SEASON BEEN? 



Reports from All Sections of the Country 



From the mass of correspondenee that 

 has been coming in from day to day we 

 select out, as far as practicable to do so, a 

 sentence or two that will give some idea of 

 the honey season, and what it has been for 

 the locality represented. We append here 

 a list of such letters boiled down to one or 

 two sentences, giving the name and address. 

 These reports relate mainly to the white- 

 clover districts, as will be noted. 



ALABAMA 



By July 1 I had taken 211 sections of beautiful 

 ■comb honey from two colonies, spring count. 



Selma, Ala., July 6. F. G. Railey. 



It has been a most unusual season here. The 

 winds have been blowing like March weather all the 

 spring, and through the flow of sweet clover, drying 

 out the nectar. We shall do well to get a quarter of 

 a crop. 



Letahatchee, Ala., July 30. W. N. Randolph. 



CALIFORNIA 



Honey crop is a total failure. Bees will probably 

 get enough to winter on. 



Paicines, Cal., July 11. Geo. W. Moore. 



We beekeepers have got a "black eye," sure. No- 

 thing doing. Later reports, from higher altitudes, 

 are more favorable. 



Descanso, Cal., July 5. E. P. St. John. 



Conditions indicate a small crop. 



Standish, Cal., July 11. H. A. Hartman. 



The honey-flow has not been very good here this 

 season. The spring was late, and the weather was 

 cold. 



Nevada City, Cal., July 22. Feed A. Thomas. 



COLORADO 



The season is a little backward, but the outlook 

 for an average honey crop is fair. 



Canon City, Colo., July 13. W. G. Wright. 



The honey crop to date is very poor, owing to 

 cold weather. It can not be over half a crop in 

 Northern Colorado. 



Greeley, Colo., July 20. Chas. Adams. 



Honey crop in this location will be a little below 

 the average. There are about 1000 colonies in this 

 county, and will average one super each this year. 



Canon City, Colo., July 20. 'V. P. Cutler. 



Prospects for flow are good, as a large quantity 

 of cleome is just beginning to bloom, and weather is 

 less windy. The one danger is hail. 



Las Animas, Colo., July 9. L. H. Sweetman. 



Prospects are good in Colorado for a crop this 

 year, though the losses have been heavy, and alfalfa 

 is being cut very early. I believe that more honey 

 will be shipped this year than last if present condi- 

 tions prevail. 



Boulder, Colo., June 25. Wesley Foster. 



The outlook for honey from this part of Colorado 

 is not very bright. There are acres and acres of 

 sweet clover, and it never looked better than it does 

 now ; but the weather through July has been cloudy 

 and rainy, and bees could not get out to gather 

 honey. I have 250 stands, and have taken off only 

 six cases so far. 



Delta, Colo., July 28. Geo. F. Lester. 



According to estimates just made, the honey 

 crop on the Western Slope will total 35 or 40 cars, 

 which includes the output from every station from 

 DeBeque to Montrose. This is considerably in 

 e.xcess of the shipment for last year, as only 22 

 cars were sent to the buyers, netting the grow- 

 ers about $80,000. The amount of honey which 

 will be gathered from the apiaries around Mont- 

 rose this year has been conservatively estimated 

 at between si.x and seven cars, which is between 



one-sixth and one-seventh of the total output. The 

 beemen down the river from Montrose lost a num 

 ber of bees last winter; but from Montrose south 

 the loss is reported as being very small, and almost 

 a full crop is e.xpected. Each car, it is estimated, 

 contains between 1000 and 1100 cases of honey, 

 and is worth between $3000 and $4000. — Montrose 

 WeeMy Press, .July 18. 



CONNECTICUT 



The honey flow is very poor. The future depends 

 on the weather. The crop is not as good as last 

 year. It has been very dry in this locality. 



Bristol, Ct., July 22. Maplewood Apiaky. 



IDAHO 



First flow light, owing to weak colonies and cool 

 weather. Prospects are fairly good for next flow. 



Meridian, Ida., July 10. E. F. Atwater. 



No swarms until after July 9 ; best white-clover 

 and snowdrop flow we ever had; but the weather is 

 so cool and cloudy that bees work only half the time. 



Eraser, Ida., July 12. F. F. George. 



INDIANA 



We can not expect much from Indiana and Illi- 

 nois this year, for two reasons — tremendous winter 

 losses and a short clover crop. What little clover 

 we have is yielding excessively, and weather condi- 

 tions are fine. 



Indianapolis, Ind., July 5. W. S. Poxjder. 



Abundance of bloom ; basswood and white and 

 alsike clover ; nectar is flowing very slowly, especially 

 from basswood. 



La Porte, Ind., July 5. C. H. Wair. 



Clover flow is practically over ; have secured a 

 very small crop. Colonies were in fine shape, and 

 no swarming. Clover did not produce the nectar, 

 from some cause. 



Odon, Ind., July 5. A. M. Keck. 



Bees are booming ; weather ideal ; bloom plenty ; 

 result, best crop of honey for three years. I am 

 getting 20 cts. per lb. by crate. 



Richmond, Ind., July 4. M. H. WOLFER. 



We are having a very fair honey-flow from red 

 and white clover. The flow began about July 1 ; 

 and with the good rain of yesterday it will continue 

 several weeks, we trust. Our 600 colonies are in 

 surprisingly good condition considering the increase. 



Hebron, Ind., July 8. P. B. Cavanagh. 



There is an abundance of swarming. Basswood 

 yielded well, but not many trees. White clover is 

 fairly abundant, but does not seem to yield well, so 

 that the prospect for a surplus is very doubtful. 



Ladoga, Ind., -July 9. Dr. J. B. Talmage. 



ILLINOIS 



Clover flow is light — only one week; plenty of 

 bloom yet, but no nectar. Milkweed and basswood 

 yielded well : will get about 40 lbs. comb honey per 

 colony. 



Ed'inburg, 111., July 18. W. H. Stumm. 



The honey-flow thus far has been very good here; 

 but owing to the severe winter losses of bees the 

 honey crop will probably be no larger than last year, 

 although of much better quality. 



Beardstown, 111., July 15. H. W. Doerr. 



Half a crop of white honev in this part. 



Versailles, 111., July 15. D. C. Connell. 



Bees are just finishing the be.st basswood flow I 

 ever saw — three supers to the strong; three per 

 cent loss last winter. 



Hull, 111., July 6. J. L. Blacketter. 



The white-clover honey crop has been a failure in 

 this locality. There was an abundance of white- 

 clover bloom, but during this period of the best 

 yield, from May 20 to June 20, we had loo much 

 wet and cloudy weather. 



Nashville, lil., July 12. S. P. Scheoeder. 



Bees swarmed in May; have nearly filled brood- 

 cliamber ; nothing in supers yet, even strong colonies 

 not making much honey. 



Mackinaw, 111., July'll. G. S. Allen. 



Prospects for a lioney crop are a failure with me. 

 I might get 50 lbs. from ten stands. 



Pittsfield, 111., July 5. Fred Troutner. 



