SEPTEMBER 15, 1912 



579 



Beekeeping in the Southw^est 



Lons SCHOLL, New Braunfels, Texas. 



WHY SWARMS CLUSTER. 



Mr. Anthony's theory, as related by the 

 editor, page 502, Aug. 15, is a new one to 

 me. and one in which I am not inclined to 

 take much stock until further and more 

 convincing proof is furnished. There may 

 be something in it ; but, according to the 

 old saying, "one swalloAV does not make 

 a summer." I hardly believe that the one 

 instance alone shows that the killing of the 

 remaining virgin in the parent hive had 

 any thing to do with the return of the 

 swarm from the tree-top. Swarms with 

 virgins often do strange things, generally 

 leaving for i^arts unknown as soon as the}' 

 em.erge from the hive. Yet, on the other 

 hand, we have had such swarms hang about 

 the yard for a day and even more, trying, 

 perliaps, to gain entrance to some other 

 colony. We have hived swarms with vir- 

 gins after the bees had actually clustered 

 instead of running away to the woods as 

 might be expected, and then had them re- 

 turn to the old hive from which they had 

 issued. » * * 



HOXEY-CROP REPORTS IXTERESTIXG. 



It is strange how much more interesting 

 the reports are when we have had an un- 

 favorable season. This may be partly due 

 to curiosity to see whether other beekeep- 

 ers have fared better or worse. In one 

 way the reports this year serve as a con- 

 solation, as the}' show that some others are 

 faring no better. This year, for instance, 

 we do not feel our loss so keenly, as there 

 seems to be a rather short crop, taking the 

 country as a whole; for, except in the case 

 of a small portion of the countiw, there 

 seems to be but a i^artial crop after all. 

 \Ve can be thankful, at least, that we neeu 

 not fear having to feed our bees to carry 

 them over until next 'year. It is true that 

 there are a few localities where feeding 

 will probably ha^■e to be done, since the 

 rains delaved too long to help out in the 

 fall. 



Honey prices should rule a little better 

 this year as a consequence of a general 

 shortage of the crop. The Western lioney 

 seems to be a good deal more scarce than 

 the Eastern. Some parts of the South 

 have had good crops; but that in Texas 

 is unusually short, especially since there 

 has been an almost entire failure in South- 

 western Texas, the main honej'-producing 

 section. 



But since the fruit and syrups have been 

 so plentiful the price of honey is not so 

 very much higher after all. for honey is 



still considered more as a luxury than as 

 a neces.sity. This means that, as soon as 

 tlie price of honey goes liigher than usual, 

 other things are substituted in its place, 

 if they can be obtained at a reasonably fair 

 price. Peaches and other fruits happened 

 to be very {plentiful this year, so that they 

 have filled the demand for sweets to such 

 an extent that less honey has been pur- 

 chased than usual. The abundance of 

 other fruits accounts for the large amount 

 of preserves that have been put up ; and 

 these preserves, together with the large 

 amount of sorghunj syrup made this year, 

 accounts for the smaller demand for honey. 

 It will be remembered that fruits and 

 syrups were more or less a failure last 

 year, so that the demand for honey was 

 far greater. However, in spite of all this 

 the price of honey has gone up half a 

 cent per pound or a little more over last 

 year's prices, and it will be no trouble to 

 sell all that has been produced before the 



end of the fall. 



« « « 



THE AUTOMOBILE A SIGN OF PROGRESSIVE 

 BEEKEEPING. 



One of the most pleasing indications of 

 more progressive beekeeping is found in 

 the constantly increasing use of automo- 

 biles by beekeepei's. In itself, the ability to 

 own an automobile usually indicates that 

 a beekeeper is more or less jDrogressive, or 

 that he is possessed with progressive ideas 

 at least. As a rule, the purpose of procur- 

 ing an automobile is not only for use as a 

 pleasure machine but more as a real busi- 

 ness proposition. That the automobile is 

 coming to be acknowledged more and more 

 a much needed addition to the beekeeper's 

 equipment, especially for real progressive 

 beekeeping, is well known. The beekeep- 

 ers who are taking advantage of this fact 

 have the assurance that they are prepared 

 to accomplish not only more work, but to 

 do it better, while at the same time more 

 pleasures can be enjoyed, both doing his 

 work and while at leisure. 



The automobile has come to stay, and the 

 time is not far w'hen a good "machine'' can 

 be obtained at a very reasonable price. For- 

 tunately, the great number of different 

 makes of automobiles, together with the 

 wide variation in price, makes it very easy 

 to make a selection best suited to the needs 

 and the pocketbook of the beekeeper. Once 

 purchased, there is no doubt an automobile 

 will pay well, provided, of course, there is 

 use for one. 



