406 



What the Harvest Is and Will Be. 



In this issue we publish reports of 

 about 300 apiaries, in all parts of the 

 country, up to Aug. 25th, and have many 

 more which were received after that 

 date. From careful figuring we con- 

 clude as follows : 



In Arkansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, 

 Mississippi, Tennessee and Vermont, 

 there is an average yield. 



In California, Michigan, New York 

 and Virginia, % of the usual crop. 



In Alabama, Canada, Missouri and 

 Ohio, one-half. 



In Connecticut, Iowa, Louisiana, 

 Maine and Pennsylvania, one-third. 



In Indiana, Georgia, Kansas, Nebras- 

 ka and Texas, one-fourth. 



In Illinois and Wisconsin, much less 

 than one-fourth of the usual crop. 



An average yield was reported by 52 ; 

 no surplus honey, by 90 ; all the rest va- 

 ried between the two extremes. 



Last month the Bee Journal esti- 

 mated that the summer yield would be 

 about one-third the usual crop. We see 

 no reason for changing that estimate, 

 and we now estimate the fall crop at 

 two-thirds— making in all, for the whole 

 season, about one-half the usual yield. 



i^Mr. C. F. Muth reports having re- 

 ceived a nice shipment of choice comb 

 honey from Dr. Blanton, of Greenville, 

 Miss. It is put up in sections 53^x6, 

 and was obtained without separators, 

 but every comb is perfect. This lot of 

 honey is perhaps unequaled in theSouth, 

 and shows that Dr. B. has devoted time 

 and attention to the study of scientific 

 bee-keeping, and practices it. 



g"On page 343 of the July number, 

 a lad 12 years of age is said to have 

 hived several swarms with the " Bailey 

 swarm-catcher."" A typographical error 

 in the age of the boy was unfortunate. 

 It was printed "'17 years of age"— 5 

 years too much. We make the correc- 

 tion with pleasure— the more so, as the 

 error was detrimental to Mr. J. W. Bai- 

 ley's invention. 



g'Mr. S. P. Hyde, St. Joseph, Mo., 

 sends a blossom, and desires to know its 

 name. He says the bees work on it in- 

 cessantly, etc. It is Cleome alnifolia, or 

 Rocky Mountain bee plant, and a good 

 honey producer. 



Dr. Davis' queen nursery is a nice 

 thing in which to nurse queens, where 

 colonies are not available to each. It 

 holds 12 queens. 



iH"" Farm papers have very generally 

 copied the article, "Does it pay to plant 

 for Honey ?" from the Bee Journal 

 for August. We are pleased to have 

 •them do so, when proper credit is given, 

 but we regret to notice that the Farm- 

 ers'' Review, of Chicago, has copied it 

 verbatim without credit— thus palming 

 it off as its own editorial. 



^ Mr. J. W. Bagby, Morgan Station, 

 Ky., sends us two fertile workers hav- 

 ing dark abdomens. He says : " I saw 

 one of them deposit eggs ; the bees 

 treated the other as though she was a 

 queen." By request we have forwarded 

 them to Prof. Cook for examination. 



igiT One of our manufacturers of comb 

 foundation has printed on his cards, 

 " manufacturer of artificial combs." 

 We are sorry to see this, for it is not ar- 

 tificial—that is unnatural, unreal, fraud- 

 ulent. It is real, natural wax made by 

 the bees, and only restored to them in 

 sheets, when it will be of most use to 

 them, and they will " put it where it will 

 do the most good," and speedily draw it 

 out into real combs. Let no one call it 

 artificial, hereafter. 



jfgT It is desired that each Vice Presi- 

 dent should sendareport of bee-keeping 

 in his State to the National Convention. 

 Send early, so that they may be formu- 

 lated and properly arranged. 



m* Smith & Smith, Kenton, O., have 

 sent us a smoker as they make it, and 

 ask for our opinion. It is essentially a 

 copy of Bingham's, and a good smoker. 



