1920 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAi 



251 



Crop and Market Report 



Compiled by M G. Dadant 



For our July crop and market report we asked tlie fol- 

 lowing questions:- 1. How is the crop — size, comparison 

 with last year? 2. What number of colonies is there 

 com[)ared to last year? 3. Any demand for honey? 

 What price is offered? What price will you hold for? 

 4. Have you your container supply? 



THE CROP SO FAR 



It is yet a little early to make any estimate on what 

 the crop is going to be this year, but there are some in- 

 dications which would point toward about a normal 

 honey crop. 



In the East reports are very poor, especially from New 

 York, where the}' have had a great deal of drought and 

 do not expect very much of a spring crop. Ohio and 

 Pennsylvania expect about the same as last year, while 

 throughout the whole South reports are that beekeep- 

 ers will do well if they get as much honey as last year. 

 In Georgia about one-half to three-fourths as much 

 honey has been harvested as at the same time last year. 

 In Mississippi and .Alabama probably the crop is a little 

 better, while in most of the other .Southern States the 

 crop is probably below the average. In Florida it is' 

 much less. 



In Texas conditions ar. extremely favorable. Practi- 

 cally every section of the country there reports an excel- 

 lent crop, with good prospects for the balance of the year. 

 .■\s a result, beekeepers are very much encouraged, since 

 honey is still selling at a very high figure. 



In the Northern States of Michigan, Wisconsin and 

 Minnesota it is a little early yet to make any definite 

 report, but it would seem that Michigan will have many 

 less bees than last j'ear, and the prospect will hardly be 

 as good for a honey flow. Wisconsin reports the finest 

 prospect in years, and Minnesota, also, expects a very 

 good crop. 



In Indiana and Illinois reports vary greatly. In some 

 sections clover is yielding well, in others there is not 

 enough clover to make nearly a crop. In our own lo- 

 cality there is a little clover, but so far bees have har- 

 vested very little, if anything, and supers are just be- 

 ginning to be placed on the colonies. Many reports state 

 that clover is abundant, but that the bees are working on 

 it but very little, owing to the drought. Of course, a 

 good rain with warm weather would make the clover 

 yield more plentifully. Missouri reports only a fair yield. 



Prospects throughout the most of Iowa seem to be 

 good, and Kansas and South Dakota report fair pros- 

 pects, also. 



Very little honey has been harvested, so far, through 

 the Rocky Mountain region, although indications seem 

 to be that there will be a good flow. The alfalfa has been 

 hurt quite badly in some sections, but this is probably 

 made up by the excellent growth of sweet clover, and it 

 would seem that Colorado would have a little better 

 crop than last year, with Montana about equal to 1919. 



Wyoming and Utah e.xpect much better crops than last 

 year, while Idaho has had no flow yet, but expects a fair 

 crop later on. 



The western coast has had abundant rain, which would 

 indicate a very good honey flow. 



The flow from orange blossom in California has been 

 just about up to last year. The outlook for a flow from 

 sage is good and we have nodoubt but that the California 

 crop will at least equal that of 1919. 



NUMBER OF COLONIES COMPARED WITH 

 LAST YEAR 



The May first report of the Department of Agriculture 

 at Washington indicates that on this date colonies aver- 

 aged 98 per cent of normal, whereas in 1919 they aver- 

 aged only 92 per cent. This would indicate that colonies 

 are in better shape than a year ago. However, our own 

 private reports indicate that in some localities the win- 

 ter loss was extremely severe, and it will be all that the 

 beekeepers can do to make increase and cover all the 

 combs. Our own judgment would be that there will not 

 be nearly as many colonies to gather the crop as a year 

 ago, and we would think it would be about 80 per cent. 

 Of course, this is probably made up by the fact that many 

 beekeepers are buying bees in packages from the South 

 and making increase in this manner, so that it does not 

 hurt their strong colonies at all to cover all combs. 



HONEY DEMAND— PRICE ASKED 



So far, very few buyers are out trying to purchase 

 honey, but such as are in the market seem to be offering 

 a good price. Practically all reporters indicate that they 

 will hold for a price of 25c a pound wholesale for their 

 honey, with a good chance of getting it. The Texas crop 

 is moving at a price of about 22c for extracted and 24c 

 to 26c for bulk comb honey. 



One reporter in Georgia was offered 20c a pound for 

 his white honey and is holding for a price of 25c. An- 

 other from Florida was offered 21c and is asking 23c for 

 amber. 



.A large commission merchant in California has a car 

 of white sweet clover honey which he is offering at 19c 

 per pound f. o. b. California common points. Orange 

 blossom honey is also being offered at a price of from 

 2Q'/2C to 21j4c f. o. b. California points. Practically all of 

 the old stock is cleaned off the market, and owing to 

 the high price and scarcity of sugar, honey is in extremely 

 good demand. 



HONEY CONTAINERS 



Practically all of the tin can manufacturers state that 

 they will be unable to supply cans ojtside of -contracts 

 already let until probably the first of August. Develop- 

 ments in the last week or ten days, however, would indi- 

 cate that the freight congestion is gradually clearing up 

 and it may be possible that these manufacturers may be 

 in a position to get tin plate earlier than this 

 CONCLUSION 



Our conclusion in regard to honey would be that it is 

 very likely to open at a much higher price than last year, 

 when honey was quoted at from ISc to 18c per pound for 

 car lots f. o. b. California common points. Sugar .seems 

 still to be very scarce, and newspaper reports point to 

 the fact that it will be two or three years before France 

 and other European countries will be able to reach nor- 

 mal production on sugar. 



THREE BAND ITALIANS 



TESTED DISEASE RESISTORS 



PRICES 



June 15 to Julv 15 

 1 6 12 



Untested $1.50 $8.00 $15 nO 



Select untested .-- 1.75 9.00 16,110 



July 15 to Oct. 1 



I 6 12 100 



Untested $1.30 $7.50 $13.50 $110 00 



Select untested .--- 1.50 8.00 14.00 115.00 



Select tested, any time 



after June20 3.00 16.00 29.00 



Select day-old virgins, 



after June 1 .60 3.50 6.50 50 00 



D. A. DAVIS, Birmingham, Mich. 

 216 Greenwood 



BARNES' 



Foot Power 

 Machinery 



Read what J. E. K»rent, 

 of Chariton, N. Y., iays: 

 We cut with one of your 

 Combined Machines last 

 winter 50 chafF hives with 

 7-in. cap. 100 honey-racks, 

 500 frames and a great 

 deal of Other work. Tkii 

 winter we have a douole 

 amount of hives, etc., to 

 make with this saw. It 

 will do all you say of it," 

 Catalog and price list free. 



W. F. & JOHN BARNES 

 995 Ruby St.. ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS 



Established 1885 



We are still furnishing beehives made of 

 white pine; they will last. A. I. Root Co.'s 

 make of bee supplies kept in stock. Send tor 

 catalog giving full particulars; free for the 

 asking. Beeswax in exchange for supplies, or 

 cash. 



JOHN NEBEL & SON SUPPLY CO. 

 HichHill. MoatK. Co- Ma. 



ATTENTION, PACIFIC NORTH- 

 WEST BEEKEEPERS! 



We handle a full line of supplies for 

 beekeepers, including Italian Queens. 

 Write us your requirements and for 

 our Catalog A. It's free. 



SPOKANE SEED CO., 

 906 First Ave. Spokane, Wash. 



