1921 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



379 



Crop and Market Report 



Compiled by M. G. Dadaal 



Conditions have not changed materially since our last 

 report was issued in August, except that the last few days 

 of July were continued dry, resulting in a minimum of 

 honey storage by the bees. 



Reports would seem to indicate that New England will 

 have a fair crop, though hardly up to last year. New 

 York and Pennsylvania reports are spotted, some being 

 good and many very poor. On the whole, these States 

 will do well to average 75 per cent of last year. The crop 

 in the Virginias and Carolinas has been very poor, while 

 Georgia and Florida have had a fair crop. Alabama and 

 Mississippi have a much better crop than last year, due to 

 the fact that sweet clover produced well. Tennessee and 

 Kentucky reports vary, as do those from Arkansas and 

 Oklahoma. Louisiana has had a very heavy flow, though 

 late. 



Ohio seems to be having a bumper crop, and Indiana 

 will be at least up to normal. Michigan will probably pro- 

 duce as much as last year, with Wisconsin 50 per cent and 

 Minnesota 25 per cent. Even in South Dakota and West- 

 ern Iowa, the crop was cut much by drought, while Kans- 

 sas and Nebraska reports are very good. 



The Illinois crop is nil and Missouri only fair, except 

 in the western part. Texas started off badly, but is mak- 

 ing up now and will possibly have as much as in 1920. The 

 inter-mountain territory reports are not flattering. 

 Neither this section nor Utah and Nevada will have the 

 crop hai-vested in 1920. 



New Mexico and Arizona are having good flows, prob- 

 ably normal. Washington will be below average, with 

 Oregon probably normal. Northern California, which 

 promised well, is short, but not as short as Southern Cali- 

 fornia. On the whole, prospects are that unless the bal- 

 ance of the season does exceedingly well it is doubtful if 

 there will be over 60 to 70 per cent as much honey pro- 

 duced as in 1920. 



CROP PROSPECTS 



Fortunately, late rains have added interest to the bal- 

 ance of the season, though in most instances the rains 

 came so late that they will affect the white crop but lit- 

 tle. The whole of the Central West has had bountiful 

 rains and fall flow regions seem hopeful. In our own lo- 

 cality, hardly a pound of white spring honey was har- 

 vested outside of the bees' needs, but fall pasturage looks 

 good and the bees are already showing a good surplus. It 

 is doubtful, however, the country over, whether the fall 

 flows will exceed 1920. On the whole, we do not see how 

 they can affect the general average very much. 



JULY CROP REPORTER 



The July Crop Reporter of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture shows an average of 22 pounds per colony up to 

 July 1, compared to 25 pounds last year, or 90 per cent. 

 This is hardly a comparison that will do to use at this late 



date, however, since the July drought certainly cut the 

 average down greatly. The next report issued should 

 show a greater divergence between the two years. 



On July 1 the condition of honey plants was 85 per cent 

 of normal and condition of colonies 78 per cent of 

 normal. 



THE LEWIS REPORT 



The G. B. Lewis Company have issued an independent 

 report under date of August 1, based on reports received 

 July 21. These show the crop up to July 21 as being 40 

 per cent of last year, with 39 per cent of the crop still in 

 prospect. These figures will check up very well with our 

 own. They give condition of bees at 88 per cent of nor- 

 mal. 



ONTARIO CROP REPORT 



The Ontario light honey report is out. Replies were 

 received from 442 members owning 21,000 colonies of 

 bees with a total crop of one and one-half million pounds, 

 or a per colony average of about 75 pounds, somewhat 

 better than last year. 



Their committee recommends a wholesale price on 

 white extracted of 15 to 18 cents; retail 20 to 25 cents. 

 Recommended prices for comb are: No. 1, $5 to $7 per 

 case; No. 2, $3.50 to $5 per case. 



HONEY SALES AND PRICES 



The last week or two have seen an impetus to the de- 

 mand for honey, with the result that there has been a stif- 

 fening in price of the white grades in a jobbing way. 

 Orange prices are higher and white clover and alfalfa 

 show signs of activity. Producers seem a little less in- 

 clined to sacrifice in order to induce sales. Amber honeys, 

 however, still show the effects of the competition of for- 

 eign honeys, with the result that amber alfalfa is quoted 

 on the Pacific Coast as low as 5 % cents. 



The attitude of producers is encouraging. Evidently 

 the intimation that the tariff revision would soon see in 

 effect a duty on honey and the fact that the fruit is 

 scarce this year, has helped encourage the producing 

 class. 



The writer has just finished reading the last issue of 

 "The Packer," probably the most authoritative weekly 

 paper on fruit conditions. The striking feature was the 

 report of short fruit crops from almost all sections ex- 

 cept the inter-mountain territory and Oregon and Wash- 

 ington, which may have normal crops. Certainly the fruit 

 crop is going to be vei-y short, and if the beekeepers take 

 advantage of their opportunity by advertising honey, the 

 crop of 1921 should move readily and at good prices. At 

 least we see no reason for rushing honey to market un- 

 less prices are satisfactory. 



Comb honey is in good demand and should command a 

 remunerative price. 



