AUGUST 1, 1914 



585 



tie honey to be carried over, as there was 

 not the demand for the dark honey. As it 

 is, we have some of the old honey on hand 

 in the stores and in the hands of apiarists 

 (not much, but some). The bees are in fine 

 order, having stored at this date perhaps 40 

 per cent more than during an average year 

 of the very finest of white honey. Whether 

 this condition will hurt the local market I 

 "do not know, but I rather think not; for 

 when the nice new white honey of exquisite 

 flavor is placed on sale the demand ought to 

 be increased on account of the fact that 

 there has been no first-quality honey for a 

 year. 



In this locality the willows yield both 

 pollen and nectar the fore part of April if 

 weather permits, and this year we were 

 favored with a short period of fine weather 

 early in April, which opened the bloom and 

 started the bees to breeding fast. This, how- 

 ever, was cut short by a cold snap follow- 

 ing, which lasted until May; but the colonies 

 all had plenty of honey ; and by getting 

 some brood hatched early it populated them 

 so that they were able to continue brood- 

 rearing, but on a smaller scale. However, the 

 weather brightened up during May; and 

 with the succession of bloom from the pop- 

 lar, dandelion, and fruit, with some water- 

 maple, also called swamp or spotted maple, 

 in favored sections we were able to fill the 

 hives with bees by June 1. 



The raspberry and alsike clover bloomed 

 early, and the bees started at once on them. 

 They also worked on the white clover; but 

 we have very little of this in the sandy sec- 

 tions ; and but for the cold and wet weather 

 during the last of June and early July we 

 should have harvested an unusually large 

 amount. But these rains were the making 

 of a future crop from the milkweed plants 

 which were soon to open. These plants are 

 now in full bloom, and bid fair to round 

 up the crop of white honey nicely where 

 they are numerous. 



I am not prepared to say just how widely 

 they are spread over the country; but all 

 through Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Trav- 

 erse, and Antrim counties, they are plenti- 

 ful in sections. 



Basswood will bloom full, and will be out 

 by the 15th of this month ; but the basswood 



is fast being cut down, and will soon, if not 

 already, be of little use to the beekeeper. 



The average crop of white honey in this 

 section for the past ten years has been 

 about 60 lbs. per colony. I should think 

 that 90 lbs. would be a fair estimate for this 

 year of extracted honey, and 60 lbs. for 

 comb. Of course some will get more and 

 some less. 



1 would say that there are between 2000 

 and 2500 colonies within a radius of 25 

 miles, with 30 per cent or more being run 

 for comb honey. 



Following are a list, in the order of their 

 blooming, of the main honey-plants of this 

 section which yield more or less pollen and 

 nectar. Elms, tag alders, willows, poplars, 

 soft maples, hard maples, fruit-trees, dan- 

 delions, gooseberries, water-ma^Dles, wild red 

 raspberries, white and alsike clover, elders, 

 milkweed, basswood, willowherb, buckwheat, 

 goldenrod, and asters, with a little sweet 

 clover, which the best farmers are sowing, 

 and which will help in later years, as this 

 follows the clovers and lasts until fall. 



You will note that I have placed no 

 estimate upon the goldenrod and buckwheat 

 crop. This is because we very seldom se- 

 cure any surplus from this source, although 

 weather conditions have been very favorable 

 to date, and quite an acreage of buckwheat 

 has been sown. 



Following is a report of a strong colony 

 on scales this season : 



Date Net gain Source | Date Net gain Source 



To date, 173 lbs. net gain. 



I trust that this report will be of service 

 in getting at the exact state of affairs. Of 

 course, quite a portion of the honey pro- 

 duced here is consumed at home, especially 

 the comb, which, for the most part, is pro- 

 duced by the smaller apiarist. 



East Jordan, Mich., July 10. 



TEXAS CHOP LARGER THAN FOR TWO YEARS 



BY LOUIS H. SCHOLL 



It is rather diflScult to report at the present 

 time what the outcome of the Texas honey 

 crop will be. While Southwest Texas has 

 practically harvested its spring crop, Cen- 



tral Texas is just in the midst of the honey- 

 gathering season, and more northern local- 

 ities are just entering in upon this part of 

 the beekeeping work. Taking all matters 



