dLEANiNGS IN BEE CULTURB 



BEEKEEPING AMONG the ROCKIES 



THE HONEY MARKET. 



If all the eomb honey could be 

 sorted in such a manner that the 

 honey subject to early gTanulation 

 could be marketed each year be- 

 fore Christmas time, and a good 

 supply of the clear transparent 

 non-candying comb honey held for the 

 spring trade, the market would be more 

 stable. The trouble is that there is always 

 the fear of not enough comb honey being 

 produced to go around, so the buyers load 

 up early on high-priced honey, buying for 

 the whole season. If the crop is larger than 

 estimated by the buyers, there are quite a 

 few cars of honey that have to stand the 

 slump in prices late in the season. If these 

 cars of honey could be held until spring, 

 just as good prices could be secured as for 

 the early honey, provided it is not subject 

 to granulation. 



The year 1915 has passed, and in beedom 

 a few signs point to progress made. The 

 use of honey is being extended, and the 

 beekeepers are realizing that practical hon- 

 ey publicity lies largely with them. 



The " Eat Honey " sticker has won its 

 way into favor with hundreds and thou- 

 sands of beekeepers. 



The perfecting of methods for shipping 

 bees from the South is doubtless one of the 

 most important elements that will have a 

 large influence on future beekeeping. 



In the West, the honey industry is grow- 

 ing by leaps despite the ruinous prices of 

 California honey. Beekeepers are getting 

 better organized for business. Idaho has a 

 new association, and efforts are being made 

 to start one in California. Success to them! 



The last carload of Colorado comb honey 

 in the producers' hands that I know of has 

 just been sold, and will be shipped to Kan- 

 sas. Prices secured for this honey are low- 

 er than most honey brought, but are a fair 

 average for the last few years. I learn that 

 $2.65 for fancy, $2.40 for No. 1, and $2.20 

 for No. 2 were secured. This honey was 

 produced in western Colorado, where the 

 freight rate is higher to the East than from 

 Colorado common points. 



VARIATIONS ALLOV^ED BY NET-WEIGHT LAWS. 



In a letter from Mr. Ernest Ryant, of 

 Connecticut, to Mr. E. R. Root, and for- 

 warded to me, I find the following : " I 

 think the grading of honey as related by 

 Wesley Foster on page 884, Nov. 1, will 

 sooner or later get him into trouble. The 

 selling of such sections by the section would 

 lay the seller liable to prosecution in this 



Wesley Foster, Boulder, Colorado 



state. No variation over 1/2 ounce is allow- 

 ed — that is, if a section is marked 12 ounces 

 it must weigh at least liy2 ounces and not 

 over 12^ ounces, and the case must aver- 

 age at least 12 ounces." 



Here in the West we are stamping our 

 honey with the minimum net weight, and 

 doubtless we are erring in thinking that, 

 if we stamp a section " net weight not less 

 than ten ounces," it will be all right if it 

 weighs twelve or thirteen. So far none of 

 us have gotten into trouble, but it is better 

 to find out the regulations of the various 

 states before we do. If Gleanings could 

 give us the laws of the various states on 

 these points it would help. We ought to be 

 able to put up our comb honey so it would 

 sell in any market. 



EXTRA PROTECTION NOT NEEDED IN COLORADO. 



Dr. Phillips states that additional pro- 

 tection, other than that provided by single- 

 walled hives, is beneficial for bees through- 

 out the United States. The majority of 

 beekeepers with whom I have talked regard- 

 ing this, disagree for their locations. The 

 double-walled hives have been tested over a 

 series of years, and bees kept in them have 

 not wintered as well as in single-walled 

 hives. The winter ease has not been well 

 tested here in the West, to my knowledge. 

 Our beekeepers have demonstrated that 

 normal colonies wintered on their summer 

 stands winter almost perfectly. 



Granted that bees wintered in a ease con- 

 taining four or eight come thru in better 

 shape (which I have found no one willing 

 to grant unqualifiedly), the majority say it 

 will not pay for labor or expense. 



The only time I can see where additional 

 protection could pay is when we have a 

 month of zero or near zero weather. This 

 does not happen oftener than once in three 

 years. We do lose some colonies at these 

 times that would be saved if given more 

 protection. But I do not think it will pay 

 to go to the expense when we consider that, 

 if all our colonies were wintered, the in- 

 crease from swarming would soon overstock 

 our locations. Some are overstocked now. 



One beekeeper, who owns 800 colonies, 

 told me he counted on 25 per cent loss each 

 year, and that gave him enough empty 

 hives for increase, so new hives did not 

 have to be bought. This beekeeper is locat- 

 ed where the winters are severe. 



We should like to see some plan worked 

 out that will meet our conditions. The 

 arid conditions are not the same as in the 

 East. 



