April, 1917 



GLEAlSriNGS IN BEE CULTURE 



289 



losses than common. In western Colorado 

 there has been more severe weather tlian 

 ever in the eastern part of the state. It is 

 reported from the Grand Valley that nearly 

 every morning for Uvo months the mercury 

 has hovered around zero. There is not the 

 snow reported in the abundance we have on 



(lie Front Range, but doubtless tliere will be 

 little if any lack of water for irrigation. 

 Idaho reports heavy losses caused from 

 honey-dew in the winter stores. Losses as 

 high as forty per cent are expected, and one 

 report gives a loss of twenty-nine colonies 

 out of thirty. 



THE bees are build- 

 ing up very rap- 

 idly this spring. 

 Some of the older bee- 

 keepers say they never saw drones flying so 

 early in the spring. There is some little 

 concern felt about possible cold weather that 

 may come any time and severely injure the 

 honey-plants, as was the case last year. The 

 dry sijell is already being noticed, for some 

 of the early spring sources of nectar have 

 been cut short. In the extreme southern 

 section of the state the more progressive bee- 

 keepers fed some to hold the fine colonies 

 that had built up early. In our section the 

 horsemint is doing very nicelj^ The wild 

 plum was in full bloom March 1. 



* * * 



Never before has there been such con- 

 certed action on the part of the beekeepers 

 to secure beneficial legislation. Such efforts 

 are certain to bring results. If not this 

 time it will certainly two years hence. The 

 greatest hindrance in such work is the ex- 

 treme ignorance of the vast majority of the 

 people regarding the importance of the 

 beekeeping industry in the state. Along 

 this line there recently appeared in one of 

 the leading state papers a feature story in 

 the magazine section of the Sunday edition. 

 The plain facts bi-ought forth in this article 

 have caused many people to think the 

 second time, and to conclude that perhaps 

 there really is something to the beekeeping 



industry. 



* » * 



Mr. Kennith Hawkins, of the Bureau of 

 Entomology and the State Relation Service, 

 on March 1 completed a six-weeks' tour" of 

 Texas. Mr. Hawkins is in charge of api- 

 cultural extension work in the southern 

 states. While in Texas Mr. Hawkins at- 

 tended the sectional meetings of the farm- 

 demonstration agents. Mr. Hawkins ex- 

 pects to return to Texas by Api'il 1 to hold 

 a series of beekeepers' field meets, in co- 

 operation with the Extension Service of 

 tlie Texas A. and M. College and the State 

 Entomologist. These meets will be held in 

 at least eight repr&sentative sections, under 

 the auspices of the local beekeepers' asso- 



IN TEXAS 



By F. B. Paddock, State Entomologist 



ciations and the coun- 

 ty agents. Illustrated 

 evening lectures will 

 be given at each meet- 

 ing. In addition to the program Mr. Haw- 

 kins will sjDend some time in studying con- 

 ditions in each section. It is hoped that 

 this extension work among the beekeepers 

 will result in great good, and that it will be 

 the forerunner of much more extensive work 

 being done on the problem in the state. It 

 is hard to conceive of the ignorance of a 

 good many of the beekeepers. This lack 

 of knowledge is one of the serious handi- 

 caps of the foul-brood-eradication work. 

 There is great need in this state of extension 

 work being done in beekeeping. It has 

 been said repeatedly that the possibilities 

 of the industry in this state have hardly 

 been more than uncovered. 



* * * 



In one of the leading state papers, the 

 following recently appeared : " The bee- 

 keepers who are complaining of the low 

 price of honey should remember that thej^ 

 haven't done much advertising since Solo- 

 mon's time." Food for thought. This is 

 an age of advertising. 



* * » 



What is believed to be the first attempt 

 of its kind has recently been inaugurated 

 by one of the county associations. The 

 members of the association have undertaken 

 an educational campaign to eliminate the 

 " bee-gum." Meetings are to be held in 

 the rural schools, with two or three speak- 

 ers on the program. A modern frame hive 

 will serve as a basis for the instruction, with 

 considerable emphasis put upon the in- 

 creased returns possible from keeping bees 

 under such conditions. The results of such 

 a campaign will be noted with keen interest 

 on tin; part of many over the state. 



* * * 



The honey market is cleaned up. There 

 is less honey for sale now tlian in any of 

 the six seasons past. There is no " carry- 

 over " honey, so the early spring honey 

 should command a good price. Extracted 

 honey is quoted at 10 cents, but there is 



