GLEANINGS IN 



EE CtlL'TURE 



June, 1917 



duee enough honey the coming season to 

 supply the demand. As in our May issue, so 

 in this, we urge every beskeeper to produce 

 the maximum of honey. If there are any 

 old-time beekeepers in the vicinity whose 

 methods are crude, and who allow excessive 

 swarming, make arrangements if possible 

 with all such to operate on shares, ox", better, 

 buy the bees outright. 



If there ever was a time when a colony 

 would pay for its initial cost in one season 

 and make a comfortable surplus, it will be 

 this year. The present price of extracted 

 honey, with the active demand for it, will 

 make even a light crop pay first cost of the 

 bees. 



Honey is a necessary food, like wheat, 

 bread, and meat. It helps to make up a bal- 

 anced ration. Sugar is bound to be high 

 and scarce, and honey must come in to take 

 its i^lace. 



In a word, the beekeepers of the United 

 States should join with the farmers and 

 all others in increasing the food supply. 

 Tlie general movement is not only patriotic, 

 but may be the means of saving many lives 

 — if not in this country, in Europe. 



ELSEWHERE MENTION is made of the 

 active demand for extracted honey, both 



domestic and foreign. 

 PRICES So far as we can dis- 



ON COMB cover, no such active 



HONEY demand prevails for 



comb honey for some 

 of it is being held over and some granulated. 

 Just at present it is hard to say how i^rices 

 on comb will rule; but present indications 

 do not show that they will be any higher 

 than last year. There is a possibility that 

 the price of extracted may reach the price 

 of comb, with the advantage of lesser cost 

 of production for the former. This would 

 be unfortunate. Comb honey should always 

 maintain an advance of from 35 to 50 per 

 tent above extracted. It may do so the 

 coming year. We hope so. 



WE HAVE LEARNED of a numb?r cf 

 buyers of comb honey who bought too 



heavily of that com- 

 CrOT STUCK modity, and, not know- 



ON COMB ing the importance of 



HONEY keeping it in a Avarm 



room during the cold 

 months, a lot of it granulated, with the re- 

 sult that they cannot unload. At present 

 ])rices tliey can melt it up if they know how 

 and sell the wax and honey separately and 

 not lose much if any thing. 



AN ANNOUNCEMENT cf a better market 

 news service to be exj^ected from the United 



States Depart- 

 GO VEEN MEN T ment of Agricul- 



M ARRET NEWS ture, reaches us 



SERVICE just as Glean- 



ings is about to 

 go to press. Every beekeeper who produces 

 honey for wholesale market will read this 

 announcement with keen interest. It is 

 given out as follows : 



In response to urgent requests, the Office of 

 Markets and Rural Organization of the United Stales 

 Department of Agriculture is planning to extend its 

 telegraphic market news service to include reports 

 on honey. Practically all growers in the important 

 commercial sections shipping fruits and vegetables 

 are familiar with the market bulletins which have 

 been distributed by the Office of Markets during the 

 past two seasons. These daily bulletins, which are 

 free by mail to any who reque-st them, cover nine 

 of the more important perishable commodities and 

 show daily the number of cars of each commodity 

 which have been shipped from each State during 

 the past twenty-four hours, as well as the following 

 information for each of the eighteen markets report- 

 ed by representatives of the Department. The num- 

 ber of cars which have been received on the market 

 during the past twenty-four hours segregated hy 

 originating districts; the general quality and condi- 

 tion of the produce from each section; the weather 

 conditions ; and finally the prevailing wholesale 

 (jobbing) prices at 8:00 a. m. These reports are 

 telegraphed to Washington, summarized and edited, 

 and rewired to the various markets where repre- 

 sentatives are stationed, with the result that printed 

 bulletins are issued and distributed simultaneously 

 about 1 p. m. of the same day from all these 

 offices. Some idea of the size of the service may be 

 secured when it is understood that over 3,000,000 

 bulletins were distributed last season to over 50,000 

 per,sons located in more than thirty states. 



Altho it is estimated that only 10 per cent of the 

 honey crop is distributed in car-lot quantities, it is 

 claimed that prices for the local movement depend to 

 a large extent upon the commercial price. An accu- 

 rate and unbiased report of prevailing prices in the 

 larger markets should do much to prevent specula- 

 tion, steady the market, and tend to eliminate the un- 

 fortunate practice of throwing the entire output 

 upon the market at the opening of the season, with 

 the resultant drop in prices and serious scarcity 

 later in the season. 



It is impossible at this time to state definitely the 

 exact form in which the proposed honey reports will 

 be issued, as representatives of the Department are 

 now visiting the larger markets and interviewing 

 members of the trade, representative producers, and 

 editors of beekeeping journals to ascertain the exact 

 information which is needed, the frequency with 

 which the reports should be issued and other essen- 

 tial details. It appears probable, however, that the 

 reports wnll be issued semi-weekly, weekly, or even 

 bi-weekly, as daily reports are not essential as in the 

 case of perishable fruits and vegetables. In con- 

 tents they will follow closely the bulletins now being 

 issued which have just been described. The service 

 will be started about July 1, and the information 

 will be made public thru the newspapers and bee- 

 keeper.s' journals as well as by separate bulletins by 

 mail to all interested persons who request the in- 

 formation. All inquiries should be addressed to 

 Charles J. Brand, Chief, Office of Markets and Rural 

 Organization U. S. Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



