July. 1917 



aLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



549 



futiu'e '^ advance notices " in Gleanings 

 unless sure of being' al)le to deliver the 

 goods. We don't blame i)eui)le for writing 

 for information, and we don't i)ositively dis- 

 like writing replies, but it is even possible 

 to get too much of a good thing. 



CAN EUROPEAN FOUL UKOOD BE QUARANTINED f 



On page 47/5, June issue, C. F. Bender 

 says that he has entirely eradicated Europe- 

 an foul brood from his vicinity by using 

 the Alexander treatment in conjunction with 

 a plan of his own — moving infected colonies 

 as fast as discovered to a Cjuaiantine yard 

 not nearer than two miles from the nearest 

 be:.'s and then treating them at once. He 

 would have some dilliculty in using the 

 latter plan if he lived in many sections of 

 Ontario. Oertainly we could tind no place 

 near us that had no bees within two miles of 

 it. Fjuro})ean foul brood is rapidly spread- 

 ing in Ontario, and it looks as tlio a good 

 many of us in the near future will have 

 more experimental knowledge of this dis- 

 ease than in the past. That we can all be 

 as successful as Mr. Bender in combating 

 this i^lague is my earnest wish. 



WHAT CONSTITUTES A FAIR PRICE FOR 

 HONEY? 



From what evidence it is possible to ob- 

 tain, it looks as tho the '16 crop of honey 

 in Ontario is about all gone. As stated in 

 the last lot of " Notes," some iirms are tiy- 

 ing to buy the new crop in advance. I have 

 heard of no sales being made, and as a 

 rule the beekeepeis are not keen for taking 

 a chance when there is so much uncertainty 

 in the air. Almost every letter reaching me 



speaks of the nece.ssiti/ of getting a higher 

 |)rice for honey than in the past, and 1 be- 

 lieve that the g'i'eat majority only want a 

 fair figure for their produce. What con- 

 stitutes a fa:r price is, of course, a debat- 

 able subject, especially if we consider the 

 price of some of the food staples at present. 

 Personally, I think there should be an in- 

 crease over last year's figures; but I do not 

 think it would be wise to try to figure on 

 such advances as have been made in bread, 

 pork, etc. So long as the different grades 

 of syrup are on the market at a low price 

 as compared with honey, there is no use of 

 unduly inflating the price of the latter; for 

 while certain classes would have the honey 

 at any price, the great mass of the peojile 

 are forced to consider their pocketbooks, 

 even if that does mean disci'imination 

 against their stomachs sometimes. 



CANS AND CANS AND CANS. 



Being told that future delivery and future 

 Ijriices were uncertain factors in the matter 

 of getting honey-tins, we gave our order 

 about six weeks ago for a few hundred tens 

 and fives as well as some sixties. We ex- 

 l^ected delivery some time in the honey sea- 

 son, as last year it was hard to get them 

 any time near the date promised. Contrary 

 to expectations the pails have come already, 

 and we have had to pile them in outbuilding's 

 wliere they will have to lie for a long time, 

 possibly for another year for all we know. 

 One consolation in having bought early is 

 tliat they have since advanced in price. 

 Should there be no crop, and should the 

 pails, be cheaper another year, even this 

 one " consolation " will disappear. 



Til E topic 

 most under 

 d i scussion 

 ?jy tlie greater 



number of beekeepers of this state is the 

 vei'y short honey croji in that section of the 

 state which usually produces the majority 

 of the total outijut of the state. 



Thruout the southwest section there is at 

 pi'esent little or no surplus honey. In the 

 south section the only prospect for a honey- 

 liow this season is from mesquite during its 

 second blooming period — from the middle 

 to the last of June. In this district there 

 will undoul)tedly be a light flow from cotton 

 in scattered areas. In the western section 

 tliere are ])r()spects for a honey-flow from 

 huajilla, catclaw, whitebrush, and mesquite. 

 In some localities it has been so dry this 

 year that bushes which usually bloom in 



IN TEXAS 



F. B. Paddock, State Entomologist 



February a r e 

 ju.st now coming 

 into bloom. In 

 tlie alfalfa sec- 

 tion the prospects are good fur at least a 

 normal honey-flow. The main crop here is 

 made late, and the bees have had an oppor- 

 tunity to build up in spite of the heavy 

 spring losses. In the south-central region 

 the horsemint has not yielded any surplus. 

 W^ith us the cultivated horsemint dried up 

 very quickly after coming into bloom. The 

 bees wei'e not able to work it over seven 

 to ten days. There is yet some wild horse- 

 mint wliicli came on later that is sulficient 

 to keep the bees from starvation. 



The cotton-flow will undoubtedly be close 

 to normal. In the north-central portion the 

 eaily flow has not been missed as much, and 

 in some section the bees are in very good 



