OCTOBKH, 1917 



G L E A N I N a « IK B E ]•; C U L T U K !•: 



AVERY im- 

 p r t a nt 

 m e a s ure 

 was adopted at 

 the meeting of the State Beekeepers' Asso- 

 ciation heki last August. A resolution was 

 I3resented and adopted by the meeting to 

 affiliate tlie Texas Beekeepers' Association 

 with the Texas Honey Producers' Associa- 

 tion. As the matter now stands, the Texas 

 Beekeepers' Association of the past is the 

 Educational Section of the Texas Honey 

 Producers' Association, now affiliated with 

 the Texas Farmers' Congress. Under this 

 plan the Honey Producers' Association be- 

 comes the business section of the new associ- 

 ation. The arguments presented in favor 

 of this new affiliation were that, since the 

 membership of the two associations was now 

 almost identical, that since the honey-pro- 

 ducers would have a program at Farmers' 

 Congress next year, that since the two as- 

 sociations were now working for a common 

 good, the improvement of the industry in 

 the state, it would only be wise to unite 

 and work as one association. 



From a state-wide view point the honey 

 and apiary conditions have improved dur- 

 ing the past month. In several localities 

 much needed rains have fallen, and in one 

 locality too much rain is reported. Over 

 the southwest section the drouth still pre- 

 vails. 



In the lower Rio Grande Valley the con- 

 dition of the bees is above normal. Several 

 of the fall honey-producing plants have 

 come into bloom, and considerable honey is 

 now coming in. The prospects for a fall 

 crop of white honey are good. But little 

 honey has been offered for sale, and this en- 

 tirely for local trade. The price for ex- 

 tracted honey is 15 cents per pound. 



In south Texas the condition of the bees 

 is far below normal, but there is an im- 

 provement since the last report. The bees 

 have plenty of honey in the brood-nest, and 

 a small amount of surplus. None of this 

 honey in the super will be taken, as it will 

 be needed for the bees to build up on next 

 spring. If good rains occur later there 

 may be a fall flow of honey from white 

 brush. No honey is offered for sale in 

 this section. 



In the southern part of the southwest 

 section the condition of the bees is almost 

 normal. The bees have filled the brood- 

 chambers and have stored some surplus — in 

 some localities enough to take off some for 

 market. The source of this honey is cotton 

 and mesquite. If there sliould be any fall 

 flow of honev the bees will be in excellent 



IN TEXAS 



F. B. Paddock, State Entomologist 



c n d i t ion lo 

 gather it. No 

 honey has been 

 offered for sale, 

 and undoubtedly but lidle will be put on the 

 market later. In the western part of tliis 

 section of the state the condition of the 

 bees is not over 40 per cent normal. Thru- 

 out the entire area there are no prospects 

 for a fall flow of honey. Naturally no 

 honey has been offered for sale in th's 

 locality. 



In west-central Texas the condition of 

 the bees is not more than 40 per cent 

 normal. A short cotton flow is expected to 

 jdeld enough honey to keep the bees from 

 starving. 



In the irrigated alfalfa areas of the ex- 

 treme western section of the state the bees 

 have done unusually well this season. Al- 

 ready large quantities of extracted honey 

 have been taken, and only about three-fifths 

 of the crop is harvested. Local prices for 

 extracted honey prevail at 15 cents per 

 pound. 



In the eastern section the condition of 

 the bees is normal, and prospects for a fall 

 flow of honey are fair. Some honey has 

 already been offered for sale on the local 

 market at 15 cents per i:)ound for extracted 

 and 20 cents for bulk comb. 



In central Texas the bees are only about 

 25 per cent normal. Unless fall rains occur 

 there are no prospects for a fall fiow of 

 honey, which means that the bees will not 

 even have •the brood-chambers full of honey 

 to go into the winter with. There has been 

 no local honey offered for sale. 



Conditions are somewhat better in north- 

 central Texas, altho the bees have not fully 

 recovered from the early summer drouth. 

 Extracting is under way. But little honey 

 has yet been offered for sale, the price be- 

 ing 15 cents per pound for extracted. 



In northeastern Texas the bees are in 

 excellent condition, and there are good pros- 

 pects for a fall flow of honey. Extracting 

 has just started. Extracted honey is selling 

 in the local market for 15 cents per pound, 

 altho but little has yet been offered. 



The usual appeal is being made by Mr. 

 T. P. Robinson, of Bartlett, the Superin- 

 tendent of the Apiary Exhibit, for the bee- 

 keepers of the state to send exiiibits to the 

 Dallas State Fair. Mr. Robinson tells of 

 the inci'eased interest by visitors of the fair 

 in the apiarian exhibit. He says the edu- 

 cational value of these exhibits is not fully 

 realized by many beekeepers of the state. 

 Too many are satisfied with a local demand 

 for their honey cro]) at a figure far too 



