Ski-tkmher, 1920 



fi I. K A N T X (^ S IN H K K C U I. T V K 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



Texas is extracted soon after it is ileposited. 

 This practice is brought about by a desire 

 to jjet along without a large supply of supers 

 and to get the honey on the market at once. 

 With all its good points, this method causes 

 the i)roduction of much poor honey, brought 

 about by the extraction of thin, partly evai)- 

 orated nectar. This is especially true in tlie 

 locations where horsemint is dominant. The 

 other and most vital drawback is the glut- 

 ting of the market by the heavy supply of 

 new honey offered. This yeav, even tho 

 enormous quantities of honey were produced, 

 it was sold early. In fact, but little of this 

 year's crop is now in the beekeeper's hands. 

 The price has held its own, thanks to the 

 Honey Producers' Association. 



There never was a time when there was 

 greater activity among the beemen in Texas. 

 This movement is not a boom caused by a 

 lot of new^ men rushing into the business on 

 account of two successful years of honey 

 production, but it is brought about by the 

 constant demand for honey, queens, and 

 comblcss-package bees. A large number of 

 men, already well known as sellers of bees 

 and bee products, are planning to double 

 their production next season. Likewise, 

 many small beekeepers have made an in- 

 crease and will have both honey and live 

 bees for sale in quantities. To keep apace 

 with the demand for bee fixtures, the deal- 

 ers in standard fixtures liave had to increase 

 their facilities for distribution and a num- 

 ber of branch houses have been establislied. 

 The hopeful ]>art of this activity is that it is 

 hacked l>v capital and experience. 



("ollege" Station, Tex. H. B. Parks. 



In North Carolina. --The bees are now 



enjoying a light 

 How from a variety of midsummer nectar 

 yielding plants, especially in the eastern 

 jiart of the State, wiiere there is rarely an 

 absolute dearth ot honey-producing fowers 

 iluring spring, summer, or autumn. 



Reports fron every section of the State 

 show one of the very best seasons beekeeper.s 

 have had ii: a decade, and the fine progress 

 that has been made in advancing methods 

 and equipment "in beekeeping assures far anil 

 .•iv.ay the ligirest honey crop that North 

 Carolina has ever had. Specific reports as 

 to yields are not yet available as a general 

 thing, but yields of 100 to 200 pounds for 

 colonies in normal condition are genera'. 

 There are cases, under exceptional con.ii 

 tions, where a single colunv has gathered 

 300 pounds and more. 



Beekeepers in the coastal section of the 

 State, where the gallberry is a fruitful 

 source of a fine quality of Iioney, had Uic 



disadvantage of havi-ig this- bloom badly 

 injured by severe cold and light frost in the 

 early stages of the development of the flora 

 and this reduced considerably their crop, 

 which, was, nevertheless, very satisfactory 

 in the matter of product. 



Prices are hardly establis'ied here yet. 

 Twenty to 22^^ cents per pound, wher»3 the 

 producer's whole crop is sold, seem t.) bfc 

 the prevailing prices. Of course, in STiall 

 sales and sales of extra-fancy product in 

 lesser quantities, considerably higher prices 

 are the rule — from 35 to 50 cents for fancy 

 comb and 30 cents and upward for extract- 

 ed. Much honey is still put on the market 

 in unattractive and unsanitary packages, 

 and these bring very low prices that make 

 the sale of the better prepared honey at the 

 ncoessarily higher prices somewhat diflfieu't, 

 and will continue to do so, until the trade 

 comes to appreciate the extra desirability 

 of the more carefully handled product. Es- 

 pt'cially is this true of section comb honey, 

 the great bulk of which is still put on the 

 market unprotected by cardboard cartons or 

 otherwise from dust and microbe contamina- 

 tion so inevitable where comb is handled and 

 exposed for sale in this condition. 



Numbers of beekeepers who have prac- 

 ticed swarm control and prevented any form 

 of increase during the honey flows are now 

 preparing to divide their stronger colonies, 

 providing new and most prolific queens, with 

 a view to preparing to increase greatly their 

 1921 yield of honej-. The great majority, 

 however, will operate their bees right thru 

 the fall flora for honey, and possibly these 

 will gather a third more honey before late 

 November frosts close the season, and force 

 the bees into winter status. 



Beekeepers in this State are being urged 

 by the officers of the State and Federal bee- 

 keepers ' extension service to gather at the 

 A. & E. College, Raleigh, August 23-28, for 

 a beekeepers' extension school, to be in 

 jirogress there under direction of Entomolo- 

 gist Z. P. Metcalf. The entire program is 

 full of the most interesting and vital fea- 

 tures for the aggressive beekeeper. For in- 

 stance, the session for Aug. 27 has for spe- 

 cial subjects: "Behavior of Bees in Swarm- 

 ing, "' "Swarm Control," "Beekeeping 

 Regions in North Carolina," and "Charac- 

 teristics of American and European Foul 

 Brood." These topics are to be treated by 

 experts in pointed and brief presentations of 

 their respective subjects. The other two 

 days are to be crowded with features just 

 as profitable. Special effort is being made 

 to get together the biggest gathering of bee- 

 keepers North Carolina, has yet had. 



Wilmington, N. C. AV. J. Martin. 



