NUVK.MISKK, llCJd 



(i L K A N 1 X G S IN BEE CULTURE 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



liigher prices are being; obtained where the 

 sales arc in small lots and special packages 

 to dealers or consumers. The gum and box- 

 liive beekeepers are getting only l^Vi cents 

 per pound for tlieir " squeezed " honey, and 

 tlieir realization of this big difference in the 

 market value of tlieir product is helping 

 mightily to (piicken serious thought on the 

 necessity of getting the bees into standard 

 hives and giving them proper attention. 



The gum and box-hive beekeepers had 

 another " food for thought '' coming to 

 them this summer in the fact that the late 

 August scorching sun melted doAvu many 

 combs, entailing not only the loss of bees 

 and much honey, but endangering entire 

 apiaries thru consequent robbing. At the 

 same time there were apiaries with standard 

 hives that took the hot sun with ]ierfect 

 safety — this in spite of the fact that the 

 standard hives would be right out in the 

 open without shade and the gums and box- 

 hives in neighboring beenyards had board 

 shelters or other extra covering. 



Announcement is made in Gleanings that 

 honey is proved to possess that elusive and 

 most vitalizing property, vitamines — the 

 growth principle — thereby adding yet an- 

 other powerful claim that honey has for 

 place on every well-balanced as well as 

 bountifully supplied dining table in the 

 country. This greatly enthuses the North 

 Carolina beekeepers and stirs them to extra 

 effort to get their delicious product more 

 generally and more forcibly before the pub- 

 lic as a real food necessitj^, as well as a 

 most appetizing and healthful sweet. 



The most general preparations for ex- 

 hibits of bees and honey are under way for 

 the State fair at Ealeigh, and many of 

 the county and district fairs are co-ming in 

 for special displays that arc accorded prem- 

 iums and special prizes. 



Wilmington, N. 0. W. J. .Martin. 



* * » 



In Ontario. -^ ^'}'>' f »«""/« ^'^'^J 



drawing to a close and 

 beekeepers see a breathing space ahead in 

 near future, for apiary work in our part 

 of the country is pretty well over by No- 

 vember 1. Personally we have had the 

 busiest season we have ever experienced, 

 not necessarily because of very large crops, 

 but more bees were handled than in other 

 seasons, and the lateness of crop also 

 crowded things quite lively in an effort to 

 get whiter honey off before buckwheat 

 yielded. Each season has its peculiarities 

 and the past one was no e.vception. Alsikc 

 lias always been our main source in the 

 home section, but this year, like last season, 

 it yielded little nectar. When hopes were 

 about abandoned for a crop of white honey, 

 sweet clover, grown for first time in quan- 

 tities around our apiaries in the home sec- 

 tion, yielded very bounteously — in fact, at 



two yards we got record crops so far as our 

 past experience is concerned. Buckwheat 

 later was a failure, but red clover gave us 

 the first real surplus we have ever had from 

 that source. Then again, at five yards 

 southeast of Hamilton where alsike is also 

 grown in abundance and is the main source 

 of honey, here as at the home yards it 

 yielded little honey and things looked bad 

 indeed for a wiiile. But for the first time 

 in our experience, alfalfa gave us a sur- 

 plus of about 60 pounds per colony. Sure- 

 ly, as I have often claimed, beekeeping is 

 a gamble all right. From general reports 

 from over the Province, I am inclined to 

 believe that the crop is much better than 

 we thought at close of flow, as many locali- 

 ties where clover failed secured a nice sur- 

 plus from basswood later on. Prices seem 

 to have a downward tendency, largely caus- 

 ed by quite heavy importations of New Zea- 

 land honey, which is being laid down at a 

 price much lower than our product was 

 bringing. Then again, there is that feeling 

 that "anything may happen," and dealers 

 are very loath to buy large supplies even 

 at prices they are willing to pay for small 

 lots. As a consequence, very few have dis- 

 posed of the bulk of their crop, at date of 

 writing. BuckAvheat is particularly slow 

 of sale at this w-riting, many dealers refus- 

 ing to quote at all. 



As to the sweet clover situation, hun- 

 dreds of acres are sown all around us here 

 in York and Ontario counties for another 

 season; but, owing to a great slump in sweet 

 clover seed prices, it is doubtful as to what 

 will be done with present acreage. Some 

 predict that most of it will be either plow- 

 ed under or used for pasture next summer, 

 and in either case it does not look as tho 

 the bees will profit much from it another 

 year. Possibly we have had our first and 

 last crop of sweet clover honey. As to 

 quality, I for one do not like it nearly as 

 well as real good alsike or white clover, 

 but many fortunately do not agree with my 

 taste and think it is fine. Anyway we 

 thought it fine this year when alsike fail- 

 ed, as it stepped in and so generously filled 

 up the supers for us. 



It is announced that the Ontario Hee 

 keepers' Association will hold the annual 

 meeting at Guelph late in the year. This 

 will be the first time for many years that 

 it has not been held in Toronto. The open- 

 ing of the new apicultural building at the 

 Agricultural College is the announced ex- 

 cuse for changing the place of meeting. 

 What comment I have heard so far from 

 beekeepers is not very favorable to change, 

 as fear is expressed that the hotel accom- 

 modations will not be adequate. But, no 

 doubt. Sec. Milieu will do his best to see 

 that such fears are unfounded. 



Markham, Ont. J. h. Byer. 



