GLEANINGS IN BEE U 1. T U K E 



@) FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



one factor is removed that has a tendency 

 to bring on late cold spells. 



Reports on clover are quite varied. Yes- 

 teiday I met Mr. Sibbald, who operates a 

 lot of bees in Peel County just west of York 

 County, where we live. He reports alsike 

 as looking well, while here in our district 

 all fields are damaged, and at least 50 per 

 cent of the acreage ruined. A trip up the 

 Midland line this week revealed the fact 

 that the damage is very heavy to clover all 

 the way from our place to Coldwater — 

 some 75 miles. Around Beayerton where 

 land is flat and the soil is a heavy clay, an 

 extensive farmer told me that hardly an 

 acre is left. Indeed the fields along the 

 railway plainly showed the great damage 

 done. I have no idea how general this con- 

 dition is, but, so far as we arc concerned, 

 clover offers the poorest prospects for some 

 years. Some have said that sweet clover 

 will not "heave" out in the spring, but 

 the contrary is nearer the truth. A mile 

 north of us there is a field of sweet clover 

 that was a mat of rank growth last fall. A 

 few days ago no evidence of life could be 

 seen from the road, so I stopped to see 

 what was wrong. Practically every plant 

 was heaved right up out of the ground and 

 lying dead among the ^ .ibble. Many of 

 the roots were 10 inches long, but the free/, 

 ing by night and thawing by daytime had 

 lifted' them out, root and branch. This 

 field is rather low and the soil is of a nature 

 that causes idover to heave more readily 

 than on highk" land, so I am hoping th:it 

 lields more favorably .situated n-ny bo nil 

 right. 



Alsike clover stand.s the spring test bet- 

 tor than sweet clover or red clover, owing 

 to the different nature of its roots; but, this 

 year much of the alsike is ruined. 



There is considerable interest here in On- 

 tario iu the Honey Producers' League and 

 its development will be watched with inter- 

 est. With falling prices in sight, and reports 

 of good wintering general, producers on a 

 commercial scale are beginning to woiidei 

 just what we may expect should we have 

 a bumper crop. Sugar is firmer than earlier 

 in the season, with prospects at least of be- 

 ing no cheaper for some time, if wholesalers 

 have the right "dope" on the matter. Fair 

 ly dear sugar may have a stabilizing effect 

 on honey prices to a certain extent — just 

 how fjM- is a debatable question. For the 

 past five years it has not been a question of 

 selling, but rather of producing. Who 

 knows but that these conditions may be re- 

 versed for the next five years? Here in 

 Ontario we have practically no organiza- 

 tion at all, and, in my opinion, we never 

 will until slow and low markets force us to 

 do something. Personally, I am not strong 

 on many phases of this organization ques- 

 tion, but one of our greatest needs is for 



■A more equitable distribution of our prod- 

 uct. In years of varied crops, that is, with 

 heavy yields in some parts of the province 

 and little honey in another part, I have 

 known honey to go almost begging for a 

 .sale; while, less than 200 miles away, eou- 

 sumeis could not get what they desired even 

 at a much higher price than honey was 

 bringing where the crop was good. 



Markham, Out. J. L. Byer. 



In North Carolina.— ^''X ^'"'':r^" 



of Terra Ceia, 

 Beaufort County, chosen president at the 

 January meeting in Wilmington, has an ag- 

 gressive program of activities for the North 

 Carolina Beekeepers' Association foi the 

 current year, including particularly an ex- 

 change for the benefit of the membership. 

 This has for its parpose the listing with the 

 secretary, by members, of honey and bees 

 they have for sale. Any members wishing 

 to buy honey for their local trade, or bees 

 to increase their apiaries, can also register 

 with the secretary, so that those having 

 surplus and those wanting to sell can be 

 put in communication with each other. It 

 is believed that a very great benefit will 

 result. 



There is a strong sentiment among the 

 association membership for a state-wide 

 campaign for impressing upon the house- 

 keepers the great and practically indispen- 

 sable value of honey as a food, one that 

 should be on every dining table every day 

 of the year. If this is worked out as is 

 being recommended, the State Association 

 will arrange for special articles and adver- 

 tisements in the State press, and the local 

 beekeepers will follow up with advertise- 

 ments of their special products in their local 

 papers. 



The 1921 spring season has opened u|i in 

 H remarkably auspicious manner, so far as 

 prime condition of bees and the promise of 

 abundant honey flows are concerned. Bee 

 keepers have been especially busy for weeks 

 seeing that colonies are in condition for 

 maximum growth and that supers are ready 

 for swift installation as the hive require- 

 ments develop. 



State Bee Specialist C. L. Sams has been 

 making the rounds of the different sections 

 of the State this spring with all possible 

 speed and is scheduled for the southeastern, 

 or Wilmington -Goldsboro section the week 

 of April 5-15. Wherever it is possible to 

 arrange for them there are demonstrations 

 in transferring bees from the gum and box 

 hives to standard hives, and lectures and 

 demonstrations in bee-yards are arranged 

 practically everywhere he goes. In this way 

 the passing of the old gum and box hives is 

 being materially liastened. 



Wilmington, N. C. W. J. Martin. 



