318 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



May, 1922 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



bai-e all winter. We were just a little pes- 

 simistic about coming through, as we had 

 some very soft weather, as well as some cold 

 enough to send the frost down about four 

 feet, and the ground bare of snow. 



Center Junction, Iowa. W. S. Pangburn. 

 « * • 



In "W^isCOnsin ^^^^ indications are that 



the beekeeping situation 

 in Wisconsin is normal plus. There has been 

 very little snow in the southern part of the 

 state, but the clover does not seem to have 

 been seriously injured. Most of the bee- 

 keepers with whom we have talked seem to 

 feel that their bees are in unusually good 

 condition. Few bees have died from dysen- 

 tery, and the losses are due mostly to star- 

 vation. Bees wintered out-of-doors have 

 used an unusually large amount of stores, 

 Ijresumably because of the mild weather. 



The situation in the northern part of the 

 state is even more favorable than in the 

 southern part. The entire northern section 

 has been covered with a blanket of snow to 

 a depth of several feet, and, as a result, the 

 bees wintered out-of-doors have had excel- 

 lent protection. 



The clover should be in excellent shape 

 due to the heavy snow fall and subsequent 

 protection from periods of freezing and 

 thawing. A cold spell of about a week's du- 

 ration occurred the latter part of March, 

 which held the buds back in the southern 

 part of the state and also to some extent 

 the development of the bees. As brood-rear- 

 ing began quite early and the bees had no 

 opportunity to get pollen in the field, there 

 is some chance that a good many colonies 

 have been reduced by spring-dwindling on 

 account of being unable to rear brood as 

 fast as the old bees died off. If the bees 

 have been given proper protection during 

 April and we have a little well-timed rain 

 in the summer, this should be a banner year 

 for Wisconsin. 



In spite of the low price of honey, the in- 

 terest in beekeeping does not seem to be 

 lacking,- and quite a number of new bee- 

 keepers are making a start. The attendance 

 of beekeepers at local association meetings 

 during the winter has been very good and 

 the spirit of co-operation seems to be in- 

 ■ creasing. More and more of the Wisconsin 

 beekeepers are becoming interested and are 

 making an effort to do some advertising. 



Madison, Wis. H. F. Wilson. 



* * * 



In Ontario. The latter end of March 



was colder than the first 

 two weeks of the month here in Ontario; 

 and possibly that condition Avas better for 

 the bees than if the weather had been warm- 

 er, as vegetation was held back, lessening 

 danger from frosts at a later date. .Speaking 

 generally for Ontario, based on reports from 



many jsarts of the province, I would say that 

 prospects are above the average, so far as 

 clover is concerned. Last year clover made 

 a rank growth and, from what I can learn, 

 the strong root growth saved the plants even 

 in localities like our own here in York 

 County where there was but little snow all 

 winter. 



I have just returned from a visit to our 

 Simcoe County yards where the clover has 

 been covered well all winter. The clover 

 and wheat just uncovered appear about as 

 green as they did last fall. As to the bees, 

 judging from our own apiaries and from re- 

 ports from others, they have also wintered 

 above the average. While at the Simcoe 

 County yards I made a superficial examina- 

 tion of each colony, being concerned only 

 as to whether stores were present in all 

 cases. Among the 300 colonies there, not 

 a single one that had been normal last fall 

 is dead. About a half-dozen hives were 

 without any live bees; but an examination 

 showed that the colonies had been queenless 

 last fall when packed for winter, as the hives 

 were heavy with honey, very few dead bees 

 were in evidence, and there were no signs 

 of brood. This may seem like an evidence 

 of carelessness — packing away a few queen- 

 less colonies in the fall, but I am free to 

 confess that it happens each season. Run- 

 ning a large number of bees is a different 

 proposition from confining one's attention 

 to a single apiary, and, in our case at least, 

 we always expect a few things like I have 

 just mentioned, to be charged up to profit 

 and loss. 



Last week I was in Toronto and Avhile 

 there I made inquiries as to the condition 

 of the honey market. I found little evidence 

 of much honey in hands of dealers, and one 

 well-known handler of honey told me that 

 the demand was then the best that he had 

 experienced since last year's crop came on 

 the market. Witli the market well cleaned 

 up of old honey, at least one factor is favor- 

 able to the disposition of the crop we hope 

 to produce this year. With bees wintering 

 well and prospects good for clover, perhaps 

 we might need the aid of the proposed co- 

 operative association earlier than some of 

 us liave believed. Latest reports from Sec- 

 retary Millen of Guelph informs me that a 

 cliarter is being taken out and the beekeep- 

 ers of the province will have an opportunity 

 to subscribe for stock before this year's 

 crop is harvested. 



Two cars of package bees and nuclei have 

 been ordered by the Ontario association for 

 the benefit of its members. These cars are 

 to arrive about May 1st. In addition to 

 getting the bees for members of the associa- 

 tion, Secretary Millen and his staff are also 

 handling supplies and containers for the 

 members. 



Markham, Ont. J. L. Byer. 



