GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



July, 1922 



a FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



Jj^ ^^[^ In northern Utah and south- 

 ern Idaho the winter was 

 much more severe than usual; deep snow 

 and continued cold lasted for months, and 

 the winter loss of bees was greater than 

 last year. Spring was late but opened very 

 favorably for the bees, fruit, dandelion and 

 willow blooming profusely and yielding 

 well. Swarming began in May, but the 

 weather turned dry and cool about the 

 twenty-fifth of the month, so we are now 

 having a lean spell during the interim be- 

 tween the spring bloom and alfalfa, which 

 will be on in ten days more. 



There is not so much sweet clover as last 

 season; but the alfalfa weevil seems to 

 have worn itself out, so the condition and 

 acreage of alfalfa are at least 120% above 

 the last five-year average. 



The law in Utah, compelling people to 

 keep their bees in modern hives, is being 

 enforced, and many box-hive men are sell- 

 ing their old box liives at $2 each, rather 

 than buy supplies at the present price. This 

 will help to remove the menace from Ameri- 

 can foul brood. 



Last year's honey crop seems well cleaned 

 up in this section of the country. There is 

 some local inquiry even this early. Our lo- 

 cal markets have greatly improved since the 

 war. I have a local market that will take 

 at least 20 tons. M. A. Gill. 



Hyrum, Utah. 



* * » 



Jj^ Indiana. Since writing the last time 



and giving such emphatic 

 warning to every one that they must feed 

 or lose their bees, conditions have taken a 

 turn for the better, and the fellow who de- 

 pended on luck and didn 't feed his bees 

 came out all right after all, for we have 

 had the most favorable spring I have ever 

 seen in Indiana for building up weak colo- 

 nies and favorable also for colonies short 

 of stores. 



The failure of the pollen early in the 

 season caused brood-rearing to begin late; 

 but, when the peach orchards in this part 

 came into bloom, brood-rearing came on 

 with a rush and colonies are in splendid 

 condition. Everything seemed to yield nec- 

 tar this spring — peaches, pears, apples, tu- 

 pelo and the tulip tree; but, when the time 

 came for the bloom of alsike and white 

 clover, these refused to give up their nec- 

 tar in more than a light stimulative flow. 



The aphids are extremely bad in the 

 orchards, and the oak trees are covered with 

 them. We therefore had a steadily stimu- 

 lative flow from honeydew. Many who 

 keep colonies in the regular single-story 

 eight-frame hive report from 75 to 90 per 

 cent swarming. My Jumbo hives or two- 

 story ten -frame have east no swarms ex- 

 cept one or two superseding ones. Sweet clo- 

 ver is just coming into bloom, and it prom- 



ises the best crop in years. Those who have 

 managed their bees properly and kept down 

 swarming, have colonies exceptionally 

 strong. However few have done this. 



I am running a small outyard about three 

 miles away where there are several hundred 

 acres of sweet clover, grown for seed. Some 

 of the colonies were so strong that it was 

 necessary to put on three supers before any 

 lioney was coming in, but now that the flow 

 is on it keeps one busy putting on supers. 

 If the weather is as favorable as it promises, 

 I shall have more to say later about this 

 experimental outyard. So far the weather 

 has been ideal in every respect for the 

 growth of smartweed, and the prospect is 

 bright for a big crop, although a few weeks 

 of hot, dry weather in July and August can 

 change this prospect very suddenly. 



There are a few trial patches of Hubam 

 clover which the beekeepers in this vicinity 

 are watcliing with interest. As it has had 

 so much said both for and against it, we 

 all want to see for ourselves. The question 

 of overstocking is one of the most baffling 

 of all questions. As far as I can tell at 

 present, my bees in the home yard seem to 

 be working as well on the sweet clover in 

 a field three miles away as the ones are 

 that I have moved right down in the center. 

 The ones in the field certainly have a big 

 advantage over those that have to carry it 

 three miles if thej^ only know it; but many 

 of them seem to think there is better pick- 

 ing a couple of miles away, for they circle 

 high in the air and start off as though going 

 on a long journey. Some will turn down a 

 300-acre patcli of sweet clover dripping with 

 nectar, right close to their hives, and fly 

 three miles to get a little pollen from a 

 seed onion! If I could have my way, things 

 would not be thus; but if I could, what 

 would Ave do for onions? 



Vincennes, Ind. Jay Smith. 



In Michigan. 



As this is written the 

 prospect for a large 

 honey crop in northern Michigan was never 

 better; however it is a matter of rain, 

 winds and sunshine, as our early prospects 

 are nearly always good. The season is 

 somewhat earlier and the bloom abundant, 

 Avith scale colonies showing 10 to 12 pound'? 

 per day, and good weather should give us 

 a good white-honey crop. 



The last year's crop has all been sold, 

 and the market should be strong for the 

 first white-comb honey, as only odds and 

 ends of combs, principally dark, are in the 

 stocks of the merchants. The demand for 

 extracted honey follows tlie comb a few 

 weeks later and extends tlirough the Avin- 

 ter. 



I can see no reason why beekeepers should 

 not get the price the last of 1921 Avliite stock 

 sold for. White sugar is Ioav in price and 



