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(} Tj K A N T N G S IN BE V) C U L T IT R ]-; 



OCTOBICR, 1922 



the winter, the quality of tlie winter stores 

 makes but little if any difference in the 

 way the bees winter; but, in the extreme 

 northern portion of the United States and in 

 Canada, successful wintering hinges largely 

 upon having perfect winter stores. For this 

 reason many northern beekeepers feed each 

 colony at least 15 pounds of sugar syrup in 

 October, regardless of how much honey is 

 already in the hive. 



AS our readers already know, the statistics 

 on bees and honey production, gathered by 



the United 

 Department of Agricul- 

 ture Wants Statistics 

 on Bees and Honey. 



States Cen- 

 sus, are in- 

 c o m J) 1 ete, 

 since the 

 farm schedule asked each farmer for the 

 number of bees on his farm, and the special 

 town schedule did not include questions on 

 bees and honey. Many of the out-apiaries 

 kept on small rented tracts in out-of-the 

 way places were missed because the owners 

 live in towns or cities. Probably most of 

 the bees in towns were missed by the enum- 

 erators, because the town schedule did not 

 mention bees or honey. The Census pro- 

 vision that "any tract of land containing 

 less than three acres and which produced at 

 least 250 dollars ' worth of farm products 

 in the year 1919, or required for its agricul- 

 tural operations the continuous services of 

 at least one person shall be reported as a 

 farm" may have resulted in the listing of 

 some town apiaries as well as some out- 

 apiaries whose owners live in town. It is 

 apparent that the proportion of colonies of 

 bees listed by the enumerators must vary 

 for different parts of the country according 

 to whether the population is largely rural 

 or urban, and also according to the degree 

 of specialization in beekeeping in the lo- 

 cality. It would, therefore, be difficult to 

 make an estimate of the actual number of 

 colonies and production of honey from the 

 Census figures alone. 



The Crop Reporting Division of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture is now collecting 

 figures to determine the proportion of bees 

 and honey production recorded by the census 

 enumerators for various parts of the country, 

 in order to obtain figures on the actual pro- 

 duction of honey and the number of colo- 

 nies in this country. Our readers can assist 

 the Department of Agriculture in obtaining 

 tliese figures, as explained in the following 

 letter: 



(ileiiiiiiiKs in Bee Culture, Medina, Oliio. 



Gentlemen: — Enclosed you will find a copy of a 

 si)ecial inquiry lieing sent out by this Bureau, 

 which will be self-explanatory. In iindertaking 

 this inquiry, it is hoped to get the consensus of 

 oijinion of the best-informed producers and all ele- 

 ments of the trade who may be able to furnish in- 

 formation. The inquiry is sjoingr to the regular 

 lists of this Bureau but we should be pleased if 

 you might find it possible to i)ublish it, with an in- 

 vitation to those of your readers who are not 

 regularly reporting to the B^ireau, to give their 

 opinion of a portion or all of a county or larger 



area and to furnish any special information bear- 

 ing on the problem. Answers numbered to corre- 

 spond with the questions asked is all that will be 

 necessary. The questions need not be repeated. 

 Reports may be addressed simply to the Crop Re- 

 porting Division, Department of Agriculture, Wash- 

 ington, D. C. 



We shall appreciate any information you your- 

 self may be able to give us. 



We are making this request of all of the bee 

 .iournals. Very truly yours, 



LEON M. ESTABROOK, 

 Associate Chief of Bureau, in Charge Division of 

 Crop and Live Stock Estimates. 



Washington, D. C, July 31, 1922. 



Following is the list of questions: 



1. What per cent of all colonies of bees in your 

 county in 1919 were kept in such manner that 

 they would likely have been recorded Ijy the Cen- 

 sus enumerator? Ans per cent. 



2. What per cent of all colonies in your county 

 in 1919" were held in town or kept by commer- 

 cial beekeepers or others in such manner or 

 place that they would likely not have been re- 

 corded by the Census enumerators ! Ans iier 



cent. 



3. What per cent of all honey produced in your 

 county in 1919 would likely have been recorded 

 by the Census enumerators? Ans per cent. 



4. What per cent of all honey produced in your 

 county in 1919 would likely not have been re- 

 corded by the Census enumerator! Ans per 



cent. 



.5. If you live in town, how many colonies of 

 liees do you keep there or in out-apiaries? Ans. . . . 

 .... number. 



6. If you live in the country, how many colo- 

 nies do you keeiJ ? Ans number. 



7. Were your colonies recorded by the Census 

 enumerator ? Ans 



8. About how many pounds of honey do you 

 produce in an average year? Ans pounds. 



9. What per cent of your honey is usually sold? 

 Ans per cent. 



Here is an opportunity to help in securing 

 dependable figures as to the magnitude of 

 the beekeeping industry in this country. The 

 more replies to these questions that are sent 

 in, the more nearly accurate will the figures 

 compiled from them be. We urge our readers 

 to send in replies at once, addressing the let- 

 ter to the Crop Reporting Division, Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 



A NEW term is creeping into the bee lit- 

 erature of this count^3^ Beekepers are now 



talking 

 An Automatic Feeder about the 

 for Winter and Spring. ' ' food cham- 



ber. "Will 

 the beehive of the future be made up of a 

 brood-chamber, a food chamber, and the su- 

 pers ? 



More and more beekeepers are learning the 

 great value of leaving more stores in the 

 hive than has formerly been practiced in 

 this countrJ^ Some do this by feeding or by 

 putting combs of honey from the extract- 

 ing-super dowu into the brood-chamber, some 

 by using a larger brood-chamber, and some 

 by using a separate cliamber for the food. 

 This food chamber becomes a part of the 

 l)rood-cliamber during the spring brood- 

 rearing period, but later it is filled with 

 honey while located above a queen-excluder 

 to insure sufficient stores for winter. 



