GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



December, 1922 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



Tj, nTexaS "^'^^ weather conditions dur- 

 ing August, September and 

 October liave been adverse to beekeeping 

 over most of the state. With the excep- 

 tion of the black-land cotton section there 

 has been no honey flow since spring. The 

 State Bureau of Markets made the an- 

 nouncement through the Associated Press 

 recently that the honey crop of Texas was 

 only 28 per cent of normal. Only two men, 

 T. W. Burleson of Waxahachie and L. R. 

 Nolan of Kerens report normal yields. 

 These men report averages of 100 pounds 

 each, all from cotton. Many beekeepers 

 have thought their bees in good shape — only 

 to find on examination they Avere Avithout 

 stores. This condition was brought about 

 by the fact that brood-rearing was heavy 

 in late August and September, and no nec- 

 tar flow accompanied it. Many beekeepers 

 report that there will be a heavy loss of 

 bees in their yards this winter. In order 

 to take advantage of all natural resources 

 before feeding, many colonies were moved 

 to the limestone hills as a flow from kinnic- 

 nic commenced the middle of September. 

 The flow lasted only a few days owing to 

 the lack of moisture, and it is doubtful if the 

 stores collected paid for the moving. At 

 the present time, light and local honey flows 

 are reported from oak galls and broom weed. 



The laboratory building of the new api- 

 cultural substation, 12 miles southeast of 

 San Antonio, is now completed, and the 

 experimental work will be well under way 

 by the first of the year. This building is of 

 brick and cement, 36 by 42 feet. It con- 

 tains office, instrument rooms and a large 

 workshop. At present the building is one- 

 storied, but it is built so that a second story 

 can be added later. This substation was 

 made possible through the efforts of the 

 beekeepers and their friends in the state 

 legislature, and it is the aim of these same 

 men to make this the largest and best- 

 equipped apicultural laboratory in the 

 world. 



E. B. Ault of Calallen made the announce- 

 ment, tlirough the state papers, of the or- 

 ganization of the Nueces Valley Apiary Co- 

 operative Association, its object being to 

 buy and sell bees, bee products and equip- 

 ment. 



It is seldom that beekeepers are interest- 

 ed in society notes, but the following are of 

 interest especially in the South. Prof. S. 

 W. Bilsing of A. and M. College, and Miss 

 Alma Merwin of Iowa were married in Sep- 

 tember. Prof. Bilsing is well known ;is the 

 foremost instructor in ;ipiculture in colleges. 

 Miss Merwin, who for several yonrs was in 

 the extension service in Texas, did much to 

 interest women in beekeeping and in the 

 use of honey. During the same month oc- 

 curred the marriatre of G. P. Aten and Miss 

 Kate Saathof nt San Antonio. Mr. Aten is 



one of the owners of the Sunny South Api- 

 aries, and Miss Saathof is the well-known 

 treasurer of the Texas Honey Producers' 

 Association. 



Every little while some bits of informa- 

 tion concerning honey ants come from the 

 southwest states or Mexico, but we now 

 find them at our very door. While digging 

 gravel for the foundation of the apicultural 

 laboratory we cut through a nest of these 

 interesting insects. The storage insects 

 hung to the roof of small cavities in clus- 

 ters. Their abdomens were distended to a 

 diameter of fully one-quarter of an inch. 

 The dark honey they contained was from 

 brazil. It was a curious thing to see the Mex- 

 icans eagerly hunting for these honey-laden 

 insects and eating them — heads, legs and 

 all. After becoming acquainted with this 

 ant we find it to be one of our most common 

 species. H. B. Parks. 



San Antonio, Tex. 



« » « 



In Wisconsin "^^^^ honey crop this 



year for the state as a 

 whole turned out to be fairly good. With the 

 exception of the southeastern counties and 

 a few localities in the northern part of the 

 state the crop has been good, possibly bet- 

 ter than average. Although the state crop- 

 reporting service estimates this year's crop 

 at over 6,000,000 pounds, an increase over 

 any previous year, indications are that it 

 will all be disposed of before the winter is 

 over. 



Honey has been moving rapidly the last 

 three weeks. Previous to this date (Octo- 

 ber .30) several fairly large producers have 

 reported from one-third to one-half of their 

 crop sold. The beekeepers have learned 

 Avell the lesson of selling locally, and a 

 large part of the crop is being handled in 

 that wav. One beekeeper reports having 

 sold 1000 pounds by stopping at farm homes 

 along a stretch of road 10 miles in length. 

 There appears to be a variance in retail 

 prices between localities where the beekeep- 

 ers are well organized and where they are 

 not. A few beekeepers everywhere sell at 

 verv low prices, but the majority in the 

 well-organized communities are receiving 

 from four^to five cents per pound more 

 til an are those in the communities where 

 jio organization exists. This fact alone 

 should be argument enough for strong local 

 organizations. 



The State Association is planning to 

 maintain a honey booth at the Wisconsin 

 Products Exposition to be held at Milwau- 

 kee, December 14 to 20. The individual 

 beekeepers, local associations and supply 

 companies in the state have been very gen- 

 erous in their support, and enough dona- 

 tions have already been received to insure 

 the success of the project. The State Asso- 

 ciation meeting will be held in Milwaukee 



