December, 192C 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



787 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



December 14 and 15 in conjunction with 

 the Products Exposition. The chief discus- 

 sion will center around the establishment of 

 a state association label to be used on a 

 standard lithographed pail. Many members 

 have expressed a desire for these contain- 

 ers, and definite action will likely be taken 

 at this meeting. 



A local association was recently organized 

 in LaFayette County. This is the "i-ith local 

 to be organized in the state and the 33d to 

 become affiliated with the State Association. 

 A striking improvement is noted in Eock 

 County where a local organization was 

 formed last spring. Here the beekeepers 

 have been holding monthly meetings and 

 are planning to continue this program 

 throughout the winter. Better beekeeping 

 is being practiced now than formerly, and 

 several beekeepers have expressed their in- 

 tention of making a large increase next 

 spring. 



Bees are going into winter quarters in 

 good condition, with the exception that 

 many colonies are light in stores. Brood- 

 rearing has extended much later this fall 

 than usual, many queens continuing egg- 

 laying through the early part of October. 

 This provides large numbers of young bees, 

 but leaves the brood-chamber destitute of 

 stores. In many cases beekeepers fed sugar 

 syrup for winter stores, early in the month, 

 only to have it used up in brood-rearing. 

 Where this was done, feeding had to be 

 continued at a later date. 



Many beekeepers who winter their bees 

 outdoors are making the same old mistake 

 of waiting until they have had several 

 weeks of cold weather before packing in- 

 stead of doing so before cold weather sets in. 



Madison, Wis. H. F. Wilson. 



In Northern Indiana. — ^^^^ in north- 

 western Indi- 

 ana along the Calumet and Kankakee river 

 bottoms are in prime condition for winter- 

 ing. Some apiaries in favorable locations 

 secured approximately 100 pounds of sur- 

 plus from heartsease and goldenrod and are 

 strong in bees and heavy Avith stores. On 

 the other hand, colonies on uplands are 

 weak and sliort of stores. Unless feeding 

 has been done, it is probable that winter 

 losses will be large. 



American foul brood has been prevalent 

 in this locality during the season. However, 

 state inspection work has been very thor- 

 oughly carried out, and we are hoping for 

 better conditions in the future. 



Local grocers are buying largely of west- 

 ern comb honey, shipped from Wyoming, 

 Colorado and other distant points, at a 

 price below cost of local production. Large 

 motor trucks from Chicago and Gary make 

 tri-weekly trips with potatoes, fruit and 

 vegetables, and are now ])riiiging in honey. 



It might be interesting to know how much 

 our Wyoming brethren get for a case of 

 honey or how much of the consumer's dol- 

 lar they receive after paying for cases, 

 transportation, commission and peddler 's 

 profits. If beemen everywhere would thor- 

 oughly advertise honey in home or near-by 

 towns and cities, or if state and national or 

 ganizations would institute a systematic ad- 

 vertising campaign in every city and see 

 that everj' grocer is constantly supplied, the 

 demand would, without doubt, take care of 

 the surplus; but if only occasionally a bee- 

 keeper or association stimulates demand by 

 local advertising, outside products immedi- 

 ately flow in and nullify the effort. It costs 

 money to advertise, and if results are to be 

 obtained through organized effort we must 

 get away from the idea of a fifty-cent or 

 dollar membership fee. Will commercial 

 beemen ever awaken to the necessity and 

 importance of business organization? 



Valparaiso, Ind. E. S. Miller. 



» * * 



In Western New York.— ^he season 



of 1922 for 

 Xew York State has been peculiar; like 

 that of 1921 the crop was very spotted. Con- 

 trary to early prospects, the better crops 

 were realized in those sections where no 

 crop was secured in 1921. 



With very few exceptions no fall honey 

 has been harvested, and bees are very light 

 in stores for winter. Many beekeepers have 

 fed as much or nearly so for winter stores 

 as the surplus of early honey amounted to. 



Goldenrod, asters and other fall wild flow- 

 ers seemed plentiful and bloomed i^rofuse- 

 ly. Bees worked them freely, but the hives 

 did not gain in weight. Brood-rearing ceas- 

 ed nearly a month earlier than usual. Why 

 these conditions prevailed I do not know, as 

 the soil had plenty of moisture and the 

 weather was moderately warm. 



The honey market, although a little' slow- 

 er than a j'ear ago, due mostly to the plenti- 

 fulness of all kinds of fruits, shows a great 

 deal more steadiness than it did last season, 

 with not nearly so much price-cutting as 

 then. 



The production metliods in beekeeping 

 have made great progress in tlie last score 

 of years. Tlie methods of distribution and 

 marketing of the product have received less 

 attention, but surely they are more impor- 

 tant. If beekeeping is to remain a good 

 business, honey must be marketed at a fair 

 and uniform price, that will yield a fair 

 return on investment and a wage income 

 for the operator that will compare favor- 

 ably witli the income of equally skilled 

 labor in the industries. 



Beekeeping is one of the most interesting 

 pursuits, and most beekeepers love their 

 work to such an extent that tliev wouM 

 coiitiiiuo to kee]i ])ees and live on a very 



