1292 



GLEANINGS IN BKE CULTURE. 



(XT. 15 



.^ f'LouisscffoM: 



THE NATIONAL COMING TO TEXAS. 



The National is now coming to Texas. 



Oft it was tried to attract their attention, 

 But Texas was .so far away 



We didn't have the convention. 



Then 'twas promised for nineteen-five; 



But did they come to Texas? Nayl 

 For a yellow-fever scare was on, 



Although yellow jack was 500 miles away. 



But the National's now coming to Texas, 

 For it has been mentioned loud. 



And the Texans are making preparations 

 For taking good care of the crowd. 



A lengthy program has been made, 

 A day at the fair for those who wish. 



And for the " tender feet " will be prepared 

 A supper of many a Mexican dish. 



There will be busy sessions too, 

 And then a " busy-bee " trolley ride: 



Speaking, and stereoi)ticon views. 

 And many other things besides. 



Yes. the National is coming to Texas. 

 ' And it's hoped for a great big meet; 

 For the Texans welcome you, brethren. 

 With a welcome that's hard to beat. 



Hroomweed [Gutherczia Texana) is in 

 3 (loom in most parts of the State where rains 

 prevailed during the summer months. In 

 «ome localities the lack of rain (caused the 

 In-oomweed to dry up, although there was a 

 good stand in the spring. This plant fur- 

 nishes a good amount of honey in the late 

 fall months, blooming from Septeml)er until 

 frost during favorable seasons. The bees 

 store up from it for winter a golden honey, 

 but strong-flavored, sometimes tasting quite 



bitter. 



<^ 



Fall increase has been practiced by me in 

 preference to any other, although some in- 

 crease is made in the spring when desired. 

 But during the liroomweed How in Septem- 

 ber or October it's necessary to take out only 

 one of the shallow sections of my divisil)le- 

 brooii-chamber hives containing the old 

 queen and brood, place it with l)ottom and 

 top on a new stand, and add an empty shal- 

 low extracting-super with empty or partly 

 drawn combs over the lower section. Then 

 stuff the entrance with moss, green weeds, 

 or grfitis, to hold the old bees for a few days. 

 On the old stand leave the rest of the sections 

 with brocjd, and introduc^e a laying queen. 

 If only one section remains on the old stand, 

 place 'a shallow extracting-super with empty 

 or partly drawn combs oyer it also as the 

 other. Try it. 



A short crop in Texas for 190G. Bountiful 

 rains helped to improve conditions in the 



late summer and fall. Bees in North Texas 

 had to be fed for weeks until a light flow 

 from mesquite in June relieved them. Other 

 portions of the State where mesquite prevails 

 have fared a little better, while bees outside 

 of mesquite range, and without any other 

 sotirce, were starving. Horsemint yielded 

 and helped out pretty well where there was 

 a stand this year, and even in some localities 

 rains during its bloom cut that crop short. 

 Bees have been working on cotton since July: 

 but the Mexican cotton-boll weevil cuts this 

 source otY about August 1, as the increased 

 numbers, puncturing the "squares" or buds 

 of the cotton-plant, causes them to drop ofi 

 before they develop far enough to secrete 

 nectar. Broomweed is now in bloom in most 

 localities, and bees are storing up for winter 

 pretty well so that not very much feeding 

 will have to be done. All in all, however, 

 the crop is short for this State. 



Reports from the Southeastern States are 

 to the effect that the honey crop has been 

 good for that section of the country — '"the 

 best in years" in some localities. Georgia 

 has had a favorable season, from reports 

 that were sent me from correspondents in 

 that State. Sevei'al localities in other South 

 Atlantic States were reported from very 

 favora!:)ly. The Western States fared less 

 favorably. New Mexico prospects were 

 good; Imt grasshoppers were numerous in 

 some localities. For Arizona, propects were 

 fair only; Nevada not very good, while Utah 

 reports were for fair and very good pros- 

 pects. As a whole, the South has a scant 

 supply, and honey commands a fair prii-c. 

 Texas market quotations are one cent higiicr 

 at present than last season, and the demand 

 for honey is good. 



In connection with the above it will be 

 well to take into considei'ation the fact that 

 there was also a short supply of fruits and 

 other materials for preserving purposes in 

 many localities, which generally indicates 

 an increased demand for honey and syrup.s. 

 Some honev is being shipped into Texas 

 from other Western States, mostly extracteil. 



<^ 



PKEPAKATIONS TO ENTERTAIN THE NATIONAL 

 AT SAN ANTONIO. 



The committee on arrangements of the 

 Texas Bee-keepers' Association recently met 

 in San Antonio for the purpose of making 

 plans for the entertainment of the National 

 Bee-keepers" Convention. November 8, 9, 10, 

 during the International Fair. Those pres- 

 ent were Prof. H. P. Atwater, Industrial 

 Agent of the Southern Pacific; Judge I. M. 

 Pascal, of San Antonio; W. O. Victor, Presi- 

 dent Texas Bee-keepers' Association; Udo 

 Toepperwein, its Vice-presitlent; Edward W. 

 Knox, President Texas Nurserymen's Asso- 

 ciation, while Louis H. Scholl, Secretary- 

 Treasurer of the Texas Bee-keepers' Associa- 

 tion, being still coutined to his l)ed in Santa 

 Rosa Hospital, in San Antonio, was called 

 upon by a special committee for his advice 



