310 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 19, 



Proceedings of the Colorado State Couveutlou. 



BEPOBTED BY F. L. THOMPSON. 

 LContlnued from pa^e 294.] 

 The committee on supplies reported that low prices had 

 been offered by supply firms. It was voted to refer the mat- 

 ter to the Executive Committee for action. (The prices quoted 

 are only made to Association members.) 



Mr. F. L. Thompson next read the following paper, en- 

 titled, 



Condilion§ of llic Pursuit in West (Joiorado. 



From what I could learu it seems that bees winter better 

 there than around Denver. This may be due to the less rig- 

 orous winters, from which our low drops of the thermometer 

 and northern blizzards are said to be absent ; or it may be due 

 to a better chance for development at the critical time in 

 spring, or both. I arrived there too late to judge of the latter 

 point, but noticed that the bees were busy enough at some- 

 thing to keep them out of serious mischief from that time un- 

 til the main flow, which commenced June 11 — a week earlier 

 than at Denver. Fruit-bloom was abundant while it lasted, 

 and in future years will doubtless greatly increase, as the 

 neighborhood of Montrose is pre-eminently a fruit countrj'. 



A few bee-keepers down the river secured quite a fair 

 yield from wild flax, which has never before given a surplus 

 since the country was settled. I was told that the river-bot- 

 tom gave a better flow of honey during the first half of the 

 season, and less during the second half, than the mesa, on 

 which I was, and I found it so last season. A high wind 

 which prevailed during most of the first crop was exceptional, 

 I was informed. I sincerely trust it will not occur again ; for 

 few things are more exasperating to the bee-keeper than a 

 prolonged wind in the honey-Uow. My average per colony, 

 spriug count, was 47 pounds of comb honey, which I was told 

 by some was rather a poor yield, tho as usual in most locali- 

 ties there was some difference of opinion as to what consti- 

 tutes an average yield. But I believe it has not gone below 

 40 pounds. 



Swarms were abundant, and the Heddon method of pre- 

 venting after-swarming but moderately successful with me — 

 in fact, souiething of a failure. While the colonies were very 

 strong at the opening ol the first crop, they had dwindled 

 rather more when the second crop came than I ever observed 

 them to do around, Denver. This trait of the Italian bee— of 

 curtailing brood-rearing— is well enough for a single flow, but 

 is certainly undesirable for Montrose county. 



Foul brood has never existed in the county. 



Alfalfa is the main dependence. Some autumn honey- 

 yielding plants, as here, seem to vary the character of the 

 honey. A hundred-acre field of Alslke near one bee-keeper 

 gave him more of a variety. I tasted some comb honey which 

 seemed to be from that source, and while it was not bad, I 

 should prefer white clover, which I once tasted. I noticed a 

 few scattering plants of cleome, and was told that off to the 

 southwest there was considerable of it, but I do not know that 

 it figures much in the honey-yield. Sweet clover and scatter- 

 ing alfalfa, and chico— a very abundant shrub, blooming 

 throughout the season — bridge over the Interval between the 

 two crops at the rate of perhaps a pound a day. 



The phenomena of the granulation of comb honey are 

 about the same as here. First-crop honey properly kept does 

 not, I believe, as a rule, granulate before it is consumed. The 

 bulk of the second crop can also be sold without any particu- 

 lar hurry. But the latest honey is strongly inclined to granu- 

 late quickly. It is intere.ning to note that one bee-keeper 

 there has observed just what has been observed elsewhere, 

 namely, that early alfalfa comb honey gathered in damp 

 weather does not granulate at all, but when gathered in dry 

 weather is more inclined to do so, tho, as I have said, it does 

 not as a rule granulate before being consumed. 



The first-crop honey is second to none in color. The sec- 

 ond-crop is so distinct iu appearance that it can be lold at a 

 glance. It is not dark, but is unmistakably amber. Oue 

 Montrose bee-keeper says that years ago both were white, 

 and attributes the change to the weeds which cultivation has 

 brought. Another thiuks the difference in color of honey is 



analogous to the difference in the color of the hay of the two 

 crops of alfalfa, the second crop being a darker green. 



Local freight-rates from Denver to Montrose are $1.10 a 

 hundred on bee-hives in the flat, and a cent a pound for 

 honey from Montrose to Denver. Foundation of good quality 

 can be procured there as cheaply as here, and last year the 

 same was true of sections. But shipping-cases were 17% 

 and IS cents, and weighed almost five pounds apiece at that. 

 Montrose being situated on a narrow-guage railroad, ship- 

 ments outside of the State have to be reloaded at Salida. 



The greater part of the honey appears to go to Kansas. 

 Those who preach that to sell outside of the home market is a 

 sin, ought to produce honey at Montrose. They would be 

 effectually cured of that propensity. Farmers' honey is pro- 

 duced in quantities sulBcient to more than supply the whole 

 county, and the teams with farm products which constantly 

 go up to Ouray and TelUiride keep those towns supplied with 

 this farm honey. Gunnison is but a small town, and Leadville 

 and Aspen are more directly controlled by the Grand Junc- 

 tion district. Salida is much nearer Pueblo than Montrose. 

 The southern towns — Durango, Rico, Silvertou — are supplied 

 with honey from southwest Colorado, much of it being farm- 

 ers' honey. 



On account of the inevitable shipments and the high 

 freights I should not advise any one who owns an apiary in 

 an ordinary location in eastern Colorado to pull up and change 

 to the western slope. 



I have beeu askt to add to this paper some remarks on the 

 importance of the honey-industry of Colorado. 



F. L. Thompson. 



[The " remarks " referred to above will be given next 

 week. — Editor.} 



[Continued next weeli] 



Does this Mean You?— It does if your subscrip- 

 tion is in arrears. In the Rural Californian for April we find 

 the following editorial paragraphs: 



THE UPS AND DOWNS OF NEWSPAPEE LIFE. 



It may be that the ups and downs of newspaper life nearly 

 balance each other, but there is considerable evidence that the 

 "downs" are more frequent than the "ups," as they are 

 surely more diSicult to bear. Be this as it may, a dispropor- 

 tion can easily be establisht, and the solution Is largely in the 

 hands of subscribers. The subscription to a newspaper or 

 magazine is a very small amount. The usefulness of the peri- 

 odical is almost invariably far beyond its price. Subscriptions 

 which are not paid promptly, or on which a percentage must 

 be paid to cover cost of collection, postage, etc., represent a 

 very little net income to publishers. The benefit to them, as 

 well as to readers, would be greatly increast if subscribers 

 were always to pay promptly in advance and renew without 

 frequent solicitation. 



Life generally has so many "downs" that many people 

 must walk on their " uppers." The high road to prosperity is 

 a delightful one to travel, but it is very high and rarely reacht 

 in these days. 



The charm of newspaper life is rather in the editorial 

 end, not in the business department, for debts are sometimes 

 pressing the manager while the delinquent reader is forgetful 

 that his attention might bring relief. The "ups" iu the 

 newspaper business really belong to the readers; the cares of 

 the newspaper business do not attach to them. 



If there is one thing that we dislike to take up our edi- 

 torial space with it is the request that subscription arrearages 

 be paid. And it is hardly fair to those who always do pay in 

 advance, to occupy that space with calls on those who are 

 delinquent. Of course we could stop off short every subscrip- 

 tion when it expires, but very many wouldn't like to have us 

 do that — they'd think we certainly could trust them for a few 

 months or a year. But that means a good deal to us when 

 two or three thousand think the same way, and do not pay. 



Again, we could send a personal letter to each delinquent, 

 say once a quarter, but that means an outlay of from §50 to 

 $75, which could be so much better spent in getting more 

 engravings for the Bee Journal, using a better quality of 

 paper on which to print it, etc. Say, why not all who are be- 

 hind in their accounts just pay up without a private request, 

 and thus help make a better paper, and also make it easier for 

 the publishers ? Geokge W. York & Co. 



