Nov. 2, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



693 



Some Big- Honey-Yields Tabulated. 



BY ADRIAN GETAZ. 



THE following are some of the best honey-yields ob- 

 tained, taking- in the whole apiary : 



Mr. Gre^f?— Arizona. -200 001011168. Vield per colony, 48."> lbs. Kind of honey, al- 

 talfii and mesquite. 



E. France & Svn— Wisconsin (home-apiary) 61 colonies. Yield per colony (1886) 

 117 lbs. extracted, basswood and clover. 



Chas. Dadant & Son— Illinois. 87 colonies. Yield per colony, 141 lbs. extracted. 

 Cbas. Dadant& Son— III. 4i;0 colonies. Yield percoly (18^9) 113 lbs. extracted. 

 Mrs. Axtell— Illinois. 80 colonies. Yield per colony 1 1882) 217 lbs. comb. 

 L. C. Root— N. Y. 40 colonies. Yield per colony, 243 lbs. extracted 1 of which 



1U2 lbs. per colony in 7 days.) 

 W. K. Thoojpson-Missonri. 7 colonies. Yield per colony (isgtn 136 lbs. comb. 

 N. B. Baldwin— Utah. Yield per colony ( 1890) 200 lbs., mostly extracted. 



F. McNay— Wisconsin. 17.'. colonies. Yield per colony 1 1886) 187 lbs. extracted- 



Increast to 2;i0 colonies. 



J. B. Brooks— Iowa. 4 colonies. Yield per colony (1886) 150 lbs. comb. Increast 

 to H colonies, 



.las. Scott— Iowa. 88 colonies. Yield per colony (1886) 272 lbs. extracted. In- 

 creast to lOy colonies. 



G. D. Black— Iowa. 50 colonies. Y'ield per colony (18S6) 260 lbs. extracted. In- 



creast to 120 colonies. 

 A. M. French— Michigan. 2 colonies. Yield per colony (1886) 244 lbs. comb- 



Increast to 7 colonies. 

 \Vm. Mitlone- Iowa. Yiell per colony, 215 lbs. for the 6 yea'^s (IRSl to I8861 



mostly extracted; average yearly increase of 100 percent. 

 Paul Viallon— Louisiana. Y'ield per colony, 21.H) lbs. 



R. Wilkin-California. 416 colonies. Yield per colony (1887) 185 lbs. extracted. 

 E. France & Son— Wisconsin. (From 12 best colonies,' Yield per colony ( 1886 1 



164 lbs. extracted. 

 W. Z. Hutchinson— Mich. 50 colonies. Yield per colony (1886) 140 lbs., nearly all 



e.xtract'^d. 

 O. O. Poppleton— 7.^ to iiH) colonies. Yield per colony, 110 lbs. during the last 



1(1 years he was in Iowa. 

 J. M. Long- Missouri. 4 colonies. Yield per colony (1888) 250 lbs. comb. In- 

 creast to 30 colonies. 

 N. G. Ailamson- Utah. 26 colonips. Yield per colony ( 1888) 1S6 lbs.. ";j extracted 



and h:i comb. Increast to 48 colonies. 



-Missouri. 30 colonies. Yield per colony (18881 193 lbs. comb. 

 73 colonies. 



i. 5 colonies. Yield per colony (1888) 228 lbs., mostly comb. 

 i>lonies. 



\ ield per colony f 1885) 200 colonie«. 

 Yield per colony (I885i 213 lbs., mostly 



Yield per colony (1885i 156 lbs. ex- 



.Tuhn Blodsett 



increast to 

 L. A..Tuild-IlIino 



Increast to 2-> i 

 S. I. Freeborn- Wisconsin. 29,nno lbs. extracted and 500 lbs. comb. Avera^'e for 



the 4 years ending I8t*6, from 250 to 300 colonies. 

 Robert Quinn— Iowa. 15(t colonies. Yield per colony (1888) 147 lbs., mostly ex- 

 tracted. Increast to 240 colonies. 

 U. H Rhodes— Colorado, 35 colonies. Yield per colony (1885) 143 lbs. extractei-1. 



Increast to 50 colonies. 

 (.'. S. Adams— New York. 8 colonies. 

 K.J. leathers- Michigan. 4 co'onies. 



extracted. Increast to y colonies. 

 J. G. BuDdinnter- Michigan. 8 colonies. 



traded. Increast to 30 colonies. 

 G. 1). Seitz— New York. 36 colonies. Yield per colony, 277 lbs. 

 J. B. Case— Florida. (Apiaries moved to follow yield.) Yield per colony i is;i.-, 1 



420 lbs. erictracted. 

 .). B. Case— Florida (home apiary.) Yield per colony (1895) 300 lbs. extracted. 

 R. C. Aikin- Iowa. Yield per colony for the last 10 years in Iowa 1 1851 to itsiii.i 



11)0 lbs. (.For the best year of the above period, 227 lbs.) 

 .Tohn Haskins— Missouri. Yield per colony (1889) I5(i lbs. 

 V. H. Y^ounp— Wisconsin. 50 colonies. Yield per colony ( 1X94) 14(> lbs., mostly 



extracted. Increast to 82 colonies. 



D. A. Wlieeler— California. 9(Xi colonies. Vield per colony. 133 lbs. 1 



H. K. Wilder- California. 120 colonies. Yield per colony, 2(m> lbs. 1 Reported 

 Mr. Segars— Cal'furnia. 3i)i) col-nies. Yield per colony. 133 lbs. | in I>-H6. 



Mr. Oiicrlin— Califurnia. 140 colonies. Yield per colony, 271 lbs. 1 extracted. 



Emer>un Bros.- (■alifMrnia. 3(X) colonies. Yield per colony. 160 Ids. t 

 (The '1 above reports were probably the crop of I8y.i.) 



.1. P. Israel— Calif. 16 colonies. Yield per colony (1884) 662 lbs. Increast to 69. 

 T. O. Andrew— Calif. 4U i colonies. Yield per colony < I895i 135 lbs. extracted. 

 John Fox-California. 140 colonies. Yield per colony, 214 lbs. extracted. 

 O. E. Harper— California. 74 colonies. Yield per colony (1895)256 lbs. extracted. 

 Increast to 154 colonies. 



E. T. Flanagan— 111. 35 colonies. Yield per colony. 186 lbs. Increast to TO col's. 

 Mr. Hammond— Iowa. Yield per colony. 127 lbs. comb and extracted. 



H. W. Kunk— Illinois. 75 colonies. Yield per colony (1882) 2'i7 lbs. 

 Eastern Iowa Bee-Keepers'Ass'n.- Average yield (1889) 212 lbs., nearly all comb. 

 G. B. Taylor.— 45 colonies. Yield per colony, 143 lbs. comb. Increast to 70 col's. 

 G. M. Doolittle— Ntw York. 69 colonies. Average yield. 167 lbs., mostly comb. 

 J. Z. Rhodes— 39 colonies. Yield per colony (I895i 154 lbs., Mi comb ^ extracted. 



Increast to I5octdonies 

 A Florida bee-keeper.— 3oo colonies, 



grove region. 1 

 An Australian bee-keeper.— 63 colonies, 



creast to 120 cdonies. 



Yield per colony (1893) lOO lbs. 1 In Man- 

 Yield per colony (1892) 750 lbs. In- 



Another Australian bee-keeper reported in 1895 that one 

 colonj' g"ave him 1,250 pounds; another colony, 1,120, and 

 several others averaged 1,000 pounds. It must be remem- 

 bered that in Australia bees gather honey almost the 

 whole year, that is, if the season is good, which is not 

 always the case, for the same man says that in 1894 he had 

 only about 75 pounds per colony. 



The above are the best yields obtained for one season 

 and for the whole apiary. The reports are not always ex- 

 plicit, and in some cases it is possible that only a certain 

 number of the best colonies were taken into consideration. 



Very seldom the report says whether it is spring count 

 or not, but it may be supposeii that it is spring count, at 

 least in the majority of cases. It seems that 1886 was the 

 best year recorded. 



To the above I will add the following best yields per 

 single colony reported, giving the apiarist's name : 



Somebody in Texas— 700 lbs., chiefly 

 from borsemint. 



Doolittle— N. Y. 309 lbs. comb in 1877. 

 301 *' 

 566 " ext'd in 1877. 



G. h. Head— 384 lbs. extracted. 



R C. Aikin— Iowa. 227 lbs. comb (Ob- 

 tained by removing the queen, i 



B. 'laylor— Minn. 263 lbs. comb ithe 

 colony did nt.it swHrm.) 



N. B. Baldwin— Utah. 33ii lbs. ext'd. 

 (the colony did not swarm ) 



L. C. Root— N.Y. 361 lbs. exld in I.'^70 

 (Some of L. C. Root's colonies gave 

 each 200 lbs. comb also in lH7it.) 



J. Fennel- Ont. 3(^)0 lbs. comb in 1886. 



A. B. Mason- Ohio. 25(.i lbs. extracted 



C. C. Miller— 111. 195 lbs. comb. 



Dadant & Son— 111. 450 lbs. extracted 



Mrs. Harrison— 111. 20(i lbs. (12 'lbs. 

 from colonv; 8i» lbs. from swarm.) 



Mr. Malev— Nebr. 7i8 lbs. extracted 

 in 1H82 I from Cyprian bees.) 



Geo. Beaudry— Can. 215 Ids. ext'd 189k 



Paul Viallon— La. 302 lbs. 



Jus. Heddon— Mich. 410 lbs. i all comb 



bnt4H lbs.) 

 O. O. Ponpleton— Iowa. 275 lbs comb. 



E. K. Hasty— Ohio. 142 lbs. comb (in 

 a poor location.) 



J.M. Uambaugh— 111. 264 Ibs.ext. 1888 



F. li. Snyder— Wis. 7(hj lbs. ext'd 1889 

 H. l^atbrop- Wis. 225 lbs. comb, 1889 

 C. W. Dayton— Iowa. 4«2 lbs. ext. li?85 

 H.(;. Wood— Ala. 172 lbs. comb. 1885 

 Baldensperger— Palestine. 178 lbs. ex- 

 tracted in 1891. 



.T. B. Craven— Ohio. 218 lbs. comb.1885 

 J. I. Earl-3()x lbs. extracted in 1895. 

 Vnu-cnt Quinn — 1.50 lbs. in 1888. 

 Dr. Gallup— Iowa. 75(t lbs. (of which 



6o(i lbs. was gathered in 30 days.) 

 Mr. Hammond -Iowa. 188 lbs.. mostly 



comb. (Same apiarist, 267 lbs. ext.) 

 J.W. Bittenbender— loa. 208 lbs. comb 

 Frank Coverdale- Iowa. 208 lbs., 5^ 



comb. y. extracted, in 1886. 

 L. W. Baldwin— Mo. 150 lbs. comb. 



Like the reports for whole apiaries the above give very 

 few details as to the coiiditions, size of colonies, etc. Mr. 

 Doolittle gives a detailed report of the 566 pounds of ex- 

 tracted quoted above. The colony was good at the start, 

 furnisht with all the combs needed, had plenty of honey 

 during early spring, did not swarm, and the brood was 

 carefully spread during the proper season. Most likely the 

 majoritv, if not all of the above yields, were obtained under 

 ordinary management. 



One colonv belonging to Mr. C. Butman (Maine) gave, 

 in 1881, 310 pounds extracted ; in 1882, 340; in 1883, 340; in 

 1884. 45 ; in 1885, 360, That 45 pounds for 1884 shows what 

 a difference exists between the yield for a bad season and a 

 good season. 



Another interesting item is the amount brought in in a 

 single day, or about, by a single colony during- a good flow : 

 A. I. Root reports 20 pounds in two days {10 pounds per 

 dav) by an artificial swarm ; 43 pounds in three days (14' ^ 

 per day) during basswood tiow ; and in another case 18 

 pounds for a single day. Also a maximum of 10 pounds 

 per day during white clover flow. 



L. C. Root reported 4,103 pounds in seven da^-s by 40 

 colonies, that is an average of over 14^ pounds per day and 

 per colony. 



Mr. Doolittle reported 66 pounds in three days (22 pounds 

 per day) from basswood. 



R.'Shipman. 72 pounds in four days (18 pounds per day) 

 from Alsike. 



Mr. Atchley, 521 pounds in 21 days (nearly 25 pounds 

 per day) from Alsike. 



Mr. Hambaugh reported 63 '^ pounds in six days (10^ 

 per day) ; and from another colony 86 pounds in nine 

 days (9U per day), both from Spanish-needle in 1889. That 

 year from the same source 43 colonies gave him 2,021 in ten 

 days (nearly 4-V pounds per day). The same 43 colonies 

 yielded the following year from the same source, 2,033 

 pounds, the best yield being 73 pounds in five days by a 

 single colony (nearly 15 pounds per day). , 



We might also mention the colony of Dr. Gallup re- 

 ferred to above, which gave him 750 pounds during the sea- 

 son, of which 600 pounds were gathered in 30 days, making 

 an average of 20 pounds per day. Evidently some days 

 yielded more than 20 pounds, and some others less. The 

 same remark applies to several of the above figures. For 

 instance, when Mr. Atchley reports 521 pounds in 20 days it 

 is not impossible that some days may have brought in even 

 as much as 35 pounds. All these are maximums, we may say 

 exceptional yields, as we can see by comparing them with 

 the following. 



This average honey-yield question was askt in Glean- 

 ings in Bee-Culture in 1887, and in the American Bee Jour- 

 naUn 1888, *' What do you consider an average yield per 

 colony ?" Also in Gleanings in Bee-Culture in 1889, '* What 

 has been your average yield ?" Again in 1898, in the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal, *' What do you consider an average crop 

 for the last 25 years ?" Here are the answers : 



Dadant & Son— Illinois. 18S7— 25 lbs. comb, 5" lbs. extracted: 1888— 50 to 85 lbs.; 



lHh9— L'l.tMio to 22.n(H» lbs. yearly from 350 to 400 colonies during 10 years; 



1898— about 5o lbs. extracted. 

 A. B. Mason— Ohio. 1887—60 lbs. extracted. 



