THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



693 



Crop Reports for 1882. 



The following crop reports of both 

 bees and honey, were sent to the 

 North American Bee-Keepers' So- 

 ciety, and read at its late meeting in 

 Cincinnati, O. They were kindly sent 

 to us by the Secretary, Mr. Root, and 

 will appear simultaneously in tlie Bee 

 JOUKNAL and Qleanings in Bee Culture 

 to-day. These reports are quite full 

 and interesting and cover eight States. 

 The flrst is from 



GEORGIA. 



From an extensive correspondence 

 with all parts of the State, I place the 

 honey crop, the present season, at an 

 average or about 26 lbs. to the colony. 

 In some sections it has been unusually 

 tine, while in others no surplus has 

 been taken. The greatest yield re- 

 ported from a single colony was 350 

 lbs. extracted honey. 



The most of my correspondents re- 

 ported the greatest yield when the at- 

 mosphere was moderately dry, while 

 a few reported the largest (low when 

 the atmosphere was " decidedly 

 humid." Summing up these reports, 

 we find that an atmosphere neither 

 dry nor wet, but moderately cool and 

 moist, is tlie most favorable for a How 

 of honey. 



Our honey is mostly of a dark amber 

 color, though the tlavor is good. This 

 year the quality was above an average. 



Geographically considered, Georgia 

 possesses a greater variety of climate 

 and soil than any other State in the 

 Union, and consequently a greater 

 variety of forage. Cultivated forage 

 plants, including clover and buck- 

 wheat, grow well in the northern parts 

 of the State ; while in most of the 

 middle region and southern part, the 

 honey sources are confined to the 

 native flora of the forests and fields. 



The majority of bees are kept in the 

 old box hive, or gum ; but movable- 

 frame hives are being rapidly intro- 

 duced, as well as the improved races 

 of bees. J. P. II. Bkown. 



Augusta, Ga. 



IOWA. 



About a month ago I issued a call 

 through some of the bee papers, ask- 

 ing individual bee-keepers in the 

 State to send me reports as to the 

 status of our industry in their several 

 sections. In response, I have re- 

 ceived twenty reports from seventeen 

 different counties— about one-sixth of 

 the whole number of counties in the 

 State. Of course, I cannot make an 

 accurate report from such meager 

 materials. 



In my own section of the State, the 

 northeastern, bees went into winter 

 q^uarters last fall in excellent condi- 

 tion. The winter was short, open, 

 and mild, and, as a general thing, the 

 1st of April found bees nearly all 

 alive and in excellent condition, no 

 matter by what mode wintered. From 

 that time until the middle of summer, 

 we find the worst kind of weather tor 

 bees, it being cold, windy, and cloudy 



nearly all the time, preventing bees 

 from gathering much pollen or honey, 

 or rearing much brood. As a conse- 

 quence they were in poorer condition 

 on the first of J\nie than on tlie 1st of 

 Aprilj with cjuite a large number of 

 colonies entirely dead, some reports 

 estimate the loss during these two 

 months at i5 per cent. I do not think, 

 however, that the loss over the entire 

 State will average so large as that, 

 although it was very serious. It would 

 have been much larger but for feeding 

 having been very generally resorted 

 to. 



White clover was nearly two weeks 

 later in commencing to bloom than 

 ordinary, but yielded honey from the 

 first : that is, whenever the weather 

 allowed bees to gather it, which was 

 but little more tliaii one day in four, 

 until the middle of July, when we had 

 about twelve days of good weather, 

 and as heavy a flow of honey from 

 both wliite clover and basswood as I 

 ever saw. Bad weather caused 

 another interval of several days, fol- 

 lowed by a lieavv run for two weeks 

 from buckwheat, and a light run the 

 rest of the season. 



I judge that the season over the 

 State at large lias been very similar to 

 what we have liad in our section, ex- 

 cept that the central and southern 

 parts of the State had less bad 

 weather to contend ^^'ith, and con- 

 sequently a steadier flow and much 

 larger crop of honey ; in fact, the 

 largest crop gathered for years. Of 

 course, it is impossible to estimate the 

 average yield per colonv over the 

 State, but I am satisfied "that those 

 who practice improved bee-culture 

 have obtainad not less than 75 lbs. per 

 colony. The slow but steady yield of 

 honey during the earlier part of the 

 season caused alargeramount of brood- 

 rearing than common, whieli resulted 

 in excessive swarming. Kearly all 

 the reports speak of this fact. 



The reports quite generally indicate 

 an increasing interest in oiir modern 

 methods of bee-keeping, also that 

 bees are in excellent condition for 

 winter. 



All things considered, the season of 

 1882 has been a prosperous one to a 

 large majority of bee-keepers in Iowa. 

 Those in the northern part of the 

 State have had a full average season, 

 while those in tlie other parts have 

 had a much more than average yield. 

 As the flow of beer and whisky has 

 this year lessened in our State, that of 

 honey has largely increased. 



O. O. POPPLETON. 



Williamstown, Iowa. 



CALIFORNIA. 



I hereby send you my report for this 

 State, as far as I have been able to 

 make it out. 



In Los Angeles county 39 bee- 

 keepers report 4,220 colonies, but say 

 nothing about honey. 



In A'entura county, IHO apiarists, 

 with 7,500 colonies of bees, report 220,- 

 000 lbs. of extracted honey, and 2,000 

 lbs. of wax. 



In Kern county 3 apiaries, report 

 40O colonies, but no honey. 



In Alameda county, 1,.500 colonies 

 are reported with a crop of 75,000 lbs. 



In Inyo county 46 bee-keepers, with 

 865 colonies, report 23,450 lbs. of comb 

 honey 6,000 lbs. of extracted, and 

 2,750 lbs. of strained, and 100 lbs. of 

 wax. 



In Napa county 6 bee-keepers re- 

 ported .50 colonies of Italians, 50 hy- 

 brids and 150 lilacks ; 100 lbs. of wax, 

 and 3.50 lbs. of comb honey, 2,000 lbs. 

 of extracted and 3,350 lbs. of strained. 



Owing to unfavorable atmospheric 

 conditions in the spring, and in some 

 localities to a total lack of rain during 

 last winter, the flowers throughout the 

 State have failed to yield an average 

 amount of honey this year. In the 

 southern counties, which is the princi- 

 pal honey-producing part of the State, 

 the season is regarded as nearly a 

 complete failure, but few bee-keepers 

 securing part of a crop. Mr. E. Gal- 

 lup writes me that the amount of 

 honey is all guesswork. Others pos- 

 itively refuse to give any estimate of 

 the honey crop. Owing to the failure, 

 many bee-keepers are discouraged, 

 and seem to take no interest in the 

 matter ; wherefore I find it difficult to 

 make out any report, which will be 

 at all satisfactory. Several bee-keep- 

 ing counties have not yet been heard 

 from. Some place the average of 

 honey per colony at 25 lbs. others at 

 40 lbs. It is impossible to form any 

 correct idea of the true amount. But 

 few give the quantity of wax produced; 

 it will probalily all be made into foun- 

 dation. Much of the honey reported 

 as •' comb " is produced in large boxes 

 or even whole upper stories, without 

 any idea or means of placing it on the 

 market in a salable shape. Foul 

 brood is reported very prevalent in 

 some parts of the State, but I have no 

 statistics in that regard. In tliis, 

 Inyo county, there is no trace of it. as 

 far as I have been able to ascertain. 

 W. Muth-Rasmussbn. 



Independence, Cal. 



CONNECTICUT. 



The fall forage for 1881 was not 

 quite up to that of 1880. A great 

 many colonies went into winter-quar- 

 ters with light stores, though strong 

 in bees. The latter part of Septem- 

 ber was very pleasant. The mouth of 

 October, bees flew about half the time. 

 During November, bees were very 

 quiet, unless in sheltered places, until 

 the 2yth and 30th, when they flew 

 almost as in summer, to be again shut 

 in until December 20. Those in 

 sheltered localities flew enough to 

 keep them healthy, when there was 

 another general shut-in until March 

 2d. when there was a general fly. and 

 again on the 5th, but not so strong. 

 On the 23d there was a good flying- 

 out, and no more generally good 

 weather till the last week in May, 

 though in extra sheltered places bees 

 came out a little. 



Apple bloom was only patchy, and 

 more tlie exception than the rule. 

 Raspberries were fair, and worked on 

 considerably. 



In the northwest part of the State I 

 found a variety of willow that is new 

 to me (the spikes are a canary yellow, 

 about 2 inclies long, sometimes longer) 

 that holds its bloom from two to three 

 weeks. The wood is very brittle. 



