140 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



April 



Crop Report and Market Conditions 



For our reports for April number we sent out the fol- 

 lowing questions to reporters: 



1. How have lues wintered — what percent of loss? 



2. Condition of bees — Strength and honey. 



3. Honey plant and drought conditions? 



4. What amount of increase will be made? 



5. Extracted or comb, are many changing? 



6. Honey prices — are any buyers offering for 1918? 



THE WINTER 



Throughout the whole northeast the winter has been 

 exceptionally prolonged this year, bees not getting a 

 flight for nearly two months. This combined with short 

 stores in many instances has led to severe losses, espe- 

 cially with the inexperienced beekeeper. Average run 

 from 5 to IS per cent loss with the experienced beekeeper 

 up to 75 per cent loss with the inexperienced. One re- 

 ports 49 lost out of 50. 



In the southeast the losses have been small, probably 

 not over 5 per cent, with the exception of Kentucky, 

 which shows a 10 per cent loss. 



The central west shows about the same loss as the 

 northeast, with cellar wintered bees in good shape where 

 amply fed before cellaring. 



Texas has had big losses, ranging in the estimation of 

 one well informed, at from 25 to 50 per cent, depending 

 upon the locality. Losses here have been caused by a 

 combination of hard winter and extreme starvation, ow- 

 ing to the drought. 



The west shows average losses, as does California, ex- 

 cept that one or two reports show larger losses on ac- 

 count of disease among the bees, in itself a bad sign. 



CONDITION OF BEES 



In the whole section east of the Mississippi River and 

 north of the Ohio, bees are not in normal shape. Many 

 colonies are weak, and a larger number show the effect 

 of poor stores, with a shortage of honey in many in- 

 stances which will lead to much loss. 



In the southeast conditions are the best in many years. 

 The season opened finely, new honey is already coming in 

 and bees are exceptionally strong. This will be a boon 

 to the commercial queen breeders who had such a hard 

 time last year to pay expenses on account of the ex- 

 tremely unfavorable weather all through the spring. 



All cellar wintered bees seem strong in the north. This 

 is also the case in Colorado and other western States. 

 The winter has been very mild in Idaho and Washington 

 and bees are in very good shape. 



In California bees are a month behind the usual and 

 seem short in stores, besides being weak. 



HONEY PLANT AND DROUGHT CONDITIONS 



A blanket of snow has covered the whole northern 

 half of the country since eary winter, which in itself is 

 conducive to the best growth of clover. Where this snow 

 has melted to allow reporters to judge, clover seems to 

 be in much better shape than counted on last fall, though 

 there is little likelihood that clover will be as abundant 

 as in 1916, except in a few favored localities. 



It has been a dry winter in the South and is dry yet. 

 Rain is needed. There have been, recently, rains in Texas 

 that have brightened the outlook there, though much 

 more rain is needed. The spring is very late there. 



Colorado has been dry, hut prospects are not unfavor- 

 able to a good crop. Alfalfa is all right. Sweet clover 

 should have more moisture to put it in the best shape. 

 There has been no drought in Idaho and Montana, as well 

 as Washington, and conditions are "lovely." 



California has been very dry, so dry, in fact, that many 

 beekeepers were figuring on a short crop. Recent rains 

 have been copious, however, and though the rainfall at 

 this writing is not up to normal, prospects are more fa- 

 vorable with each day. 



INCREASE 



In all parts of the country, wherever condition of bees 

 will permit there will be large increase. Certain sections 

 will do well, however, to regain their 1917 strength by 

 such increase while in other sections it is likely that 50 

 to 75 per cent increase over last year will be made. It 

 would not be far off to assume that there will be at least 

 a 15 per cent increase in holdings of bees the country 

 over, and such increase will be attempted early so as not 

 to interfere with the crop, but rather to greaten it. 



COMB TO EXTRACTED 



Many are changing. Supply dealers are experiencing 

 a much greater demand in proportion for shallow and 

 deep frames and extracting supers. The change to ex- 

 tracted will occur mainly, however, with the experienced 

 producer. The small beekeeper with only a few colonies 

 will do little changing. 



To show the trend, however, one of the larger comb- 

 honey producers of Colorado, who has comb equipment 

 throughout, will run 15 per cent of his bees to extracted 

 this year. 



HONEY PRICES AND OFFERS 



Comb honey is practically cleaned up, and extracted 

 nearly so. In fact, there is more demand now than could 

 be supplied if every pound of honey in the country were 

 immediately placed on the market. White honey is sell- 

 ing for around 20 cents per pound and finds ready buy- 

 ers. 



Reporters state that one or two large bottlers are 

 already "feeling out" the 1918 situation, but are making 

 no offers. One reporter was offered 10 cents for his 

 whole crop, which he promptly refused. Another stated 

 that he would not sell for less than 16 or 18 cents for 

 white extracted. 



Foreign buyers are already active. We know of two 

 inquiries, one for fifty tons and another for one hundred 

 tons, but with no definite prices offered. With the de- 

 crease of the submarine menace by fall and the subse- 

 quent release of allied shipping space, the demand on the 

 part of our allies should be greater than in 1917. 



We see no reason for pessimism on honey prices They 

 should be the equal of 1917, even if the crop proves to be 

 large, as early indications seem to promise. 



One large honey dealer states that he sees nothing to 

 indicate a price of less than 15 cents for average white 

 extracted, and it would be our opinion that it would be 

 a mistake to contract ahead early at a less basis than 

 this. The sugar shortage of our allies and necessarily 

 of ourselves, is far from entirely relieved. Nor is it likely 

 to be in the near future. It behooves every beekeeper 

 to produce to the utmost this season to help relieve the 

 shortage. 



