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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



August 



Crop Report and Market Conditions 



For our August issue we asked the following questions 

 of reporters : 



1. How large is the honey crop, compared to last year? 



2. What are the prospects for the rest of the year, 

 compared to last year? 



3. Has the increase made been sufficient to balance all 

 last winter's losses and bring the total of the bees above 

 what it has ever been before? 



4. Is honey in good demand? Is it being sold as fast 

 as harvested? 



5. What prices are being obtained, wholesale and re- 

 tail, for both comb and extracted? What do you expect 

 to get for your own crop,, and how much have you ? 



THE HONEY CROP 



Maine reports a crop about equal to 1917, with Ver- 

 mont and New Hampshire reporting about 80 per cent as 

 much. Massachusetts claims 125 per cent of 1917. 



New York claims to be better generally than last year, 

 with conditions still in doubt, owing to the lateness of 

 the crop. 



All of the South shows an increase in honey over 1917, 

 with the exception of Louisiana, where the crop is poor. 

 Georgia reports 75 per cent of 1917, but Florida claims 

 175 per cent, Alabama and Mississippi 200 per cent, Ten- 

 nessee 150 per cent, with Kentucky below last year's av- 

 erage. 



Texas will probably average from 25 to 40 per cent 

 better than in 1917, with far from a good crop yet. Some 

 localities are still short, though not as short as in 1917. 



In the Central States, Ohio is about 25 per cent better 

 than it was, Illinois and Indiana are better, because they 

 had a crop failure in 1917. Conditions have improved 

 greatly in these sections and some surplus will be stored, 

 though far from anything like a moderate crop. Over 

 most of Iowa there will be a little honey, but this does 

 not include the sweet clover regions of the extreme west, 

 where the crop is above last year, one reporter claiming 

 125,000 pounds from his 950 colonies. 



Michigan will probably have from 25 to 50 per cent as 

 much honey as in 1917, partly owing to a lack of bees. 

 Wisconsin has had a crop failure, two or three reporting 

 less honey than ever before remembered. Minnesota is 

 the same. South Dakota has fared better, owing to the 

 sweet clover, and will be slightly better than in 1917. 

 Kansas and Nebraska are both slightly better than last 

 year, while Missouri will have a very short crop. 



In New Mexico there will be 150 per cent as much as 

 in 1917, while Colorado claims about what they had last 

 season, which is in the neighborhood of two-thirds of a 

 crop. Montana will average well up to last year, as will 

 Idaho. Wyoming may have a little more honey than 

 it did in 1917. 



In California reports are conflicting. Most reports are 

 that there will be from 40 to 70 per cent as much honey 

 as last year. The Imperial Valley will range well up to 

 list year, as will Riverside County. One reporter in 

 Acton states that he will get three times as much as in 

 1917, but the bulk of the reports are as above stated. 



FALL REPORTS 



Prospects for the balance of the crop rank generally 

 about up to 1917, except that conditions seem to be un- 

 favorable in Tennessee, Minnesota and Wisconsin. 



The following States expect more honey from now 

 on than they got in 1917: New York, Western Iowa, Ne- 

 braska, Kansas, Wyoming. 



INCREASE 



Great efforts have been made by beekeepers to re- 

 trieve previous losses and bring the number of bees 

 above what it has been in the past year or two. Most 

 localities report all losses made up and possibly some in- 

 crease. Those States making the most increase seem to 

 be Florida, Ohio, Western Iowa, South Dakota, Nebraska, 

 Kansas, New Mexico, Montana and Wyoming. 



Texas claims that it will take a year or two yet to 

 make up past losses, and California claims bees not up 

 to past numbers yet. Missouri, with successive poor 

 crops, is very short of bees. 



On the whole, there are hardly more bees than in 1917, 

 and very likely less, especially if the smaller farmer bee- 

 keeper is taken into consideration, and this, too, in spite 

 of the efforts of most beekeepers to follow the urging of 

 the authorities to boost honey production. 



HONEY DEMAND 



In most instances the honey is still on the hives. Local 

 demand is very good and there is no difficulty in dispos- 

 ing of the crop, if the beekeeper is satisfied with the 

 prices being offered him. Bottlers are buying, but not 

 like they did in 1917. 



It has been suggested that honey should hardly hold 

 its present high mark, owing to the difficulty of shipping 

 abroad. It is certain that shipping agents and forward- 

 ers have difficulty in getting space on boats. In spite of 

 this, however, honey is moving to England, and brokers 

 on the job in New York do not hesitate to offer on all 

 honey offered them. Shipping conditions, too, should im- 

 prove as the time goes on. 



HONEY PRICES 



In our last report we suggested a minimum price of 

 20 cents for white extracted honey. We see no reason to 

 change this, unless it should be slightly. We know of 

 two cars of sweet clover honey from Mississippi being 

 sold for 20 cents per pound f. o. b. shipping station. This 

 is for new crop. 



One Georgia producer sold 200 barrels extracted at 18 

 cents, while his comb went for $4.50 per case. He states 

 that he will take no less for the balance of his crop. 



Some of the offers are being made to producers as 

 follows: Kentucky white, 22c; Texas, 18c; Colorado, 18c 

 and $5.50 for comb; California amber, ISyic; white, 20c; 

 water white, 22c- 



Members of the Montana Association had a meeting 

 recently and recommended the following as the minimum 

 which should be obtained: White extracted, 20c, and 

 comb $6 per case. 



Several producers, some of them having as high as 

 100,000 to 200,000 pounds, are expecting to hold for a 

 price of 25 cents for white extracted, while one of Col- 

 orado's largest comb honey producers is asking $6 per 

 case for No. 1 comb honey. 



One New York broker has suggested that he can get 

 22 cents for amber and 24 cents for white in cans f. o. b. 

 Xi« York, his brokerage to be deducted. Depending on 

 the freight rate, this would net from 19 to 20 cents for 

 amber and 20 to 22 cents for white. 



We see no reason for changing our idea of relative 

 prices. Prices as recommended by the Montana Associa- 

 tion should be obtained. Possibly the market will ad- 

 vance, but information at hand now would hardly war- 

 rant our suggesting it to subscribers, though it hardly 

 seems that prices as above will see much shrinkage, un- 

 less something unforeseen should occur. 



