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AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



September 



Crop Report and Market Condition 



For our September number we asked reporters to let 

 us know how the crop compared to last year, and about 

 what amount would be secured per colony. Also if they 

 had sold their honey and at what price, and what offers 

 were being made by buyers. 



THE CROP 



We are likely safe in saying that the crop will not 

 measure up to that of last year, and last year's crop 

 was hardly up to the average. 



In the New England States there will be about half 

 as much as last year, and the extreme losses during last 

 winter will need another year to be recuperated. 



New York. has half a crop, or about the same as last 

 year, possibly a little better. Some sections report 

 much better, but the average is about as stated above. 



Ohio claims a fine crop — much better than last year. 



Illinois is probably a little better than in 1917, since 

 the 1917 crop was a failure. 



Indiana has little, Missouri is poor, as is Kansas, and 

 most of Iowa has had a crop failure, the western por- 

 tion being the exception. This is the region where sweet 

 clover plays such an important part. 



Michigan will hardly have half a crop, the State over. 

 But in the northern peninsula there has been a very 

 good crop and the new beekeepers there are enthused. 



Wisconsin has had an absolute failure. It is reason- 

 ably certain that much sugar will have to be fed to bring 

 the bees through the winter in any shape. 



Most of Minnesota reports a failure, the biggest api- 

 arist there stating that he may possibly get 20 pounds 

 per colony. 



The sweet clover part of the Dakotas and Nebraska 

 will have more honey than last year, and the same is 

 true of Oklahoma. 



The South has a fair crop, though Georgia and Flor- 

 ida can hardly keep up to the 1917 crop, which was un- 

 usually large. Kentucky and Tennessee are probably a 

 little above a year ago. 



The Colorado average is probably up to last year, 

 though one large association there claims only about a 

 half crop. Some few claim more honey than in 1917. 



Texas has had another hard year, but better even at 

 that than 1917, when there was little honey. 



In Idaho the crop is in excess of 1917, as it is also in 

 Wyoming and Utah. Montana will have about the same 

 as a year ago. In Washington the crop will hardly be 

 up to average. 



Reports from California are conflicting, but a ma- 

 jority of them report from two-thirds to three-fourths 

 of last year, while some claim failure and a few state 

 they think that the crop will about equal 1917. 



HAVE LOSSES BEEN MADE UP? 



It is very doubtful if we have as many bees yet as we 

 had at the beginning of the 1917 season. Many bee- 

 keepers have put forth every effort to get their colonies 



strengthened and have made divisions at least to cover 

 all combs, but there are many of these divides that will 

 have to be united to go through the winter, owing to the 

 failure of the honey crop which would have helped made 

 them strong colonies. 



In our own yards, it is remarkable the amount of 

 stores the bees have used up since the slow and small 

 clover flow of spring. In preparing to move several 

 yards into the lowlands of the Mississippi in the hopes 

 of their tilling up for winter, we found little danger of 

 overloading the trucks with heavy colonies. Much honey 

 has been consumed in the last month. 



HONEY PRICES 



Very few prices are being suggested at a basis lower 

 than 20 cents f. o. b. producer's point for extracted. The 

 majority of offers in carlots by buyers range between 20 

 cents and 22J4 cents f. o. b. shipping point, put up in 5- 

 gallon cans. One or two offers have been made f. o. b. 

 California points as high as 23 cents, but we believe 

 these to be the exception. 



Comb honey is being offered at from $5.50 to $6.50 per 

 case, f o. b. shipping point, but relatively little of this 

 has been sold, most buyers not being ready for the mar- 

 ket, and waiting to see where the price will stabilize. 



PRICES EXPECTED 



Most beekeepers will be satisfied with a price of 25 

 cents for extracted honey, at least none have shown an 

 attitude of holding for more than this, while many have 

 sold their honey in the neighborhood of 20 cents, net. 



One Wyoming beekeeper, who has 80,000 pounds of ex- 

 tracted and 70,000 pounds of comb, expects to get 25 

 cents and $6.50 per case. A fair return for 1918, at least. 



WHERE WILL PRICES GO? 



It is hard to tell where prices will go on honey. Will 

 they get up to 30 cents wholesale, as some seem to ex- 

 pect? 



The demand by trades which must resort to other 

 sweets besides sugar, such as fountains, ice-cream manu- 

 facturers, soda water men, etc., has helped stimulate the 

 demand. 



The foreign demand is still good, also. 



The beekeeper who is profiting by these prices and 

 selling his honey in car lots must remember, however, 

 that when the time of stabilization comes he may be glad 

 to have his home markets to fall upon, and that he 

 should keep them supplied if possible now, goes without 

 saying. 



A recent letter from Australia states that there is one 

 consignment of honey lying in port there of 400 tons, 

 unable to move owing to the lack of ships. This is only 

 one, probably, of many in different ports of the world. 

 When shipping does become easier, this competition is 

 bound to have its effect on our own prices here. When 

 this will come it is hard to tell. 



