356 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Crop Report and Market Condition 



October 



Compiled by M. G. Dadant 



For our October report we have asked our reporters 

 to write us a brief summary of about the size of crop se- 

 cured, demand for honey, whether bees will need feeding 

 t.»r winter, condition of honey plants, and honey prices. 



THE HONEY CROP 



In the New England Slates, Maine reports about 40% 

 of last year, with other States reporting about the same 

 as last year, with the exception of Connecticut, which has 

 more honey than in 1917. 



In New Jersey, the crop is very small, and New York 

 expects a total of from 50 to 75% of last year. Spots in 

 this State report a full crop, with others much under 

 last year. 



Ohio has more honey than in 1917, averaging about 50 

 pounds per colony for those reporting. 



The South is hardly up to last year, though likely up 

 to the average of a five-year period, since last year was 

 above the ordinary. Louisiana is the exception, with 

 very little surplus, with Tennessee about 50% of last 

 year, and Kentucky normal. 



Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and Southern Iowa have had 

 near a failure, much of the short crop being due to se- 

 vere drought, which cut off the white clover in spring 

 and spoiled any chances of a fall crop. With our own 

 bees, we moved 300 colonies from 20 to 35 miles to get 

 them in the Mississippi bottoms to avert a famine. Last 

 examinations reveal that they have filled their brood- 

 chambers well, and may make enough surplus to pay for 

 the haul, which was done by trucks. 



Michigan had a poor spring crop, followed by a very- 

 good fall flow in some localities. It is certain, however, 

 that the crop will be far below the total of 1917, and one 

 large dealer reports that very little Michigan honey will 

 be sold outside of Michigan. 



Wisconsin has had as near a failure as possible. Prac- 

 tically all reports are uniform, except a few in the 

 northern part of the State. 



Minnesota's crop is poor, averaging hardly 20 pounds 

 per colony. South Dakota is the same, except in the 

 southeastern part, or sweet clover section, where the 

 crop was fine, as it is in the sweet clover section of west- 

 ern Iowa and eastern Nebraska and Kansas. 



Texas will certainly not have over 25% of a crop, but 

 even this will be more than the failure of last season. 

 The irrigated sections of New Mexico and Arizona have 

 had almost a normal crop. 



Colorado reports close to normal crop, as do Utah and 

 Wyoming, while the reports from Montana arc very 

 good, and from Idaho and Washington, far above last 

 year. 



California will have about half a crop. 

 Taken all in all, tin- crop will not equal that of 1917, 

 which was below normal. 



FEEDING OF BEES 



Roughly speaking, bees will need feeding in all locali- 

 ties where the crop was a complete or near failure this 

 year, and this means some feeding in Xew Jersey, parts 

 of New York, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin, parts of 

 Michigan and Minnesota, Louisiana, Texas, Missouri and 

 possibly some in California. 



CONDITION OF PLANTS 



the condition of plants varies, especially in tin whin 

 clover region. Some of the States which show the ef- 

 fects of the drought most are Indiana, Illinois, Wiscon- 

 sin, Southern Iowa, Missouri and parts of Texas. Copious 

 rains in some parts of these areas have tended to make 

 the outlook a little better for the clover, but conditions 

 are far from roseate. 



HONEY DEMAND AND PRICES 



Everywhere, without exception, the demand for honey 

 is extremely good. Many reporters -ire se'ling to their 

 local trade at about the same figures that they could get 

 by shipping their honey all in one lump to the larger 

 dealers in the big cities, very likely because they want 

 to hold their local trade and are entirely satisfied with 

 the prices obtained. 



Retail prices for honey, the country over, vary from 

 25 to 50 cents, depending on the container and on the 

 attitude of the seller. 



Wholesale prices obtained by the beekeeper vary from 

 22 to 25 cents for extracted and from $6 to $7 per case 

 for comb, depending on quality and freight rates to the 

 largest terminals. Not a few of the reporters had been 

 offered 25 cents for white extracted, a price for which 

 they had been holding since their honey was ready for 

 market, and several are holding for even a higher price. 



It is certain that anyone wanting to sell ean get rid 

 of his honey crop at a price of 25 cents f. o. b. Chicago 

 or New York. 



To show the hungry demand for honey, we quote from 

 the report of a Missouri correspondent, a big beekeeper 

 who has developed a large local trade and must find 

 honey this year to fill orders. He says : 



"The honey prices here are gone plumb crazy, or 

 maybe it is the beekeepers. I am retailing extracted 

 honey for 30 cents — could get 40. Six hundred pounds I 

 bought got here September 7 — all gone in two days. I 

 have to hide from my old customers; but I will take off 

 4,000 pounds or more soon, and can then face them again 

 for about five days. After that I will take a little trip, 

 as I can't buy any more. No, I can't take a trip, because 

 we must save gasoline — guess I will buy a rope." 



Ilie export demand is still good, and with the present 

 activity all honey will probably be sold and into the 

 hands of the consumer, or the hands of the big buyer 

 and wholesaler by the time Christmas vacation comes. 



