!919 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



283 



Crop and Market Report 



Compiled by M. G. Dadanl 



THE CROP COMPARED TO LAST YEAR 



In Massachusetts and the New England States, the crop 

 is equal to last year, if not better. In New York it is 

 probably /5 per cent of what it was last season, and re- 

 ports, in some cases, state it will be about up to 1918. 



In the States comprising Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, 

 and Illinois, the crop has been below normal, owing co 

 the drought, although some localities have been favored 

 with rain and will have a better crop than last year. 



In the whole Southeast, the crop has been fairly good. 

 Alabama claims about two-thirds of a crop, while Geor- 

 gia and Florida will probably be normal. South Caro- 

 lina is above normal. 



Louisiana will have only a fair crop, but Texas has 

 exceedingly flattering reports. In Texas the reports indi- 

 cate that the crop will be from 200 to 300 per cent above 

 last year, and reliable reporters state that it is above 

 the normal crop covering a period of 10 or IS years. Ken- 

 tucky claims a little better crop than last year, while 

 Missouri will be at least as good as 1918, as there was no 

 crop in Missouri last year. Kansa? is hardly up to 1918. 



In Iowa the reports are very much varied in different 

 localities. Eastern Iowa, as a general rule, will have very 

 little crop, but western Iowa will probably range above 

 last season. Reports indicate it will be 25 per cent better. 



Michigan will have from one-third to three-fourths of 

 last year's crop, which will be a little less than normal. 

 Wisconsin claims a half crop, after a failure last year. 



Minnesota is about half of normal and nearly up to 

 last year. 



Unfortunately, the crop in the inter-mountain States 

 seems to be short. Arizona reports would indicate about 

 a fourth of a crop, and New Mexico reports it will have 

 less than in 1918. The majority of reports from Colorado 

 indicate about half a crop. Wyoming is good, but not as 

 good as 1918, and Montana is below last year. So is Idaho. 



The same is true of the Pacific Coast States. California 

 reports, as a general rule, from nothing to 75 per cent of 

 last year, with a majority of the reporters claiming about 

 50 per cent of the 1918 crop. One lone reporter states he 

 will get twice as much as last season. 



Summing the matter up, the crop would fall short 

 of last year, although the increased number of bees may 

 increase the total somewhat. We await, with impatience, 

 the data gathered by the Department of Agriculture as 

 to just what percentage of crop th ;re is this year. This, 

 of course, is very slow in coming out, and may be three 

 weeks to a month late. 



CROP PROSPECTS 



In the New England States the prospects for the bal- 

 ance of the year are above normal, while in New York 

 they are probably normal. Ohio seems to have fair pros- 

 pects, as do the other Central States, although there is 

 not much fall crop harvested here. The Southeast will 

 have very little during the fall, although there are minor 

 flows. In Texas the prospects for a fall crop are good. 

 There is an exception, however, in mesquite, which will 

 be less than the average this year. 



Apiaries located along the rivers, the Mississippi and 

 Missouri especially, claim to have very good prospects for 

 a fall flow. In western Iowa the same is true. The pros- 

 pects from now on seem to be fine. 



In the intermountain States the crop is not nearly .ill 

 harvested, but the prospects appear to be about 50 per 

 cent. 



In California the prospects are mostly poor, although a 

 few localities claim there will be a fair crop. All in all. 

 we do not believe the honey gathered from now on will' 

 have any great influence on the market. The harvest 

 during the last two months of summer is not very large 

 when bulked in proportion to that of June and July 

 PRICES OFFERED 



Very few reported having offers on honey. One large 

 Alabama producer was offered \Zy 2 cents for tupelo and 

 15 cents for sweet clover honey, which offers he refused. 

 Many Texas beekeepers have been offered from 11 to 15 

 cents for their extracted honey in two 60-pound cans. 



These, however, in practically every instance, were re- 

 fused. 



One party in Iowa was offered 15 cents, another in 

 Idaho sold his comb honey for $6 per case, and several 

 reporters in California had been offered and refused 17 

 cents for orange and 16 cents for white sweet clover. The 

 situation as to offers has not changed very much from 

 our last report. The big buyers seem to be holding off to 

 see just where the market will settle, thinking possibly 

 prices will drop later on. 



PRICES EXPECTED 



It is very pleasing to note that beekeepers are a unit in 

 thinking they should get a good price for their honey. 

 Only one or two beekeepers state they will be satisfied 

 with the price of 13 to 15 cents for extracted and $5 per 

 case for comb. Practically all the others desire in the 

 neighborhood of 16 cents for amber and 18 to 20 cents 

 for white extracted honey, with a price ranging from 

 $6 to $7 for comb. 



The California Co-operative Association raised their 

 prices over previous quotations and are now asking 18^2 

 cents for orange and 16^ cents for white sweet clover 

 honey, f. o. b. coast. The Texas Association is expecting 

 to get for its members in the neighborhood of W/ 2 to 17 

 cents for light amber extracted, and proportionately more 

 for bulk comb. 



It is interesting to note that reporters, as a rule, ask. 

 more per pound for their honey than is being quoted on 

 the market by the different Co-operative Associations. 

 This shows a tendency favorable to holding this honey 

 off the market until the association price is accepted as 

 the standard. 



The Texas Association has sent out a bulletin to its 

 members urging them not to sell at a reduced figure. 

 Evidently there are plenty of buyers at a low figure, if the 

 beekeepers are willing to accept. The Texas Association 

 has made arrangements, also, for storage of their honey. 

 Beekeepers may get 60 per cent of the value of their 

 honey as soon as it is placed in a bonded warehouse. In 

 this manner the association executive can hold the honey 

 until they get the proper prices. A similar plan, no 

 doubt, is being carried out by the California and Colorado 

 Associations. 



Threre is not much doubt that the formation of the 

 many county associations throughout the whole United 

 States has had a gratifying influence in holding up prices. 

 The beekeepers have found the benefits of association 

 and will apply them to marketing as well as to purchas- 

 ing supplies and handling their colonies. 



WHAT WILL PRICES BE? 



It is a very difficult matter to make any guess as to 

 where prices will settle. There are some important items 

 which will have a bearing. The beekeepers seem to be 

 working as a unit towards prices almost as good as last 

 year's, and this they should have in order to compensate 

 them for the high prices of all supplies, tin containers, 

 etc. 



Another thing which will help hold up the price is that 

 the well-posted authorities state there is a shortage in 

 the sugar supply for the season of from one to two mil- 

 lion pounds. 



The export of honey also is going better now, and more 

 and more is being shipped out. 



Notwithstanding all this, the demand for honey is not 

 excessive. It is, of course, a little early, and we look for 

 requests for prices to come in at a good rate as soon as 

 cooler weather arrives. 



We have received one report of request for prices on 

 two carloads of white honey for December delivery. This 

 came from a former wholesale liquor firm, who had evi- 

 dently changed to the manufacture of sweets of some 

 kind. It has further been reported that a large Mis- 

 souri brewery is turning its entire equipment toward the 

 making of candy. No doubt the output of soft drinks, 

 sweets, etc., will be very much enlarged through the en- 

 forcement of the anti-liquor law. How much effect this 

 will have upon honey is yet to be seen. 



