1919 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



Crop and Market Report 



319 



Compiled by 



For our September report we asked the following 

 questions of our reporters : 



1. What has the yield been? 



2. What do you expect in the fall flow? 



3. How is honey selling, and what is being ottered for 

 the same? 



4. Is there tendency to go back to comb honey, owing 

 to the demand for it? 



5. Give information on prices and future prospects. 



THE CROP 



It is unfortunate that the crop has been as short as 

 our reports would indicate. We would judge that the 

 total crop will fall considerably short of last year, this 

 owing to the fact that there will be a falling off in 

 many of the larger producing areas, as in the inter- 

 mountain States and in California. 



The Xew England States report the crop as only fair. 

 but not near up to last year. Nor is New York up to the 

 average. Prospects are yet favorable, but it is doubt- 

 ful if the total crop will come up to last season. 



In the South, conditions are about up to last year, with 

 some localities reporting less and some more. Ken- 

 tucky has about two-thirds of a crop, while Alabama is 

 above average. Louisiana is poor, as is Arkansas. 



In Texas the crop has about come up to expectations 

 and is generally much better than last year, some claim- 

 ing 200 per cent more than in 1918. The flow has been in- 

 terfered with to some extent by excessive rains. The 

 mesquite flow has suffered in this manner. But the crop 

 the State over is very good, and beekeepers are much 

 encouraged. They are beginning now to recoup their 

 losses. 



The whole white clover area will have scarcely any 

 crop, though there are spots, such as Wisconsin and 

 western Iowa, where the crop will be good. Illinois ■will 

 have no clover honey to speak of, nor will the bulk of 

 the white clover producing area. 



Michigan will have less than a half crop, while Wis- 

 consin may have more. 



Reports vary from the inter-mountain territory, but 

 indications are that the crop will not bulk up to what it 

 was in 1918. Colorado is fair, with Montana, Utah, Wy- 

 oming and some other States much below what they ex- 

 pected. 



In California all of the reports, with the exception of 

 probably one, indicate that the crop is not much over 

 half of what it was in 1918, and that it cannot be over 60 

 per cent of normal. Drought has cut in on the bean 

 crop, and indications for future crops are not of the 

 best. 



All in all our guess is that the crop for the whole 

 country will not be much over 75 per cent of what it was 

 last season. 



FALL CROP 



Very few localities report fall crop prospects, and their 

 bearing on the total is so small as to be neglected. In 

 the Central States, those located near the Spanish needle 

 and other fall flower fields, are hoping that their bees 

 can at least pick up enough to put them in good condi- 

 tion for winter. 



M. G. Dadant 



HONEY SALES, ETC. 



Honey is probably selling as readily as it ever has at 

 this season of the year, except when the sugar restric- 

 tions were in effect. In fact, the shortage of sugar re- 

 cently and the high prices of fruits to can has probably 

 increased the demand over normal. 



Most of the honey moving as yet, in the hands of deal- 

 ers, is of last year's crop, which in many instances is 

 being sold at a loss so as to clean up the old honey and 

 get ready for the new crop coming in. 



EXTRACTED TO COMB 



Very few are thinking of changing back to comb 

 honey, although there is a possible tendency that way. 

 The price of extracted has remained so high, and comb 

 honey prices so low in comparison, that the change back 

 has not been tempting. It may be that the shortage of 

 comb honey will assert itself later on and that its price 

 will advance so as to be an extra inducement for next 

 season. 



PROSPECTS FOR HONEY PRICES 



In most instances producers are being offered from 14 

 to 16 cents for amber honey and from 16 to 18 ceins 

 for white, with many sales at these prices. We under- 

 stand that one of the biggest bottlers of honey is offer- 

 ing and has bought some white honey at a price of 18 

 cents. Buyers, as a rule, do not seem anxious to offer, 

 and this is not to be wondered at, since most of the 

 big wholesalers and bottlers have stocks on hand from 

 last year which they would be glad to clean up at last 

 year's prices. In fact some of them are selling at a loss. 

 We got one report of 1,200 cases bought at 26 cents last 

 fall being sold for 12 cents this summer. We hardly be- 

 lieve that the loss has been this great in most instances, 

 but we do know of one or two instances in which 25- 

 cent honey has gone begging when offered at 20 cents. 

 Naturally this is going to hold back many advance offers 

 on honey on the part of the fellow who is still holding 

 over some of his 1918 purchases. 



We do not believe, however, that the beekeeper need 

 be fearing a slump in the honey prices. This honey will 

 gradually clean up, and we hope that the market will 

 stiffen as fall approaches. 



Surprising as it may seem, practically all producers are 

 holding for better prices than are being offered. Nearly 

 all reporters we are in touch with desire prices of it 

 least 18 cents for amber and 20 cents for white honey, 

 and many of them state that they must have last year's 

 prices, approaching 25 cents, before they will sell. 



Of course, the market is still bound to be unsettled, 

 but it hardly seems possible that honey prices will hold 

 to where they were a year ago, when the sugar embargo 

 was in effect, the war on, and the price inflated, so to 

 speak. We do believe, however, that a price approach- 

 ing 20 cents for white honey should obtain, and the 

 shortage of sugar should have not a little to do in get- 

 ting it, and even in pushing it to a higher point. Such 

 prices should be sufficiently remunerative to the com- 

 mercial beekeeper. 



