402 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' Ej]VIEW 



the previous season. I instructed 

 him to start on his second round 

 March the 15th and work about as 

 follows: Colonies with less than a 

 quart of bees and no brood were 

 set on strongest. Colonies with a 

 quart of bees or more and no brood 

 were given a frame of young brood 

 and eggs from strongest colonies, 

 and if the same sized colonies had 

 brood they were given a frame of 

 the nearest sealed brood from 

 atrongest colonies. The empty combs 

 were inserted in the middle of the 

 brood nest in the strongest and the 

 frames of brood in middle of weak- 

 er colonies. Any, light in stores, 

 were given a frame of honey as dur- 

 ing first round. 



I looked over my previous seas- 

 on's record and saw that the supply 

 of pollen would be barely enough 

 and that there would be just a 

 little nectar up to April the 10th 

 or 15th at which time the main 

 honey flow would start slowly. I 



wrote my man to start on the first 

 of April and go to three yards each 

 day for three successive days and 

 divide four of the strongest col- 

 onies in each yard into two equal 

 parts to be sure to put the queen 

 in the part carried to new stand. If 

 he failed to find queen in one, take 

 another, etc. He wrote me the day 

 he started and eight days after- 

 wards I took the train with a good 

 supply of queen cell protectors, 

 leaving my helpers at home in 

 charge until my return with full in- 

 structions how to proceed with the 

 work. On the morning of the 9th 

 day I was at my new field and 

 ready for work and by night my 

 helpers and I had made all the 

 desired increase at three yards in 

 the usual manner and by next night 

 all in three more and by next night 

 the task was accomplished. Busi- 

 ness was urgent at home but I 

 could spare one more day and on 

 (Continued on page 430) 



Crop Report-Honey 



Department of Agriculture, Washiiigton, 1). C. 



The results of the first inquiry of 

 the Bureau of Crop Estimates on 

 honey production are presented in 

 Table 8. The figures given are based 

 upon estimates received from the bu- 

 reau's regular corps of correspondents 

 and from a large special list of bee- 

 keepers. The number and character 

 of the reports received, insure that 

 the figures given fairly reflect the rela- 

 tive yield per colony this year and last, 

 with the one exception that the fail 

 flow this autumn may increase some- 

 what the yields for 1914. The i iturns 

 were particularly full and adequate 

 from all of the important honey-pro- 

 ducing sections. 



The yield is based on the total honey 

 surplus (removed or to be removed 

 from the hive) divided by the number 

 of colonies remaining at the close of 

 last winter. 



The honey yield in the white clover 

 belt of the central northern states has 

 been very disappointing, especially 

 when compared with the abundant 

 yield last year and also with the un- 

 usually bright prospects early in the 

 present year. Through many portions 

 of this belt the crop failed entirely. 

 The yields in the more northern states, 



where the dependence upon white 

 clover is not so great, were fair, 

 though generally somewhat under 

 those of last year. 



The yields in the important honey- 

 prcducing regions of southern Cali- 

 fornia and southern Texas were good. 

 The alfalfa yield in Colorado and Utah 

 was fair, though not equal to last year. 

 The South Atlantic and east Gulf 

 States have yields about the same as 

 last year — near an average crop. 



An interesting fact, developed by 

 this inquiry, is that the proportion of 

 comb and "chunk" honey is decreas- 

 ing and that the extracted is increas- 

 ing. Testimony from the producers 

 of beekeepers' supplies is corrobora- 

 tive of this finding. 



The practical failure of honey pro- 

 duction in much of the white clover 

 belt should put beekeepers there on 

 the alert to supplement the bees' 

 scanty fall stores with sirup to pre- 

 vent winter loss from starvation, un- 

 less the fall flow should prove unex- 

 pectedly abundant. Though the cost 

 of sugar is high, a good colony of 

 bees is worth much more than the 

 cost of furnishing full stores for tlie 

 winter. 



