THE BEEKEEPERS' REVIEW 343 



Ontario National Honey Producers' Association Re- 

 port of the Secretary for May 



The total number of memberships in the Ontario Beekeepers' 

 Association received during the year ending October 31st, 1914, 

 is 1,284, compared with 1,404 last year. 



Four hundred and sixty-nine of these members came in from 

 26 affiliated county associations and the balance of 815 by single 

 subscriptions. 



The fact that only 120 members have fallen away in this year 

 of hard times and crop failures is very encouraging, especially in 

 view of the 875 increase a year ago. All those new members would 

 not renew at the end of the first year for reasons of sentiment, but 

 because they are getting their money's worth. 



The queen order business was continued during the year. Two 

 hundred and forty-seven members purchased 2,143 queens at an 

 average price of about 70 cents each. This will be continued next 

 year. 



The war situation in August brought on a serious menace to 

 the beekeeping industry in Canada owing to the difficulty of secur- 

 ing sugar for winter feeding. The secretary sent a letter to the 

 members of the association advising them to communicate with 

 their representatives in the Dominion Legislature urging some 

 special provision for beekeepers under the circumstances. The 

 subject was debated in the House, and was referred to Sir Geo. 

 E. Foster, Minister of Trade and Commerce, who wrote to the 

 secretary asking for a statement of the beekeepers' needs. A sec- 

 ond letter was then sent out to the members and about 100 replied 

 stating a total requirement of about 48,000 pounds of sugar for 

 winter feeding. The addresses of those making application were 

 sent to Sir Geo. E. Foster, with a statement of their requirements. 

 He very kindly sent these lists on to the sugar refiners, who in turn 

 sent them to their local agents throughout Ontario, instructing 

 them to see that bonafide beekeepers were supplied with plenty of 

 sugar at wholesale rates. 



Acting as Provincial Apiarist, the secretary took a spring 

 report on beekeeping, sending blank forms to a large number of 

 Ontario beekeepers the latter part of April. One thousand one 

 hundred and fifty replies were received reporting 38,222 colonies, 

 spring count. The average winter loss was only seven and one-half 

 per cent, and prospects for a honey crop very bright. The reports 

 taken later, however, showed almost a total failure of the honey 

 crop. MORLEY PETTIT, Secretary-Treasurer. 



