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212 



T^NTH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



general topic among the bee-keepers. 

 The smaller bee-keepers are awaken- 

 ing to the fact that they are losing 

 ground, and are striving for practical 

 information. There is another class, 

 which we call "hard-shell" bee-keep- 

 ers, who use only the log-gum, or box- 

 hives. These bee-keepers will be out 

 of business as soon as some energetic 

 man comes along to buy them. And 

 the outside world is becoming more 

 and more interested, and fast swell- 

 ing the number who are putting forth 

 efforts for the betterment of honey- 

 production. 



Our greatest drawback has been a 

 market for our product, but this ob- 

 stacle is now removed, and we are no 

 longer able to supply the demand. 

 But this has been accomplished only 

 after great efforts on the part of the 

 leading bee-keepers. 



Our Southern cane crop is smaller 

 each season on account of the drouth 

 late in the summer and extending 

 through the season in which the cane 

 matures. This makes syrup scarce, 

 and that which is obtainable is not 

 very wholesome or satisfactory. For 

 general table use, honey is next to 

 syrup, and ^is would naturally bring 

 about a great change in the demand 

 for honey. 



Surely, never before in the history 

 of Southern honey-production has it 

 received the earnest consideration it 

 has at this present time, and we fully 

 believe, taking all things into consid- 

 eration, that the time has about come 

 for iSouthern honey-production to 

 come up to as high a standard as it 

 has elsewhere. The great amount of 

 bee-supplies that have been placed 

 over the South for the last few sea- 

 sons, by the bee-supply manufacturers 

 and their agents, will substantiate me 

 in the above assertions. 



But what about the future? I dare 

 not take the opportunity on this oc- 

 casion to boost honey- production in, 

 my ipart of the 'world, but fromi what 

 I know lof honey-production elsewhere, 

 and from the testimonials of others 

 w^ho have moved into our Southland, 

 the possibilities are just as great here 

 as in other countries where it has so 

 wonderfully developed; and on ac- 

 count of nsot having to figiht diseases 

 and solve wintering problems as the 

 bee-keepers have to do in other coun- 

 tries, it makes the possibilities greater 



here for the more extensive producers, 

 for we do not have the two drawbacks 

 to contend with. While "^he average in 

 some southern localities may not be 

 as great as elsewhere, yet the obsta- 

 cles are fewer, and make up for the 

 sihortage. 



The vast amount of unoccupied ter- 

 ritory and the transportation over 

 same; the great number of colonies 

 of bees in a neglected condition well 

 scattered over this country, seeming- 

 ly awaiting their term for culture; 

 the many sources of honey, lar great 

 variety of honey-plants coming in 

 bloom at different times of the year; 

 the long seasons, the beautiful coun- 

 try; the pleasant climate; the many 

 different kinds of location — on top of 

 the aiDoiuntain, down in the valley of 

 plains, out on the level country along 

 the rivers, lakes, and on -the beach 

 can be found locations to suit all, 

 either for a small or an extensive 

 business, tihese with many other ad- 

 vantages and a ready market for the 

 product, make the possibilities for 

 honey-productiloin almost beyond con- 

 ception here in the South, and the en- 

 ergetic bee-keeper who loves to hustle 

 certainly has here a fertile field in 

 'Wihich to exert himself. 



J. J. WIDDER. 

 Cordele, Ga. 



FEEDING BETWEEN FRUIT-BLOS- 

 SOM AND CLOVER. 



"Will Mr. Crane ' iplease tell us 

 about how much more honey he re- 

 ceived through feeding ihds bees be- 

 tween fruit-blossom and clover, in 

 1910?" 



J. E. Crane — This is a very interest- 

 ing question, and lone of exceeding im- 

 portance. I would say frankly, to start 

 with, that I don't know, but there are 

 a, great many questions we don't know 

 how to answer that are neverthe- 

 less very valuable " to ask, and then 

 guess at or arrive at a conclusion as 

 nearly as piossible. I say I don't 

 know. We fed about two thousand 

 pounds, and the probabilities, are, so 

 far as I can estimate, that that two 

 thousand pounds brought us in at least 

 20 thousand pounds of honey. This is 

 the way I get at it. One of my neigihi- 

 bors, an excellent man, who is a tin- 

 smith, by the" way, but keeps bees as 

 a side-issue, giot so busy at work with 

 his profession that he, like most of us. 



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