HOIfTEYBEES AND HONEY PRODUCTION. 



23 



bees have changed hands and the new holders know nothing 

 of their performance the past season. Only about half those 

 reporting colonies of bees reported any honey production. 

 The figures for the different States are shown in Table VI. 

 The returns of the reporters of the Bureau of Crop Estimates 

 indicate yields much higher, being for the five years, 1913 to 

 1917, inclusive, 40.6, 32.2, 42.3, 52.8, and 40.3 pounds, 

 respectively. The figures by States are shown in comparison 

 with the census averages in Table VI. These figures, how- 

 ever, represent to a considerable extent the production of the 

 colonies belonging to the reporters, which would naturally 

 be above the average, because the reporters are in the main 

 producers of honey on a commercial scale, using modem 

 methods and giving proper attention to the bees, with the 

 natural result of increased yields. They represent also, in 

 large proportion, beekeepers who are not farmers. The 

 latter, usually handling bees as a side line, are able to give 

 them attention only when their main occupations are not 

 pressing. Unfortunately, general farm work is usually press- 

 ing at the time when bees must have attention if good honey 

 crops are to be secured. It will be seen by reference to 

 Table VI that the highest yields, year by year, are secured 

 in the Western States, including those of the Pacific coast, 

 and especially California, the North Central group, particu- 

 larly those of the northern tier, the Middle Atlantic group, 

 Florida and Texas. The Southeastern States possess poten- 

 tial resources for heavy honey production, but modern 

 equipment and practices have yet to be generally introduced 



there. 



Table VII. — Honey production. 

 (Unites States Census.) 



State. 



Honey produced in year stated. 



1879 



M^ne 



New Hampshire 



Vermont 



Massachusetts... 

 Khode Island... 



Connecticut 



New York 



New Jersey 



Pennsylvania... 

 Delaware. 



Pmiiiia. 

 314,685 

 125, 142 

 212,150 

 59,125 

 5,261 



62, 730 



2,369,751 



185,925 



1,402,128 



66, 137 



Pownis. 

 155,640 

 56,944 

 142,932 

 25,299 

 6,290 



32,158 

 896,286 



60,636 

 796,989 



33,151 



Pmmis. 

 198,499 

 87,886 

 221,729 

 49,397 

 8,397 



100,378 

 2,088,845 



131,342 



1,415,093 



76,234 



Pound*. 



260,481 



112,114 



379,096 



90,929 



13,740 



130,632 

 4,281,964 



160,310 



2,453,424 



66,468 



Paimis. 

 200,080 



89,260 

 182,278 

 109,050 



28,450 



122,960 

 3,422,497 



174, 250 

 2,526,202 



101,410 



Pounds. 



112,051 

 65,038 



160,283 

 96,802 

 14,221 



145,722 

 3,191,733 



152,072 



1,840,360 



62,777 



