BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
The following reports are taken from among some hundreds received and are from apiarists having 100 colonies and over :
_Brant_ : General condition somewhat weaker in brood and bees than in the average season, but building up fast. Loss 5 per cent., due to queenlessness; wintered in cellar, put in November 20 and taken out March 25; fed sugar syrup in fall about 20 lbs. to each colony; honey crops in good condition, alsike not much grown, but good growth of white clover.
_Bruce_ : General condition fair to good, loss during winter about 8 per cent., chiefly from failing queens; a few cases of dysentery; wintered in cellar, put in November 25, removed April 22; sugar syrup fed to make up any shortage; clovers came through in fair condition, but not much alsike grown for seed near this apiary.
_Dufferin_ : Colonies generally weak, nearly half of brood dead, in some cases seemingly chilled brood; considerable dysentery present; bees wintered in cellar; put in November 18th, removed April 22nd; buckwheat honey fed for winter stores; alsike not cultivated to any extent; white clover wintered safely.
_Dundas_ : Quite a number of colonies came out weak, but these are improving rapidly on good pasture and weather; loss heavy, 33 per cent., partly in cellar and remainder after being placed on summer stands; last year being such a poor honey year, quality of honey had a great deal to do with losses, some of honey having soured; wintered in cellar, put in November 18-20th, removed in April; enough surplus honey stored so did not need to feed sugar syrup; clover wintered well in this vicinity and is generally very abundant; basswood has been good source of nectar but is getting thinned out very rapidly.
_Durham_ : General condition good; wintered in summer stands in double walled hives; loss of three colonies, queenless; crops wintered fairly well and include white clover, alsike, basswood, shumac, golden rod and buckwheat.
_Elgin_ : Judging from my own, bees seem to have wintered well outside; neighbor wintered his in cellar and bees are in poor shape; loss 8 per cent., part queenless and balance through not being cared for soon enough in out yard; bees wintered outside, packed four in box in leaves, put in October 3rst, out May 20-25th; honey for winter stores; clover came through well and prospects look good for a crop, alsike grown to large extent and white clover common, basswood pretty well cut out.
_Esex_ : Bees came out of winter quarters in splendid shape; loss only 5 per cent., these being queenless; wintered on summer stands mostly in clamps, put in last week October; removed last week of May; honey fed for winter stores; white clover and alsike never in better condition; I work for both comb and extracted honey.
_Frontenac_ : General condition extra good, loss 12 per cent., wintered in cave in sand hill, outdoors, put in November 1-5, removed April 15th; honey and sugar syrup fed to late made colonies for winter stores; little disease except dysentery in four hives; white clover came out fine, alsike little grown in this section.
_Glengarry_ : Those who wintered their bees with combs from top story wintered well, others that fed sugar late did poorly; own loss 20 per cent.; too warm in cellar; bees put in November 10th, removed April 15th; all colonies finished with from 10-25 Ibs. sugar for winter; considerable dysentery present; clovers wintered well and are principal honey plants.
_Grenville_ : General condition fair to good; mostly wintered in cellars; honey fed for winter stores; quite a lot of dysentery present; clovers came through in excellent condition; other honey producing plants are, basswood, buckwheat, wild cherry, raspberry, golden rod, boneset, etc.
_Grey_ : Bees came out weak, but doing well since; loss 20 per cent., due to starvation and spring dwindling; wintered part in cellar and balance outside packed; honey fed for winter stores; clover came through well and is main honey plant here.
_Haldimand_ : General condition good; no loss, wintered outdoors packed in chaff and sawdust in November; part honey and part sugar syrup fed for winter stores; clovers came through fine, a lot being grown here.
_Halton_ : Colonies in good condition; loss about 7 per cent., due to old queens and queenlessness; wintered two-thirds in cellar, balance in separate hives, packed with sawdust on summer stands; put in November 20th, out April 14th; winter stores, sugar syrup; clovers wintered well; alsike, white clover and basswood being the only plants to give any surplus; alsike grown more largely this season.
_Hastings_ : General condition only medium, spring has been cold and wet; loss 14 per cent., due largely to flooding, of cellar, causing dysentery; put in cellar November 29th, removed April 22nd; honey fed for stores; white clover rather good shape; alsike poorer, we depend on clovers and buckwheat for our crop.
_Huron_ : General condition fair to poor; some wintered well, others had considerable loss through cold and queenlessness, wintered outdoors in campus, honey with a little sugar syrup fed for winter stores; clovers came through fine; alsike and white clovers being grown extensively.
_Lambton_ : General condition good with few losses, only 4 per cent., in own apiary; wintered in clamps packed in dry sawdust, put in November 1st, removed May rst; no disease present; clovers came through winter all right; raspberries and basswood also give surplus honey.
_Lanark_ : Colonies in poor condition, heavy losses general; 40 per cent. in this apiary, due largely to starvation; no honey gathered after July of 1997; wintered in cellar, put in November 1th, removed April 17th; clover wintered well, but not much alike grown; very large crop of dandelions in spring.
_Leeds_ : Colonies in fairly good condition notwithstanding continuance of cloudy and rainy weather; loss 9 per cent.; bees wintered in cellar, put in November 8th, removed April 2oth; sugar syrup largely fed for stores in this vicinity; some few colonies showed presence of dysentery; white and alsike clovers suffered badly from drought of 1907, but the rains of this spring have brought the clover into nice condition.
_Lincoln_ : General condition good; no loss whatever; bees wintered partly in cellar, and partly outdoors packed in cases; stored November 28th, out again March 25th; sugar fed to make up what bees lacked in natural stores; no disease present except a little dysentery; crops wintered very well, these with a little basswood being only sources we have here for surplus honey.
_Manitulin_ : General condition poor; loss 33 per cent. from dampness in cellar and lack of queens; bees were put in November 15th, taken out May 5th; clovers came through winter in very poor condition.
_Middlesex_ : Some loss reported among small bee-keepers; none in our apiary, and bees are in grand condition; colonies wintered on summer stands packed in clamps, four in each clamp; put away first part of October, and unpacked on 18th of May; bees were fed on sugar syrup, which is the best stores one year with another, no signs of disease present; we are very well supplied with both wheat and alsike clover, both at home and out-yard; these crops never looked better.
_Muskoka_ : General condition very good, but loss about 20 per cent.; were re-queened heavily last fall and some were queenless this spring, this being particular cause of loss; bees wintered in clamps on summer stands packed in four inches forest leaves with some fine sawdust; bees were placed in clamps about October 1st and removed May 2oth; sugar syrup fed for winter stores; clovers in good shape and grown to quite a large extent.
_Norfolk_ : Bees came out in fair condition; loss 4 per cent., due to experimenting in swarming; bees wintered in basement of stock barn partitioned off by themselves; bees housed December 3oth, set out April 7th; no winter stores necessary as the colonies averaged 30 lbs. honey each when put in; all clovers came through winter in good shape; this is a white clover locality but farmers have just nicely started in alsike.
_Northumberland_ : Colonies strong; loss 9 per cent., caused by old queens, and in some cases by spring dwindling; bees wintered in cellar put in December 1st, taken out April 5th; each colony fed to lbs. of sugar syrup for winter stores; clovers wintered well and are grown to quite an extent.
_Ontario_ : General condition fairly good; loss in my apiary 8 per cent., due largely to old queens; bees wintered one-half in cellar, others in special cases made to hold two hives each with 6 inches sawdust; cases have slide cover in front to take out when putting hives in on the level; buckwheat and goldenrod honey given as winter stores; no disease present; alsike in good condition, but early frosts in 1907 killed half of the clover in our neighborhood; had to plow up 14 acres, and have only to left which was double seeded.
_Oxford_ : Bees in fine shape; practically no loss; put in cellar from the 25th November to 1oth December; no winter stores required; no signs of disease this spring; clovers came through the winter in good shape and other bloom is abundant.
_Peel_ : Bees in fairly good condition, much better than last year; loss in my own apiary rather heavy, due to the dry fall, and on. that account bees were not in good shape for winter; bees wintered outdoors in boxes, three hives to a box covered all around sides with 4 inches of leaves and with 6-8 inches of leaves on top; put in case early in November, taken out May 15th; sugar syrup fed quite largely for winter stores; some dysentery present; clover seems to be plentiful; alsike grown considerably but no other crops this season on account of dry weather.
_Perth_ : General condition very good; loss through shortage of supplies 15 per cent.; wintered in single clamps packed with forest leaves put in about the 1st November, removed May 16th; honey fed for winter stores; foul brood in five colonies; clovers are all right; alsike grown to quite an extent; very little buckwheat, plenty of basswood when it yields.
_Prescott_ : Bees in fairly good shape; loss 10 per cent.; wintered in cellar, put in November 8th, removed April 18th; sugar syrup fed for winter stores; some signs of dysentery among six colonies; wintered on honey alone; clovers came through fine, large amounts grown here, also basswood.
_Prince Edward_ : Most colonies dead; what few are left in good condition; very backward in building up on account of cold spring; loss 65 per cent.; honey crop total failure here in 1907, many bees starved owing to long confinement and no fight from November 8th to April 23rd, and bees flying out up to May 18th perished owing to cold winds and rain. Bees' wintered in repository above ground; put in November 8th, removed April 23rd; sugar syrup fed for winter stores; clovers came through in good shape, prospects good; plenty of alsike and clover, and some buckwheat grown.
_Ren/rew_ : Colonies only in fair condition; loss here 30 per cent.; wintered in cellar, put in about November 15th; sugar syrup fed for winter stores, clovers came through in good shape.
_Russell_ : Bees are in good condition now; about 15 per cent., loss caused by want of stores and queenless colonies; wintered in cellar, put in November 12th, taken out April 23rd, about ten days later than usual; sugar syrup fed if necessary with about one-third honey; a few colonies showed signs of dysentery in the spring; all kinds of clovers came through in fine shape.
_Simcoe_: Colonies having enough honey were in good condition; loss here 20 per cent., due to shortness of stores; wintered in cellar, put in 8th December, taken out second week in April; about 40 lbs. of honey left with each colony in the fall; foul brood in two hives; owing to trying season last year, clover crop is very small, about 20 acres within reach of my bees; not as much clover grown as formerly.
_Victoria_: Strong colonies are building up fairly well and weaker ones held their own, very weak ones dwindled badly on account of cold and wet; loss in six apiaries here 40 per cent.; wintered in clamps, four in clamp with 3 inches dry sawdust around and 6 inches on top; most of us found enough fall honey in the hives for winter stores, but where fed with sugar syrup, the queens are mostly alive now; the queens that died had more or less dysentery; foul brood present in this vicinity; alsike looks well generally, about ten acres grown on each farm; no white clover sown.
_Waterloo_: Only in fair condition; loss 20 per cent., caused by dysentery, and in some cases by starvation; bees partly in cellar and partly outside packed in chaff, four colonies in the case; put in cellar November 26th, removed on April 6th. Bee-keeping badly neglected here owing to failures of the last few years; not enough sugar fed, mostly honey; on account of dry fall last year, there is not much white clover; alsike looks good but more should be raised.
_Welland_: General condition good, and losses 5 per cent., caused by starvation and queenlessness; wintered in cellar, put in November 16-29, removed April 10-14; fed on sugar for winter stores; dysentery showing in colonies; clovers wintered well, white plentiful, not much alsike and no buckwheat here.
_Wellington_: General condition fairly good; loss 12 per cent. from dysentery; wintered in cellar, put in November 2oth, out April 25th; fed on honey for winter stores; clovers fairly good shape, alsike grown to a considerable extent.
_Wentworth_: Colonies in good shape; loss!5 per cent., due to starvation and failing queens; wintered partly in cellar and partly outside, packed in chaff; poorest colonies among those from the cellar; put away November 2oth, started putting out on the 12th March, a few each day; that was suitable, finished about April 1st; winter stores largely buckwheat honey, but also fed 300 lbs. sugar; some little signs of dysentery owing to cellar getting too warm; white and alsike clover never looked better.
_York_: Colonies seem in fair condition; loss!2 per cent. here, due to dysentery and spring dwindling; part wintered in cellar, balance outside in double hives packed with sawdust; put away latter part of November, taken from cellar early April; sugar generally fed for winter stores, but small quantities of honey mixed with it; some swarms showed dysentery; alsike clovers in very good shape, and this is about the only crop grown here.
List of BulletETINS
Published by the Ontario Department of Agriculture, Toronto.
No. Date. Title.
130 Dec. 1908 Bacterial Content of Cheese cured at different { F. C. Harrison,
Temperatures,
Wm. T. Connell.
131 Dec. 1903 Ripening of Cheese in Cold Storage _vs._ { H. H. Dean.
Ordinary Curing Rooms
R. Hareourt.
F. C. Harrison.
132 Dec. 1903 Roup; An Experimental Study
H. Streit.
133 Dec. 1903 Present Condition of San Jose Scale in Ontario
Wm. Lochhead.
134 June. 1904 Hints in Making Nature Collections in Public
and High Schools
W. H. Muldrew.
135 June. 1904 The Cream-Gathering Creamery
H. H. Dean.
136 Aug. 1904 Some Bacterial Diseases of Plants Prevalentin
B. Barlow.
137 Aug. 1904 A Bacterial Disease of Caillflower and Allied
Plunts
138 Feb. 1905 The Composition of Ontario Feeding Stuffs.
W. P. (iamble.,
139 Feb. 1905 An Experimental Shipment of Fruit to Winnipeg
J. B. Reynolds.
140 Feb. 1905 The Results of Field Experiments with Farm
C. A. Zavitz.
141 April 1905 Gas-Producing Bacteria and Their Effect on
Milk and its Products
142 May 1905 Outlines of Nature-Study
143 June 1905 Dairy School Bulletin
Dairy School.
144 June 1905 Apple Culture
H. L. Hutt.
145 June 1905 Butter Preservatives
146 Nov. 1905 Uses of Fruits, Vegetables, and Honey
147 Feb. 1906 Fruits Recommended for Ontario Flanners
Fruit Ex. Stations
148 Mar 1906 Experiments with Nodule-forming Bacteria.
149 July 1906 The Swine Industry in Ontario
150 Aug. 1906 The Common Fungus and Insect Pests of
Growing Vegetable Crops.
T. D. Jarvis.
151 Oct. 1906 Farm Poutry (Revised Nov., 1907)
W. R. Graham.
152 Dec. 1906 Gardening for Schools
S. B. McCready.
153 Feb. 1907 Fertilizers and their Use
R. Harcourt.
154 Feb. 1907 Insecticides and Fungicides
H. L. Fulmer.
155 Feb. 1907 Farm Forestry
E. J. Zavitz.
156 Mar. 1907 Tillage and Rotation
W. H. Day.
157 Mar. 1907 Remedies for the San Jose Scale;
San Jose Scale Act
June 1907 Insects and Fungus Diseases Affecting Fruit { C. J. S. Bethhne.
Trees, (Revised Dec., 1907)
159 July 1907 Miking Machines
S. F. Edwards
160 July 1907 The Production, Care and Uses of Milk
Oct. 1907 The Sheep Industry in Ontario
Dec. 1907 Breakfast Foods : Their Chemical Composit { R. Harcourt.
163 Mar. 1908 Incubation of Chickens
O.A.C. Staff.
164 Mar. 1908 Legume Bacteria
S. F. Edwards.
165 Mar. 1908 Altalfa or Lucerne
166 June 1908 Bee-keeping in OntarioGAYLAMCOUNT
PAAPHET BINDER
Manufactured by
GAYLORD BROS,Inc.
Syracuse, N. Y.
Stocktone, Calif.
3 1924 003 482 472
DATE DUE
GAYLORD
PRINTED INU.S.A.
# BEE-Keeping IN THE WEST INDIES.
By W. K. Morrison. ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICUATURE.
I90i.
Bee-keeping is one of the most promising of minor industries in certain parts of the West Indies. It is an interesting occupation suited to all classes of the community. The labour connected with it is light, it can be carried on under shade and the profit arising from it, when intelligently pursued. would form an appreciable addition to the income of persons with slender means.
Also the capital required to make a start is small and, in the West Indies, the bee-keeper has not long to wait for a crop.
The Imperial Department of Agriculture has taken an active part in bringing bee-keeping under the notice of the people in the Lesser Antilles. In the first place it engaged the services of a competent Be-expert to visit the several islands, to give addresses, to advise and assist bee-keepers and generally to encourage right methods of treating the bees and obtaining honey of high quality.
The Expert engaged was Mr. W. K. Morrison, formerly connected with the United States Department of Agriculture. He visited the several islands in 1901 as follows :-- Barbados, January 1 to 21, Dominica, January 22 to February 5, Montserrat, February 6, to 20, Antigua, February. 20, to 27, Grenada, March 16 to 29, St. Vincent, March 24 to April 12, St. Lucia, April 24 to May 10. After each visit a report on the condition and prospects of bee-keeping in each island was published in the _Official Gazette_ and distributed for general information.
After a careful study of the circumstances Mr. Morrison is of opinion that the outlook for bee-keeping in the West Indies is very encouraging. At present, with the single exception of Jamaica, a bee-keeping industry can hardly be said to exist. At Grenada, St. Vincent, Barbados and Antigua a few bee-keepers were met with but in the other islands, as at St. Lucia and Dominica, with an abundance of honey-bearing flowers to be found all the year round, little or no attention had been devoted to bee-keeping.
In the following pages an attempt has been made to place in the hands of those desiring to become bee-keepers hints and suggestions exactly suited to the requirements of the tropics, expressed in popular language. By the courtesy of the A. I. Root Company illustrations are given of the more important appliances required for use by bee-keepers. Next, lists are given of the principal books and journals on bee-keeping of -the addresses of. live manufacturers, breeders of Italian queens and dealers in honey and wax. There is also a list of the principal bee-flowers of the West Indies and a glossary of terms connected with bee-keeping.
In order to assist beginners sample orders are given for outfits for one up to twenty-five lives with prices in each case.
The Curators of Botanic Stations and other 'officers of the Department will gladly afford any further information that may be desired.
It only remains for me to express the earnest hope that the Pamphlet now issued will serve the objects in view and that a bee keeping industry of a thriving and permanent character will before long be established in these islands.
D. MORRIS,
Commissioner of Agriculture
for the West Indies.
August 3, 1901.
article in great demand for which no efficient substitute has, probably, yet been discovered. We may reasonably conclude that the market for honey and wax is practically unlimited and it is the opinion of many competent people that bee-keeping is on the verge of a very considerable development.
In Cuba, honey is produced at a cost not exceeding two cents per pound and it may thus be seen that West Indian bee-keepers can compete with the jam makers of the old world if only they will make good use of their opportunities.
Amongst the people of the United States a large amount of honey is produced and consumed and the same is true of Canada, though in both countries great efforts have been made by adulterators to injure the industry. It has even been stated in newspapers that comb-honey was made by machinery and was indistinguishable from the genuine article. Such a statement is entirely erroneous but in some cases it may have discouraged bee-keepers. Even liquid honey cannot profitably be prepared artificially and its adulteration is easily detected.
some of the islands, be fully utilised. The capital required to make a start is small, and it is well known that the West Indian beeeper need not wait long for a crop.
**Numerous experiments and observations need however to be made before the industry here will be on such a sound basis as it is in northern climates; but the industry is already so strongly rooted in some of these islands that it is not likely in any case to be diminished. In a few years there should be such an array of observed facts with regard to the treatment of bees under tropical conditions that improvement is bound to result.** It will be necessary, however, to maintain throughout a high standard of excellence so that European markets will always be open at renumerative prices. The great danger to West Indian bee-keeping will probably lie in the tendency to ship abroad honey or wax of an inferior quality. Jamaica has already attained a high position in the honey and wax market and it is hoped that the Lesser Antilles will emulate or surpass Jamaica's position. That the West Indies can produce honey of the very finest quality is evident from the following opinion of Mr. A. I. Root, one of the greatest living authorities, on samples of Jamaica logwood honey sent to him by Messrs. Hooper Brothers of Kingston. "In looks it certainly compares favourably with anything we can produce here in America. On breaking the comb we find the honey very thick, of a beautiful crystalline amber ; and when one tastes it, he utters an exclamation of surprise and pleasure--at least I did. Logwood honey is unlike anything else. The flavour is peculiar, suggesting something between violets and geraiums--at least the honey seems to taste somewhat as violets and geraiums smell ; and yet the distinctive flavour is not strong enough to cause one to tire of it. My impression is, that if this honey were on sale in some of the cities in the United States and if customers were allowed a taste of it, it would all go off at fancy prices. Not everybody may think as much of it as I do ; but if all 'logwood honey is like the sample sent us I predict it will rank side by side with the choicest products of the'mountain sage' or of the clovers."
**Care and attention should place West Indian honey in the front rank in European markets, both in quality and quantity, and no competition need be feared so long as a sound and attractive article is produced.**
**SUCCESSFUL BEE-KEEPERS.**