The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-09-20


previous bumper year had left
Where does 1t go? A great deal 0
1t never gets beyond the concession
and villages whittier 1t is taken il
automobiles and buggies from tn
winter consumption. A great dea
more Is shipped to friends and re
latlves who have moved to sections
OF the country where beekeeping ha,
not been developed. Some reache,
the retail grocer thru the regular
channels of trade. Under eisxtine
conditions the amount he is able tt
secure is only tantalizing.
Large as the amount of annual
production in Ontario may seem it Is
only a small fraction of what might
be produced were the industry more
fully developed. Aside from Quebec
and other provinces have their honey
resources practically untouched.
With the world on sugar rations this
is deplorable. With our national
credit in need of strengthening this
waste of great natural resource is
a grave oversight.
| The enormous demand for honey
suggests a more urgent need of the
beekeepers at the present time, and
that Is sugar for winter stores. It
has been stated by some, even in re-
sponsible positions, that honey is the
best winter feed for bees, but we
have learned by bitter experience
that this is not trut, for Canada at
least. They may winter we'll on the
best grade of honey, but the poorer
grades are usually stored last and
used first, and the only safe method
Is to feed freely syrup made from
granulated sugar after they have
finished gathering in the fall.
Beekeepers have been accused OF
wishing to feed sugar only that they
might ltberate honey to sell at q
higher price. They have even been
called q nasty name which VIE do not
think should ever be applied to a
bona fide producer of food,-this OF
course, thru lack Of understanding
of the facts of the case. While
there is no use of denying that the
present difference in price carries
weight, and is the most weighty in
centive to increase production, the |
best beekeepers fed sugar just as |
freely twelve years ago when there
was very little difference in the
wholesale prices of the two, and
would prefer to feed it to-day even
II 1t cost as much as the price Of
honey.
A year ago, many beekeepers, for
patriotic and economic reasons.
failed to feed the necessary amount
Of sugar. AS result the winter loss
Of colonies reported in Ontario was
25.5 per cent; and am quite sure
The actual loss was much higher
than that, whereas apiaries fed heav-
ny with sugar syrup wintered almost
100 per cent.
The point is that in the Canda-
liam winter bees are unable to take
cleansing fight for a period Of
rom three to five months. During
his time they must retain within
he intestine the feces which accumu-
ate In proportion as the food is higly
t1gestible or otherwise. The accum-
llation from sugar syrup stores is {
Utmost nothing as compared with {
ven the best of honey, and the ac- :
from the lower grades of )
loney is such as to cause dysentery
md death. Unfortunately the in
erior grades are gathered from fall
lowers, stored last, next the winter
luster and used first in winter. This
ear on account of the prevalence of
phides in some districts they are
toring "honeydew," an excretion of
he aphidet which falls on the leaves
trees. If compelled to depend on !
his as winter food the bees are '
are to die before spring. The rem I
dy Is to feed sugar syrup freely, h
fter they have finished gathering Il
lese things, so they can store it Z
ext their cluster and use it first in !.
inter.
Only granulated sugar will an p
yer. Yellow sugar is not suffici- d
ntly refined and would act much the a
ame as inferior honey.
Beekeepers have been classed with
using sugar in their
but this is not a fair COM .,
arson. The manufacturer converts =.
Nv materials which might have "
Zen used in other ways. The bee III
seper employees insect labors to n
hich would otherwise be total e.
So. Like the farmer, he is a pro- b.
lcer of food, and the sugar he feeds b.
his bees bears the same relation =
the honey they produce as the oats =,
feeds his horses bears to the ;"
heat and other crops they help him q
lrvest. al
The restrictions of a bees diet are
misfortune, and humans who can
t variety of things may we'll hest
te to deprive it of the one essential. fe
le severe Canadian winter is one 81
the greatest handicaps to the de- hi
lopment of honey production in ~,
is country. The uncertainty of the ~
ality of natural stores is one of "a
9 chief causes of winter loss of "
es. Thru the efforts of our in Sc
'uctors the use of sugar to over fr
me winter losses has become gen.
al. 1t is essential to the success
this industry which may we'll be
nstdered most essential industry. =.