Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-05-02
MONTANA HONEY
PRODUCTION FAR
SHY OF DEMAND
BEEKEEPERs CAN GATHER ONLY
ENOUGH TO MEET 10 PERCENT
OF SUGAR WANT

Those Wu@ AAEWAC tHCJ NAh oWr~f
en- their food with honey If their
quota Of sugar proves inadequate
NAV find a scarcity Of this product
also. The heavy demand already
placed on the supply has created
a honey shortage, according TO
IF. Reinhardt of BOzeman, state
apiarist, who has estimated that
Montana beekeepers could gather
only enough honey to meet 10 per-
cent of the states demand for
sugar in 1912.
Approximately 100000 pounds OF
honey are produced in Montana an
nuaIIy from some 10000 colonies OF
bees. Reinhardt said He added that
apiarists might have been in posi-
tion to meet 20 percent Of MontanaS
s1gar needs "if conditions had been
better in the past few years"
Montana consumes approXimateS
one-half the honey 1t produces. The
rest is shipped to larger centers out
side the state. Reinhardt said mdica-
tions are that the number Of bee coll
or1ies operated will be increased by
one-fourth to one-third Of the 1871
total during 1912, but Montana would
have to consume the entire honey
crop. shipping none, TO meet even 10
percent of the sugar demand.
Reinhardt said greater demand ana
a better price were responsible for the
anticipated increase in honey produc-
ton but that the Bookkeeping industry
Ia general is not in healthy financial
condition at this time"
price of honey is very good" ne
added. 'but practically the entire crop
has been sold at a lower figure. Thel
public does not realize that beekeepers
have been producing honey for many
years and have had TO sell 1t at cost OF
production or less"
Honey has gone begging for mar
ket at substantially the same price as
Rranulated sugar, Reinhardt said.
CAS- in the last war, beekeepers are
expanding to meet the demand, but
after the last war people forgot honey.
Disaster followed. If the public and the
beekeeper are going to be only fair
weather friends again during this war
there viii be many bankruptcies after
ward.
Honey is a staple sweet that the
ualblic should consume In war and
peace times and not as sugar substi-
tute. The value Of honey and wax pro-
duced In Montana would be about
$500 600 annually, but one cannot value
the beekeeping industry by the price
of the products produced.
Bees are indispensable for the pol
Iination of Montana fruits and also
perform a great service in the pollina-
ton Of leglminous seed crops, such as
sweet clover and alfalfa. The services
of the bee in pollination range in value
at approximately 10 times the value OF
the honey and wax which the beekeep-
or gets"
OF special interest Is the proposal
10 encourage bee raising by farmers on
the Fairfield bench farm security prof.
oct.
Two hives per family, 1t is pointed
yut by Harold M. We're, community
manager, viii supplement the sugar re-
of the average family.
Werre stated that the farm security
administration has 1900 used hives
which can be secured by contracting the
farm security offices. Swarms
nav be obtained through local bee OPT :
.rators, or from supply houses.
They are easy to care for and can
oe wintered successfully in that section
# the state.
The department Of agriculture has
ssued a bulletin which may be OBJ j
aimed from the extension service, in
which the food value of honey, ways of
lsing uncooked honey, methods Of
cooking with honey and directions for {
making meringues, jellies, jams, pre-
erves, conserves, CONNECTIONS, cakes
md cookies are given. 7