ALBERT R. MANN LIBRARY New York State Colleges OF Agriculture and Home Economics AT Cornell University EVERETT FRANKLIN PHILLIPS BEEKEEPING LIBRARY March. 1917 Bulletin No. 169 THE WEATHER AND HONEY PRODUCTION AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION IOWA STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE AND MECHANIC ARTS Ames, Iowa IOWA AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION OFFICERS AND STAFF State Board of Education TTnn T> D MnrDliv Elkader Hon. E. P. Schoentgen, Council Bluffs ion! ?an?-E^Stfu^'an^ Jefferson Hon. W. C. StuckslagerL.sl.on Hon Parker K. Holbrook, Onawa Hon. George T. Baker Davenport Hon. Henry M. Eicher, Washington Hon. Trank F Jones, TiUisca ' Hon Charles E. Brenton, Dallas Center OFFICERS „ „ „ Hon. D. D. Murphy, Elkader, President Hon. W H. Genunill, Carroll, Secretary "■ " "• FINANCE COMMITTEE Hon. W. B. Boyd, President, Cedar Rapids Hon. Thos. Lambert, Sabula Hon. W. H. Gemmill, Carroll Agricultural Experiment Station Staff Raymond A. Pearson, M. S. A., LL. D., President C. F. Curtiss, M. S. A., D. S., Director W. H. Stevenson, A. B., B. S. A., Vice-Director AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING M. P. P. Costelloe, B. S. in C. E., Acting A. W. Clyde, B. S., Assistant Chief AGRONOMY . . , . „ W. H. Stevenson, A. B., B. S, A., Chief F. S. Wilkins, B. S., Assistant m Farm H. D. Hughes, B. S., M. S. A., Chief in Crops , . » » • c!„;i Farm Crops B. S. Snyder, B. S., Assistant m Soil P. E. Brown, B. S., A. M., Ph. D., Chief Chemistry . ■ ^ » • o^il in Soil Chemistry and Bacteriology F. B. Howe, B. S., Assistant m boil L. C. Burnett, M. S. A., Chief in Cereal Survey „ o iir a a „-ot>,„(- Breeding H. W. Johnson, B. S., M. S., Assistant John Buchanan, B. S. A., Superintend- in Soils . . ^ » • a -i ent of Co-operative Experiments Knute Espe, B. S., Assistant m boil L. W. Forman, B. S. A., M. S., Chief in Survey „ . . ,. ■ c. -i Field Experiments T. H. Benton, M. S., Assistant m boU B. S. Potter, A. B., M. S., Ph. D., As- Survey sistant Chief in Soil Chemistry ANIMAL HUSBANDRY W. H. Pew, B. S. A., Chief G. M. Turpin, B. S., Chief in Poultry J. M. Eward, M. S., Assistant Chief in Husbandry Animal Husbandry and Chief in L. S. Gillette, B. S., M. S., Assistant Swine Production Chief in Dairy Husbandry B. Dunn, B. S., Assistant in Animal A. C. McCandlish, M. S. A., Assistant Husbandry in Dairy Husbandry Orren Lloyd-Jones, M. S., Ph. D., As- 0. C. Ufford, B. S., Assistant in Poultry sistant in Animal Husbandry Husbandry BACTEBIOLOGY B. E. Buchanan, M. S., Ph. D., Chief; Associate in Dairy and Soil Bacteriology BOTANY L. H. Pammel, B. Agr., M. S., Ph. D., Charlotte M. King, Assistant Chief in Chief Botany I. E. Melhus, Ph. D., Chief in Plant Pathology CHEMISTRY A. W. Dox, B. S. A,, A. M., Ph. D., S. B. Kuzirian, A. B., A. M., Ph. D. Chief Assistant W. G. Gaessler, B. S., Assistant Chief G. P. Plaisance, B. S., M. S., Assistant A. R. Lamb, B. S., M. S., Assistant 6. W. Roark, Jr., B. S., Assistant DAIRYING M. Mortensen, B. S. A., Chief Dairyins: B. W. Hammer, B. S. A., Chief in Dairy D. E. Bailey, B. S., Assistant Chief in Bacteriology ENTOMOLOGY H. E. Summers, B. S., Chief R. L. Webster, A. B., Acting Chief (On leave of absence) FARM MANAGEMENT H. B. Munger, B, S., Chief O. G. Lloyd. B. S., M. S., Assistant Chief HORTICULTURE AND FORESTRY S. A^ Beach, B. S. A., MS., Chief T. J. Maney, B. S., Assistant Chief in A. T. Erwm, M. S., Chief in Truck Pomology T ^™''^ n -D c T,T o , ,., . , ^- ^- MacDonald, B. S. F., M. F., Chief Laurenz Greene, B. S., M, S. A., Chief in Forestry in Pomology RURAL SOCIOLOGY G. H. Von Tungeln, Ph. B., M. A., Chief VETERINARY MEDICINE C. H. Stange, D. V, M., Chief T, -rcr -o , „, „ GENERAL OFFICERS P. W. Beckman, Ph. B„ Bulletin Editor F. E, Colburn, Photographer C. E. Brashear, B. S. A., Assistant to Director the weather and honey Production BY L. A. KENOTEE* The weather and its changes exert a marked influence on honey production. That fact stands out clearly in the daily records of the weight of a hive of bees and of the accompanying weatlier conditions, kept for 29 years by J. L. Strong, a successful beekeeper of Clarinda, Page county, Iowa, and fumislhed for study to the Iowa Agricultural Experiment station. The month of June, these records show, is preeminently the honey month of the year, with 56 percent of the entire produc- tion of the hive for the period to its credit. Moreover, the honey production in June is an index for the production for the entire year, which is large or small according as the June gain is relatively large or small. Rather abundant rain is favorable for large honey production and especially if the rainfall in May is rather heavy, altho excessive rain is likely to result in a poor honey year. South winds are apparently more . favorable for good gains than winds from the other directions. The period of a rain is generally a time of depression in honey flow, and the clear days just preceding a rain show slightly greater in- crease than the days immediately fallowing. Higher tempera- tures are accompanied by larger honey gains than lower, and a low barometer is favorable for good yields. A cold winter seems not to cut the yield of the succeeding session, but a cold March does. In these and various other, ways, the records point to a direct relationship between weather and honey production, and they confirm many of the extended observances of. experienced bee keepers. SOURCE OP THE DATA The presentation in this bulletin of detailed data on the in- fluence of weather on honey yield is made possible thru the cooperation of J. L. Strong, who placed his extended records at the service of the Iowa Agricultural Experiment station. * Acknowledprements are due not only to J. L, Stroner for furnishing the daily records on which the bulletin is based, but also to F. C. Pellet, bee inspector for Iowa, for securing it, to A. S. Van Sandt, G. M. Chappell and L.A. Welch for ad- ditional weather data, and to Dr. E. F. Phillips of the U. S. Department of Agri- culture, Drs. L. H. Pammel and C. E. Bartholomew of Ames, Mr. Pellett, and C. P. Dadant for valuable suggestions in the use of the data. 16 These records were carefully made from day to day, thru the period of 29 years from 1885 to 1914. Each day's entry records the weight of one hive and also gives notes on weather condi- tions for the day. Other meteorological data for the locality of Mr. Strong's apiary, including barometer readings, were ob- tained from A. S. Van Sandt, the U. S. cooperating weather ob- server for that vicinity. The mean monthly temperatures and rainfalls before 1890 were furnished by the U. S. weather bureau office at Omaha, Nebraska, because prior to 1890 no local records were kept at Clarinda. Mr. Strong's apiary at Clarinda, Page county, is located in southwestern Iowa. In that region, as in most of the north Mississippi valley, white clover is the leading honey plant. Mr. Strong names as outstanding honey plants of his section, white clover, alsike clover, basswood, and smartweed ; as those of sec- ondary importance, he gives buckwheat and Spanish needle; as those which bees visit for nectar, but which probably produce a negligible amount of honey, he mentions wdllow, pear, apple, plum, red raspberry, black raspberry, blackberry, white and yellow clover, sweet clover, catnip, coral berry, golden rod and dandelion. Some would differ with him as to the relative value of some of these plants, yet it is probable that his judgment is in the main correct for the region and the period under observation. JUNE IS BEST HONEY MONTH That June is preeminently the honey month of the year is one of the most outstanding facts attested by this 29 year record of daily honey gains. Fifty-six percent of the entire gain in weight of the hive during the time recorded is credited to this month. The average monthly distribution of increase in poiuids is shown in table I. TABLE I. AVEEAGB MONTHLY INCREASE IN HONEY FOE 29 YBAES April ] . 2 lbs. May 4.8 lbs. June S9 . 6 lbs. July 25. 7 lbs. August 9.9 lbs. September .5 j^s. Annual 106.2 lbs It will be seen that except in June and July, the honey crop is almost negligible. Furthermore, the June flow is an index of the crop for the year. Of the ten best Junes, eight agree with the ten best years, likewise eight of the ten poorest Junes fall in the ten 17 poorest years. It is still more remarkable that the July flow is largely determined by that of June. Of the ten best Julys of the record, eight follow Junes of the leading ten, while seven of the ten poorest Julys follow poorest Junes. A good honey crop tends to be preceded and followed by a poor one, very much as is known to be the case with the apple crop. The facts are shown in table II : TABLE II. RELATION OF GOOD AND POOE PEODUOTION TBAES Average for year preceding ten best years 74 . 6 lbs Average for year following ten best years 71.9 lbs. Average for year preceding ten poorest years 136.5 lbs. Average for year following ten poorest years 126.3 lbs. A random arrangement of the annual yields would not show this contrast. Evidently there is in a year of heavy yield ex- haustion of the honey plants from whidi they do not quite re- cover in the following year. EAIN AND HONEY PEODUOTION Rather abundant rain seems essential to stimulate plants to the vigor necessary to- nectar production and to furnish the water contained in the secretion. The important time for rains is indicated in table III. TABLE III. EAINFALL IN GOOD AND POOE YEAES OF HONEY PEODUOTION Av. for 10 Best Years Ay. for 10 Poorest Years Precipitation for year Precipitation for preceding year Precipitation for preceding July-September. . Precipitation for preceding October-December Precipitation for preceding January-March. . Precipitation for April Precipitation for May Precipitation for June 33.49 inches 35.09 inches 11.75 inches 6.63 inches 3.97 inches 2.99 inches 6.51 inches 4.07 inches 30.32 inches 30.39 inches 10.12 inches 4.71 inches 3.64 inches 2.59 inches 3.02 inches 4.87 inches Some poor honey years are poor because of excessive rain; for example ib one of them, 1902, June had 11.64 inches of rain- fall. June, 1911, goes to the other extreme with .76 inch, and is also poor. But the value of rain prior to the season is shown by all the sets of figures in the table, particularly those for May. Of the 10 Mays on our list having a rainfall of 5 inches and above, only two fail to be precursors of honey years falling in the "10 best" group, and one of these falls but little short of reaching 18 ^JUOU fo spurted — * § § 5> fy^ t\j < f^^.' '^^ ^_:— r='=^ .."S::^^^^ ^ e/A/ ■- *;-!' ^~'~-^---> ^221I1^32i^ Olbl "■ _^''-''''' e/bf iei/ -— i^J^,^ _^ ■^"ZS^"^ y<^ V- \ ^ <' > »- 9oS/ N ^'^ set/ * .— -7^^ foi/ r\ ^-S- - "y ^'^_ ^>>. H^y i- ■>% C ■<:L *»^ 1^6, ^ 5 ~---.'^'"^>- - — ■ --____„ ?^^/ -< ^ eo6i -*tl' _ ■^^ """>' ,5 /ety/ y aos/ ; 1^1 ^.^-^ '""'-- ^^ "l ^-^"^ ^<4#/ £ f— 5 ^ t" -=^-'1'''^ .„,__^ ^6£, ^ ■4: w ^<#j?/ — . v^ ^ ^****-«..,^ ^i-!/ 1 / ■s. \ ,*.' "^ > t-Mi -^ / «' ____ — -^ -J TiS/ — — "^L^fl-*-""^ -^ ~~ -^^^ ^v^ Oi-SI '*". y ^,- — oast a^ 3 < < is^/ ,'< ^ ifs/ •.^ r' 3> li^/ ^ '>^ S o..^/..,...A ^%^%%%^%^%^^'^ 9^8/ wr/./^y..;^ ^-^^^^<^^V,S^^'^^,. 1 a.../.r^^,uA ^-^^^^^l^^i^^^^^ 1 19 the group. This is doubtless due to the fact that the honey plants, particularly the clovers, become established by humid weather in May. A rain seems in general to be a time of depr^sion in the honey flow. A comparison was made of the increase on rainy days with that on the few days preceding and following a rain, when these days were themselves not rainy. The averages em- brace all suitable periods in our record, the number of days averaged in each case being given also. TABLE IV. HONEY INCREASE ON EAINY DAYS AND PEECED- ING AND FOLLOWING DAYS lys averaged Average Increase 61 4.3 lbs. 76 4.2 lbs. 80 2.2 lbs. 80 3.7 lbs. 65 3.9 lbs. 49 3.7 lbs. 34 4.6 lbs. 18 3.6 lbs. 35 3.3 lbs. 30 2.8 lbs. 21 3.7 lbs. 16 3.8 lbs. 14 3.5 lbs. 14 3.4 lbs. 9 3.1 lbs. 8 3.9 lbs. 7 3.7 lbs. 6 2.3 lbs. 5 1.8 lbs. 5 1.6 lbs. 2nd day before rain 1st day before rain Day of rain 1st day after rain. . 2nd day after rain. 3rd day after rain. 4th day after rain. . 5th day after rain . . 6th day after rain. . 7th day after rain. . 8th day after rain. . 9th day after rain. . 10th day after rain. 11th day after rain. 12th day after rain. 13th day after rain. 14th day after rain. 15th day after rain. 16th day after rain. 17th day after rain. . The climax occurs about the fourth day following rain. It will be seen that the daily decrease after this point is quite gradual. INFLUENCE OF WINDS ON HONEY FLOW The direction of the wind has been thought by some to have an influence upon the honey flow — one Iowa beekeeper in a questionnaire recently conducted replying that south winds are favorable. Hence the data in table V from 200 days eaich of high and low gain selected in about equal number from, the same producing periods, will be of interest: 20 TABLE y. RELATION OF WIND TO DAILY HONEY INOKEASE IN 200 DAYS OF HIGH AND LOW GAIN, RESPECTIVELY Wind direction South East North West Southeast Northeast Southwest Northwest Percentage of days of high increase 56 percent 9 percent 14 percent 3 percent 9 percent 4 percent 4 percent 1 percent Percentage of days of low increase 43 percent 17 percent 14 percent 3 percent 12 percent 3 percent 5 percent 3 percent The slight advantage indicated for south winds is doubtless due to the warmer and clearer weather which generally accom- panies them; the slight disadvantage for east winds, to the clouds and rain which they frequently bring. TEMPERATURE AFFECTS HONEY INCREASE Several beekeepers have told us the best weather for honey production is sultry weather, of the sort that precedes rain. In our table the days just preceding rain do show a slightly greater increase than the days just following. However, the honey gain on these days is greater when they are clear than when they are cloudy or partly so, there being for the day before rain an av- erage gain of 4.7 lbs. if this day is clear and of 3.8 if it is cloudy, and for the second day before, just about the same average. Most beekeepers on being asked as to the temperature desir- able for best honey production will answer that hot weather is best. So it seems desirable to compare the mean temperatures of good months with those of poor months. Such temperatures together with rainfall are given in table VI. It will be seen that the good months average warmer than the poor, except in the case of August, where there is practically no difference. The most remarkable difference is shown by those border months, May and September, which are ordinarily too cool in Iowa for much honey production. A low rainfall in these months seems advantageous, because rainy conditions are most likely to be associated with low temperature averages. June, the wet month of the year, should be a little drier than the average for a) good yield, while July, often too dry, should be a little wetter than the average. A study of all the cases in which the gain for single days is undoubted (for part of our record has days grouped in twos and threes) shows that 61% of the entire gain in weight was made on clear days, 13% on partly cloudy, 13% on cloudy, and 13% on 21 TABLE VI. RELATION OF TEMPERATURE, RAINFALL, HONEY YIELD, WITH BEST YIELDING MONTHS AND POOREST COMPARED AND Best Poorest =81 1^ S 1 .2 ^1 eu ™ dg ^ S 1 2 ^1 May .... 10 62.5° 4.07 in. 13.2 lbs. 15 60.4° 5.55 in. lbs. June .... 10 71.4° 3.78 in. 109.8 lbs. 10 70.9° 5.55 in. 18.3 lbs. July .... 10 77.0° 4.54 in. 61.8 lbs. 10 76.0° 2.99 in. .8 lbs. Aug 10 74.3° 3.71 in. 32.6 lbs. 15 74.4° 3.75 in. lbs. Sept 8 66.0° 1.90 in. 16.3 lbs. 15 64.9° 4.11 in. lbs. rainy. Clear days are preeminently the days for honey produc- tion. For June, clear days average 4.3 lbs. increase per day, partly cloudy days 3.6 lbs., cloudy days 3.8 lbs., and rainy days 2.7 lbs. On some rainy days the increase was so slight that the weight was not recorded, so the average just given for such days is rather too high. An examination of the same data shows that the morning tem- perature ranges between 40° and 70° as a rule, there being only one day on the record in which there was a gain in weight on a day that begins with a lower temperature than 40°. F. L. Sla- den, however, states that the best honey day in a two-year record kept in England was from the heather plant following a morning of heavy frost. The Iowa record shows little relation between the average morning temperature and yield. For as table IX in- dicates, the days of good yield have practically the same min- imum or morning average as the days of poor yield chosen from the same period, no matter from what months of the year the period is chosen. Table VII shows the relation between maximum temperature and yield from all single days recorded. TABLE VII. 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