Hi all
To hear folks tell it, everything was so much better back in the day. These are from 1977-78 New York State newsletters, anonymous but most likely by Richard Taylor who was the editor then.

Honey Crop
Everyone seems to agree that this was the worst honey season in memory. Commercial beekeepers I have spoken with describe crops of 20-25 lbs. per colony. The crops have been going down steadily, at least in central New York, for several years. It seems to be a long term weather cycle. Let us hope the trend has bottomed out, and that we'll soon be back to those good crops of the late 'sixties. Meanwhile, the new beekeepers who have taken up the craft in such large numbers during the past five years must be deeply discouraged. On the brighter side, there seems to be an upward push on the price of honey.

Winter Loss
Every beekeeper I have spoken with reports that this was the hardest winter in memory for bees, with 50% winter loss fairly common. Both package bees and nucs were in short supply this spring, and many beekeepers have had trouble even getting queens. The '78 season has started out strong, with uncommonly good spring flows, but even with good flows yet to come, honey will be in short supply. Those who sell honey at retail should, therefore, get good prices. Even now prices in excess of a dollar a pound are common in supermarkets.

PLB

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