I found this article from 1942 when scouring for evidence re: top supering. Warning: sexist remark left intact. Times have changed big time on that front.
THE rationing of sugar, coupled with the plea from England for all the honey this country can spare for export, has placed a heavy responsibility on the shoulders of Canadian beekeepers, one they are not any too well equipped to discharge. But they recognize the need as a patriotic effort, worthy the best traditions of Canada's sons, and they will strive nobly to fulfill the obligation to the best of their ability.
The average crop all across Canada last year made for a quick cleanup of stocks. The late setting of the British quota found at least one province - Alberta - despairing of selling its surplus across the seas and then came the plea to send all Canadian honey that could be spared for export. And, to cap it all, came the voluntary sugar-rationing. This sugar-rationing by the patriotic endeavor of its citizens, is likely to be a failure, as was the gas-rationing, so we may look forward to a strict card-rationing system being evolved, perhaps before the close of the year. When that phase is thrust upon us the domestic market will demand more and more honey, to replace sugar. And the fear is that the honey industry will not be able to supply the demand. 'Twould be a pity if such a condition should arise, for the present is a fine opportunity to acquaint Canadians with the excellence of nature's sweet as a worthy substitute of sugar.
The beekeeper is in a quandary, for he is faced with a shortage of labor at home to conduct his ordinary farm operations, let alone leave any spare time to devote to beekeeping. Unfortunately, beekeeping does not lend itself to mechanization, so the farmer has a real problem to solve.
At the moment there is no threatened shortage of package bees, but there is a possibility that shipping cages may be hard to get at the point of origin. The breeders are organizing a united front to preserve old cages, where possible, and reinforce them to withstand the journey north. In an emergency it might even be necessary for northern purchasers to preserve the shipping cages and return them to the shipper to be certain of next year's supply of bees. Even if this situation does not develop a serious angle, it behooves the beekeeper to conserve on material.
Beekeepers might with profit heed the advice of Prof. Bert Martin on some short cuts to successful beekeeping with minimum assistance. Prof. Martin advocates that each beekeeper, particularly those in a commercial sense, canvass his own situation and study all possible shortcuts. Top supering is a new wrinkle that every beekeeper might adopt into his schedule this year. Stern tests have revealed there is relatively little difference in the volume of honey produced as between top and bottom supering, but a great deal of work is eliminated. Beekeepers also can cut their work to a minimum by going over all equipment this winter and have it completely ready when the time to use it arrives.
Swapping work should be the order of the day when extracting time rolls around. The individual beekeeper will find it difficult to extract his whole crop single-handed, so why not invite his beekeeping neighbor to come over and help him, and then return the work in kind. With top supering the farmer can and probably will train his underage son or grown daughter to do the supering. The beekeeper should look every individual problem in the face and then determine to increase his production this year at all costs.
Canada can sell a 50,000,000-pound crop this year if her beekeepers can produce and harvest it. Production of that volume of honey would insure Canada's export quota would be filled and would expand her home market to the extent that it might conceivably be a long time before we would ever again have a surplus.
The WESTERN CANADA BEEKEEPER is published monthly in the interests of prairie beekeepers. VoL. 5 FEBRUARY, 1942 No. 2
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