342 Transactions of the 



the bee keepers place their hopes of immunity from the encroaches 

 which have proved their discomfiture in other portions of the State. 

 Experience has shown that the best localities for the apiary is neither 

 at the highest elevation or deepest depression, neither on the mountain 

 nor the valley below, but at a point half way between the two. At this 

 point a medium temperature is secured, and the bees are thus placed 

 "where they have access to the earliest food in the valleys below and the 

 latest on the mountain above. The distance the bees have to fly to ob- 

 tain their food is thus divided, "which is no small consideration. One can 

 appreciate this last proposition when he reflects that the bees of Mr. 

 Harbison have this year gathered up and carried to his several apiaries 

 one hundred and fifty thousand pounds of honey. The honey is gather- 

 ed from a great variety of flowers, but the chief dependence is on a 

 species of white sage which is found in great abundance on the entire 

 range of country, from Santa Barbara to Lower California, averaging 

 about eight miles wide. The bee men are taking up and occupying the 

 best locations in all this region. They are laying out the proceeds of 

 their enterprise and labor in permanent improvements, and are prepar- 

 ing to make permanent homes. Though the principal business and de- 

 pendence is the apiary, they all cultivate some land and keep some cows, 

 some horses and hogs, and some of them some sheep. We are informed 

 that the bee men alone have done more in the settlement of the County 

 of San Diego this year than all other classes, and more than had been 

 done in the past five years. The land being occupied by the bee keep- 

 ers has not yet been surveyed and put into the market by the General 

 Government, but they are taking it up with a view to preempting it as 

 soon as they can do so, and we understand they propose asking Con- 

 gress for special legislation to enable them to obtain title to large tracts 

 each. 



THE BUSINESS. 



Bee keeping is a business, to be successful in, requires long and care- 

 ful training and preparation, as well as a good degree of practical expe- 

 rience. While, therefore, we would encourage those who have had these 

 advantages to go into the business, and believe they can make it profita- 

 ble and probably permanent in the portion of the State indicated, we 

 would discourage those who have not had the training and experience 

 necessary, from entering the list on their own account. To such it 

 would be better to first serve an apprenticeship to some one competent 

 to instruct. 



