THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW. 



wish to come here to embark in the bee 

 business; but let us make a few compari- 

 sions, review a little of the past, look at 

 the present, and deal a little in futures. 



The production of honey in California 

 commenced in the Sacramento Vallay, in 

 the Norlhern portion of the State. As the 

 resources of the State became more j^en- 

 erally known it was found that the vSouth- 

 ern end was far the best for honey, both 

 in quality and quantity, and in that por- 

 tion the industry has reached its j^jreatest 

 development, and the honey produced 

 in the seven sotithernmost counties will 

 ever hold the reputation gained for qual- 

 ity; for in no portion of the .State is there 

 the amount of various siges that are found 

 here; and while the valleys have been put 

 under cultivation, and the sages destro^-ed, 

 the canyons and mountain sides are still 

 its home, and there will always be very 

 good pastil rage, for the land can be used 

 for no other purpose. 



It is in this portion of the State where 

 those phenomenally large yields have 

 been produced; but we can refer to them 

 only as phenomenal, for they seldom oc- 

 cur twice in the same locality. These 

 phenomenal yields have always been 

 within the sage-belt, and from that source; 

 and it is safe to say that, in the produc- 

 tion of quantiesof pure sage honey, Cal- 

 ifornia has seen its best days — but not its 

 best days in the production of honey 

 mind you. 



That the honey resources of California 

 are changing, and will increase to greater 

 proportions than ever, can be easily dem- 

 onstrated in Central California. In 

 this portion of the State, where a few 

 years ago the land was so barren that, 

 upon hundreds of square miles, a bee 

 could not live, there are now thriving 

 farms and thousands of acres of alfalfa. 

 Irrigation hns made this great change. 

 This area of alfalfa is now confined in a 

 great measure to locations not at a great 

 distance from the railroads. Outside of 

 this area are thousands of square miles 

 yet to be populated and brought under 

 cultivation, and it is safe to .say that al- 

 falfa will be one of the principal crops. 



We never hear of phenomenally large 

 yields of honey in Central California, but 

 thev are blessed with something better 

 — no total failures. The honey yield 

 fluctuates more or less, as it does in all 

 locations; but there is a reasonably sure 

 income from the apiary every year; and 

 the carloads of honey from Central Cal- 

 ifornia, which are already numernus, will 

 steadilv increase. In the eastern portion 

 of the middle of the State we find Owens 

 River Valley not of great size. It is hem- 



med in by immense mountains, and here 

 the bee-keeper produces alfalfa honey • 

 of the finest qualit)-. Owing to location, ' 

 or some other cause, the honey is of light- 

 er shade than honey from the same source 

 in other portions of the State. 



The development of the honey resources 

 in Northern California has not kept up 

 with the development in the south. It is 

 a mountainous country; and in those por- 

 tions where honey can be produced, the 

 cost of transportation to market eats too 

 much into the profits to make it a paying 

 business at the present prices of hone3^ 

 It is safe to say that there is an area in 

 Northern California equal to the area of 

 New York State where there is not a car- 

 load of honey shipped; and where it is 

 produced it is sold in the limited home 

 market. It costs as much to sliip honey 

 from the Oregon line to San Francisco (a 

 little over 300 miles) as it does from San 

 Francisco to New York. There is a fu- 

 ture, however, for Northern California 

 honey production. With more and com- 

 peting lines of transportation, more set- 

 tlement of the waste places, and more al- 

 falfa, carloads will begin to move out. 

 Many of our prominent bee-keepers, even 

 in.Southern California, see in alfalfa the 

 great and permanent hone^'-plant of the 

 future. 



This great forage plant is in direct ac- 

 cord with the interests of every agricul- 

 tural community. Alfalfa first, cattle 

 next, then the flowing of milk and hon- 

 ey, typical of the highest prosperity of 

 a State. 



California is justly noted for its immense 

 fruit industr3\ and much has been said 

 about this source of honey. However, it 

 cuts but a small figure. The time of bloom 

 is of short duration, and the secretion of 

 honey not abundant. The orange-bloom, 

 where the trees are abundant, gives a fair 

 surplus; but it would not pay for the bee- 

 keeper to depend wholly upon this source 

 alone for his living. 



At present the best locations for success 

 in honey p-oduction in California are 

 found all the way from the Sacramento 

 \'allev to San Diego; and the bee-keeper 

 who intends to move to this State should 

 write to the Chambers of Commerce in 

 San I'rancisco and Los Angeles foj liter- 

 ature giving much information about the 

 respective ends of the vState. In fact, it 

 would be a good plan for almost anvbody 

 who would like to know more of the re- 

 .sources of this great State to send for this 

 literature. 



Then it would be a good plan for the 

 emigrant, when he arrives, to take time 

 to look the ground over. Ride by rail 



