1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



477 



Bee-keeping in Southern 

 California 



By Mrs. II. G. Acklin. Glendora, Cal. 



I am just beginning to get accustomed to 

 hearing honey computed by the ton instead 

 of by the pound. On asking a bee-keeper 

 about his honey crop the answer comes 

 quickly, "Oh! I took off — tons at the first 

 extracting, and expect — tons next time." 

 I sometimes wonder how a bee-keeper with 

 a dozen colonies would answer. 



I attended the Orange County Bee-keep- 

 ers' Club meeting on July 2, and daughter 

 and I were the only ladies present. Now, 

 something is radically wrong; but I do not 

 know where to locate that something. Bee- 

 keepers, coax your wives to attend the con- 

 ventions with you. Tell them you will take 

 a lunch for dinner that night; tell them — 

 but you all know what is best to say when 

 you wish your wives to go somewhere with 

 you. If you all do your duty in this re- 

 spect the conventions will be more interest- 

 ing. At the same time you must not for- 

 get to be present yourselves, as many of 

 you did at the Santa Ana meeting. 



NOTES FROM THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY 

 CLUB MEETING. 



The Los Angeles County Bee-keepers' 

 Club convened in the Chamber of Com- 

 merce, Los Angeles, on the afternoon of 

 .June 4. Considering the infancy of the or- 

 ganization the meeting was well attended — 

 probably half as many being present as the 

 State convention called out. Interest and 

 enthusiasm never waned for a moment; 

 and even after adjournment people were 

 loath to leave the hall. Several ladies were 

 present, which always augurs well for the 

 bee-keeping interests of a eommunity. 



W. R. Wiggins, Pres., and D. .1. Shultis, 

 Sec, were at iheir posts; and to the efforts 

 of these two gentlemen is due, largely, the 

 success of the convention. Mr. George B. 

 De Sellem, Apiary Inspector of Los An- 

 geles Co., was also present, giving helpful 

 suggestions and advice when called on; 

 also taking suggestions himself with a good 

 grace. According to reports there is much 

 work to be done along his line in this coun- 

 ty. But just imagine the size of Los An- 

 geles County ! ]Mr. De Sellem expects co- 

 operation in his work from all bee-keepers 

 in his district. 



Many subjects were discussed, preemi- 

 nent among them being foul brood, which 

 is always the case, I believe, when that 

 problem has to be met. One gentleman 

 has proven to his own satisfaction that the 

 queen is responsible for that dread disease, 

 and tried so hard to impress the convention 

 with his arguments and conclusions that it 



became amusing and somewhat pathetic. 

 Two papers were read, Mr. Brazen discuss- 

 ing "Counteracting Effects of Excessive 

 Swarming," and Mr. Lind's subject was 

 "Managing Bees in Dry Weather." 



Initiative steps were taken regarding the 

 entertainment of the members of the State 

 organization, which meets in Los Angeles 

 next winter — arrangements to be perfected 

 at our next meeting, Sept. 3. 



A trolley ride to Soldier's Home and a 

 3>^-mile walk brought the writer to the api- 

 ary of Mr, C. C. Schubert, Sepelveda Can- 

 yon, Santa Monica Mts. The first part of 

 the way led over high ground from which 

 could be seen adjoining towns and the 

 grand old Pacific; but as the road led us 

 into the canyon it was like being encom- 

 passed about by gigantic walls on three 

 sides. Bees were in evidence all the way, 

 the roadsides along the cultivated fields be- 

 ing covered with wild mustard. On enter- 

 ing the canyon the little hummers were not 

 as easily seen as heard, as the undergrowth 

 is dense. There were many varieties of 

 wild flowers in bloom, but not all accessible 

 to the honey-bee. Some of the canyon api- 

 aries are not as easily approached as one 

 might imagine. This one had a padlocked 

 gate half a mile or so from the bees. On 

 nearing the apiary the sound reminded one 

 of swarming time; but as we stepped out of 

 the dense growth into the open space no 

 swarms were visible. Mr. and Mrs. Schu- 

 bert were there, but more for an outing than 

 otherwise, as their bees were doing practic- 

 ally nothing. Those big empty honey- 

 taiiks had a hungry look, while many un- 

 used supers were stacked up, and the 275 

 colonies were barely making a living. Not 

 enough rainfall in the early spring, and 

 hot winds from off the desert, are the prime 

 causes of this honey-dearth. The winds 

 dried up the sages, which would otherwise 

 have given part of a crop. We expected to 

 find Mr. Schubert in the midst of extract- 

 ing, and every thing bustle and hurry; so 

 imagine our surprise when we found such 

 quietness. This apiary may redeem itself 

 later on, when the wild alfalfa and sumac 

 come into bloom. Forage-plants are nu- 

 merous on these small mountains. Buck- 

 thorn and wild lilac — both shrubs — come on 

 in February, while the sages. Cciscara sa- 

 grada, wild alfalfa, wild buckwheat, su- 

 mac, elder, and many other varieties of 

 bloom are later. All of these jilants, except 

 the sages, yield an inferior honey. This 

 particular canyon must be the paradise of 

 swift lizards. They were gliding from un- 

 der our feet along the road, and were even 

 in the tent. While watching for flies, 

 which they snap up with lightning-like 

 rapidity, they let us touch them with a 

 stick without moving. Mr. Schubert claims 

 they eat bees also. Fortunately for us our 

 genial host and his good wife were going 

 home that evening, so we rode back to the 

 car line. [In our Sept. 1st issue we expect 

 to have some engravings showing Mr. Schu- 

 bert's apiary. — Ed.] 



