1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



61c 



Bee-keeping in Southern 

 California 



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



If we are obliged to feed our bees this fall 

 we are still ahead of our eastern brothers, as 

 we do not have to "lug " them into winter 

 quarters. 



■^ 



On a return trip to " Old Baldy " we came 

 by a queer little apiary on a side hill. The 

 hives were painted red, and the covers were 

 roof-shaped. There was a honey-house, but 

 no evidence of people being around. 



I am credibly informed that an individual 

 (do not disgrace manhood by styling him a 

 man) not many miles from Los Angeles 

 has for the last two or three years set out 

 poisoned water purposely to kill bees. Have 

 we no law to meet such a case? 



In a paper read at our club meeting, Sept. 

 3, Mr. De Sellem spoke about a lady bee- 

 keeper whom he met on one of his tours of 

 inspection, and of the neatness of her apia- 

 ry. A lady bee-keeper ! that sounds good. 

 I have not had the good fortune to visit one 

 since I left Minnesota. Lady bee-keepers 

 are not so scarce in the North Star State. 



Doolittle's discussion, p. 581, Sept. 15, re- 

 minds me of a party here. Birds are nu- 

 merous, and puncture the deciduous fruit 

 before it is ripe. Bees soon find those broken 

 places, and, unlike the birds, do not fly 

 away when some one goes to the tree, and 

 consequently get all the blame. How a 

 sane person can claim that honey-bees do 

 that damage is incomprehensible; but this 

 ]ier.son insists and says he knows bees are 

 the culprits. 



California bee-keepers are struggling with 

 robbers in the same fashion, as nearly as I 

 can make out, as are their brothers in 

 Minnesota and adjoining States. Some of 

 our bee-keepers are feeding back honey ex- 

 tracted earlier in the season; and I know 

 from experience that feeding back honey is 

 a very troublesome task. If your honey 

 will bring the price of sugar, better feed 

 sugar syrup, and robber bees will not be so 

 plentiful. Bees always seem to detect the 

 odor of honey, no matter what precautions 

 are taken. 



Xo honey, but disease among the bees 

 has seemed to dishearten some bee-keepers 

 to such an extent that they have neglected 

 their apiaries, and the inspector has had 

 some strenuous times in getting such yards 

 cleaned up. Let us not be discouraged. 

 Next year may be a banner season. Let 



me suggest right here that there should al- 

 ways be a sort of good will or fraternal feel- 

 ing among bee-keepers that would restrain 

 any one of them from willfully harming 

 another. Leaving fixtures from a diseased 

 apiary exposed to other bees will, with a 

 certainty, work harm to some other bee- 

 keeper. 



A rumor has come to me that some of our 

 bee-men are afraid of an influx of eastern 

 bee-keepers on account of this Southern 

 California department. Never fear, dear 

 friends; people all over the United States, 

 and possibly across the briny deep, have 

 known for some time that there is a South- 

 ern California, and also that a few bees are 

 kept there. But, all joking aside, eastern 

 bee-keepers know more of real California 

 conditions than many of our own people; 

 therefore a department in a bee-journal is 

 not going to ruin our business here any 

 more than departments from other States 

 ruin theirs. On the contrary, this depart- 

 ment should be the means of bringing 

 about a closer union and a more friendly 

 feeling among bee-keepers all over our land. 

 Should one or two new ones happen to stray 

 in, there are still vacant canyons among the 

 higher mountain peaks, so let us put all 

 selfishness aside and leave the latchstring 

 out. 



-*. 



CliUB NOTES. 



The Los Angeles Co. Bee-keepers' Club 

 met in Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles, 

 Sept. o. The convention was well attend- 

 ed, and an interesting and profitable time 

 was enjoyed by those present. 



The president and secretary were in their 

 places, and after the usual business routine 

 three papers were read by the following per- 

 sons: Mrs. H. G.-Acklin, "Wintering Bees 

 in Minnesota and Adjoining States;" Mr. J. 

 W. Ferree, Newhall, "Management of 

 Bees;" Mr. Geo. B. De Sellem, Hollywood, 

 ' ' Field Notes. ' ' 



Mr. De Sellem's paper was highly appre- 

 ciated by the club members. While foul 

 brood is still prevalent in many sections he 

 takes an optimistic view of the situation, 

 and commends bee-keepers for the way in 

 which they have asssisted him in his work; 

 also for the good-natured way in which they 

 have met this great honey-dearth. 



Mr. A. B. Shaffner was made chairman 

 of the press committee. The whole club 

 constitutes the committee. Each one of us 

 is expected to report to him on conditions 

 in his own locality once a month. The ob- 

 ject is to keep erroneous reports concerning 

 the bee business out of the papers. 



The legislative committee took up the 

 question of spraying fruit-trees, thereby 

 killing bees, and expect a similar commit- 

 tee in the State Association to co-operate 

 with them in getting a law passed for the 

 protection of bees. 



Convention then adjourned to meet again 

 the first Saturday in December. 



