1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



355 



BAMBLE 131. 



IN LAKE COUNTY. 



By Rambler. 



HEN we rounded over the 

 hill that looks down 

 upon the little strag- 

 gling town of Lower 

 Lake we could see no 

 signs, even, of a lake 

 far or near. When we 

 were putting our camp 

 in order, an inebriated 

 Dutchman came sham- 

 bling along, and I ask- 

 ed him how far it was 

 to the lake. He bland- 

 ly replied that it was 12 miles. 



"There, Wilder," said I, "I told you there 

 was no lake near us. How many rivers, creeks, 

 and lakes we have crossed that have had no 

 water in them!" 



When we had our camp all set, and horses 

 picketed out, we discovered we were in the 

 next yard to a winery. That accounted for the 

 drunkenness of the Dutchman. The poor fel- 

 low lost his hat and his bundle, and lay beside 

 the fence as stiff as a poker for several hours. 

 This was another object-lesson showing the 

 beauties of wine-drinking. 



Our next socially disposed visitor was an old 

 resident of Lake Co., and in age he was an 

 octogenarian, his silvery locks falling over his 

 shoulders; his bent form and staff reminded 

 one of an ancient prophet. He informed us 

 that only an arm of the lake projected into 

 that portion of the county, and it was only a 

 mile and a half away. Our venerable visitor 

 being an old resident, and having filled various 

 offices of trust, he, in true California style, ex- 

 tolled the many good features of Lake Co. He 

 said but little about its being the Switzerland 

 of America; but he said, in a half-serious way 

 in relation to the bealthfnlness of the country, 

 that no one ever died in Lake Co. If they 

 wished to shuffle off the mortal coil they would 

 have to go over inio Napa or Mendocino Coun- 

 ties. He gave us the average death-rate, and 

 it was only 1 in 114, and this was not a very 

 good day for death-rates either. He was thor- 

 oughly posted otherwise in relation to the 

 statistics of the county, and informed us that 

 there was plenty of room for settlement, as only 

 a tenth of the land was occupied. The hills 

 and mountains produce the best of fruits, while 

 the valleys were adapted to grain and stock 

 raising. 



There were but few signs of apicultural pur- 

 suits, and the country so far had the appear- 

 ance of scant honey-bee pasturage. We had 

 observed, however, several familiar eastern 

 honey-plants. Here was a patch of heartsease; 

 then a sprinkling of sweet clover; here a fine 



field of buckwheat, and mulleins. Their tall 

 stalks and yellow blossoms transferred our 

 thoughts in an instatit to the old back pasture- 

 lot in Eastern New York. Mr. Wilder inquired 

 of our neighbor the fruit-rancber and winery- 

 owner if there were any bee-keepers about. 



" Yes," said he, " there's one just out at the 

 other end of the town— Mr. Shires." 



I resolved to spend at least a portion of the 

 evening with him, and made tracks for his res- 

 idence. I broke in upon him just as he was 

 finishing his supper. Of course, having sup- 

 plied the wants of the inner man, he was in a 

 good humor, as all good men are upon such 

 occasions. I found him a progressive bee-keep- 

 er, well acquainted with the reputation of A. I. 

 Gleanings and the Rambler, and his greeting 

 was cordial. Allow me to introduce Mr. Z. P. 

 Shires. Mr. S. is not a very tall man, but he 

 has much steam-engine about him. He is a 

 married man, and has a swarm of seven chil- 

 dren — four boys and three girls; and although 

 he has so many strings to hold him down 

 to one location and a steady occupation, he 

 is quite a rambler. He was born in Tennes- 

 see, had lived in Florida. Alabama, Texas, 

 Washington, and California. Even now in this 

 glorious Switzerland of America he showed 

 some signs of discontent, and thought of mov- 

 ing to Upper Lake; and if that did not suit him 

 he would go back to Alabama. 



Mr. Shires is a very enthusiastic bee-keeper. 

 He had been in his present location only eight 

 months; but in that time he had cut down 60 

 bee-trees, all of them within two miles of town, 

 and many in town. From the 60 colonies thus 

 obtained he had saved 54, and had them nicely 

 at work in Langstroth hives of his own con- 

 struction. I visited him Aug. 26th. Since Feb- 

 ruary, say a little over six months, he had cut 

 the trees, transferred the bees, and, in addition 

 to building the most of their own brood- combs, 

 they had made a good amount of honey in 1-lb. 

 sections, and his sales of the same had amount- 

 ed to $96. The bee-trees would sometimes yield 

 a wash-tub full of honey. One colony occupied 

 a cavity 6 inches in diameter and 14 feet in 

 length. His bees were then, Aug. 26, at work 

 upon honey-dew on the oak. 



Mr. Shires described a remarkable feature 

 of the country in the fact that, at certain 

 seasons, honey-dew comes in veritable showers. 

 The dew is seen to drop from the sky — not only 

 seen, but felt on the clothing, and It covers all 

 manner of vegetation with a sticky substance. 

 The bees work upon it with great energy, and 

 the quality of the honey is good. 



There were but few bees kept in the Lower 

 Lake region, and the persons who owned them 

 had a mortal dread of the moth-miller. Mr. S. 

 thought if they knew a little more about bees 

 they could easily manage the pest. Foul brood 

 Is unknown here, and we hope it will continue 

 so to be. 



