940 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 15. 



turned to York, where he shortly after died. Mr. 

 Wagner was then sent to the York County Acad- 

 emy, where he received his education. After leav- 

 ing- the academy, he engaged for some years in 

 mercantile pursuits. In 18~'4 he purchased the York 

 Revorder. In 18^9 he sold the York Recorder to Mr. 

 . C. Hamley, and removed to Lancaster, where, in 

 1830. he established the Lancaster Examiner. Re- 

 ceiving the offer of the casliiership.of the York 

 Bank, he sold the Examiner to Hammersley & Rich- 

 ards, and returned to York, liolding the position of 

 cashier till April, 1863. In 1863 he accepted the po- 

 sition of disbursing officer of the Senate. Resign- 

 ing this position in 1868, he, for the few remaining 

 years of his life, devoted all his energies to the edit- 

 ing and management of the American Bee Journal, 

 which was to him a labor of love. 



BAMBLE 145. 

 By Rambler. 



And pour celestial balsam on the heart. 

 For this to man was lovely woman given— 

 The last, best work, the noblest gift of heaven. 



The honey secured around this little range 

 of hills is in quality amber and light amber. 

 Water-white honey in California is produced 

 exclusively from the sages: light amber is a 

 mixture, for the greater part, of the sage honey 

 with the darker or amber from other plants. 

 Later on. when the sage bloom is passed, then 

 nearly all of the honey is amber. By this ad- 

 mixture we get several grades of honey; but for 

 marketing, it will all come under the three 

 grades mentioned above. 



The sages have been so thoroughly written 

 up and illustrated in bee literature that the 

 reader outside the sage districts might readily 

 imbibe the idea that the sages are the only 

 honey-producing plants in California. 



If we could get them all together, there would 

 be quite a congress of lady bee keepers in the 

 United States. Some of these ladies are already 

 known through the journals, but the greater 

 share of them shun publicity, and are working 

 quietly over their apiaries; and the results of 

 their labors are known only in their immediate 

 neighborhood. 



One of these quiet, effective workers is Mrs. 

 W. E. Clark, of Bioomington, Cal. Mr. and 

 Mrs. Clark have been mentioned from time to 

 time in Rambles; and what I have to say about 

 them this time is in relation to the present 

 season's yield of honey and its source. 



I happened along with my camera at a very 

 opportune moment, and the photo I present 

 represents a condition that can be observed 

 with varying phases upon the outskirts of all 

 Southern California apiaries that are worked 

 for extracted honey. 



From the little extracting-house. and the 

 tank outside, the honey is drawn into the 60-lb. 

 tin cans; and as soon as cased it is ready for 

 market. 



Mrs. Clark manages the apiary from early 

 spring until the honey is ready to case. Then 

 Mr. Clark is called upon to exercise his lifting 

 talent. At other times masculine humanity is 

 not tolerated in the apiary. 



From 80 colonies, spring count, which have 

 been increased to about 120, Mrs. Clark extract- 

 ed a carload, or nearly 12 tons, gross weight. 

 It is needless to say that there is not much 

 recreation indulged in during the honey-flow; 

 but just as soon as the extracting season is 

 over. Mrs. C. spends a few weeks at the sea- 

 shore, and recuperates from the summer's labor. 



So to Mrs. Clark in particular, and the lady 

 bee-keepers in general, I will doflf my hat and 

 utter the following toast: 



To chase the clouds of life's tempestuous hours: 

 To strew its short but weary way with flowers. 

 New hopes to raise, new feelings to impart. 



CALIFORNIA WILDf BUCKWHEAT — HEADS 

 OF BLcisSOMS. 



While the sages do produce a large amount 

 of beautiful honey, there is as great (if not 

 greater) a honey-plant that has received but 

 scant attention and no praise whatever; and I 

 find that it is not even mentioned in any of our 

 standard books upon bee culture. Desiring to 

 do justice to a meritorious plant, and place it 

 beside its more distinguished rivals in its true 

 light, I present the photo of Erigonum fasicu- 

 latum, or California wild buckwheat. 



This shrub belongs to the buckwheat family. 



