1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



777 



had some made on purpose, and have been 

 selling them for a couple of years back. To 

 give you an idea of what they are like, we here- 

 with present an engraving which shows it to 

 be an ordinary whisk-brush with the strands 

 slightly thinned out. and selected especially for 

 giving a soft gentle brush. 



Friend France makes a strong argument 

 against the use of bee-escapes. He makes his 

 points so clear that one is almost inclined to 

 tjelieve with him that bee-escapes make more 

 work and expense than they save, were it not 

 for the fact that he says he has not tried them, 

 and does not want to. We know that friend 

 France is a practical man. and is ever on the 

 alert for best methods and short cuts; but we 

 are of the opinion that, if he were to apply 

 those same qualities in testing the bee-escape, 

 he might possibly modify some of his conclu- 

 sio7i8. A large number of quite extensive pro- 

 ducers of extracted honey declare quite strong- 

 ly in favor of the bee-escape. There are times, 

 we think, when the escape will be found to be 

 exceedingly convenient and a saving in time; 

 and there are times when the bee-brush can be 

 used more to advantage. By the way, suppose 

 we have an expression from a number of those 

 who are producing extracted honey, or comb 

 either, for that matter, as to the value of bee- 

 escapes.] 



BAMBLE 94. 



BEE-KEEPERS TAKE AN OUTING IN THE 

 MOUNTAINS. 



In the morning the apiary, several rods above 

 the cabin, was duly inspected. Eighty colonies 

 are here neatly arranged upon terraces, with 

 provisions for much expansion. The honey- 

 flow has not been so bountiful in this locality 

 this season as in other portions of the county; 

 in fact, all along the north side of the valley 

 the honey-yield was moderate as compared 

 with the south side. Parties, therefore, who 

 hear of the wonderful yields of honey in Cali- 

 fornia will bear in mind that the yield is liable 

 to De spotted here as well as in the East. From 

 near the Marshall cabin, ranches devoted to 

 fruit - production can be discerned in nicely 

 watered niches further up on the sides of the 

 mountain. One of these, attained only over a 

 heavy grade which wound around a spur of the 

 mountain, was a most lovely spot; and, the 

 best of all, it was the abode of a bachelor. The 

 cosy cabin was completely (unbowered in trees; 

 and the water gushing from many springs gave 

 fertility to the soil, and fruits are grown here 

 that can not be grown with success in the val- 

 ley below. Notable among these fruits is the 

 apple. The altitude of the San Bernardino 

 Mountains averages about .5000 ft. above sea- 

 level, and almost any kind of climate can be 

 found, suitable to almost any kind of vegeta- 

 tion. A certain altitude suits the apple, which 

 can be grown here to perfection. 



Our winding way up the canyon was inter- 

 rupted by only two little incidents —the killing 

 of a rattlesnake and being overtaken by a toll- 

 gate. Toll-roads that I have hitherto traveled 

 upon have a permanent toll-gate, and usually 

 a lady in attendance. This one, however, was 

 built in the form of an Irishman, and moved 

 over the road whithersoever it willed. After 

 observing his old patched overalls and dirty 

 shirt and general forlorn appearance, I sus- 

 piciously remarked something about authority 

 to collect toll. 



" Be gorra, is it authority yes want ? I have 

 the authority of ivery mimber of the corpora- 

 tion; besides, it's meself that's living in the 



cabin below, hard against the road, and it's a 

 lonely bachelor I am too, so now." 



Now, if I had any suspicions before, they 

 were all dispelled when I learned that he was 

 a brother-bachelor; and my comrade and I 

 forked over our six bits toll without another 

 murmur. We went our way rejoicing, and were 

 soon in our new camp in what is known as the 

 saw-pit. In this deep valley there was former- 

 ly a sawmill; but where, a few years ago, all 

 was business, the forest is now silent, and there 

 are only a few reminders of the former busy 

 scenes. A goodly portion of tliese mountains 

 is now set apart as a national park, and they 

 will never be entirely denuded of their timber. 

 We found but little game here, and less forage 

 for our horses; and. after a night's rest upon a 

 bed of sweet-smelling ferns, we climbed out of 

 the saw-pit and leisurely followed the top of 

 the mountains for ten miles, and about noon 

 entered Little Bear Valley. 



It was quite interesting to note that bees 

 were at work in great numbers upon the varl- 



¥a#§JlL4^||. 



: Gorra Jur.' 



.^* — ^Ccbio. down beija.-ni;Surl , 

 ^ejabben' Its authorrity yezwant.' 



ous mountain flowers; and as no apiaries were 

 located here, they were wild bees from the 

 rocks and trees. It would be very easy to prac- 

 tice migratory bee-keeping in this region, be- 

 tween the valley and the top of the mountain 

 range. In certain seasons the honey-flow is 

 quite abundant in these higher altitudes, and 

 it comes, too. after the flow has ceased in the 

 valley. The bee-keepers I have conversed with 

 in relation to this migratory matter nearly all 

 think it would not pay to move bees over these 

 troublesome roads; but it might pay to estab- 

 lish a permanent out-apiary in the mountains, 

 and the bee-ke(>per do the migrating between 

 the two or more apiaries. 



There are many oak-trees on the mountains; 

 and during certain seasons there is a great 

 abundance of honey-dew. As this dew exudes 

 from the leaf instead of from an aphis, the hon- 

 ey is not of a bad quality. 



In Little Bear Valley there are several saw- 

 mills, which give employment to a large num- 

 ber of men. The immense logs are drawn in 

 from the surrounding canyons with a number 

 of oxen and huge trucks. After being convert- 

 ed into lumber it is four and six horse teams 



