1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



020 



the past season, the black-sage localities have 

 gotten away with the big yields of honey; and 

 it is my private opinion, publicly expressed, 

 that black sage is the better honey-plant of the 

 two. Atmospheric conditions in the valley 

 might have had an inllnence upon the secretion 

 of nectar, as it surely did in many other locali- 

 ties. 



It was with much pleasure that I again met 

 ray bachelor friend Henry Otto. lie happened 

 to come to town from his bee and fruit ranch, 

 just in time for us to have a hand-shake and a 

 talk about bees and honey. Mr. Otto has prac- 

 ticed dividing his colonies for increase, to a 

 considerable extent, and has learned some val- 

 uable lessons thereby. I believe he divided 

 three times in one season. He learned that two 

 of the times was too much, and he now contents 

 himself with one division, and m.akes a success 

 of it. Nearer the coast, division can be made 

 several times during a good season; but back 

 here in the mountains such operations have to 

 be conducted with care. 



There was some complaint about there being 

 too many apiaries for the pasturage; still, Mr. 

 Simmons was of the opinion that there were 

 several good openings for the profitable estab- 

 lishment of apiaries, and one good range near 

 the Saboba Indian reservation he was inclined 

 to think would be a good place for the Rambler 

 to settle; and he thought that, if I could not 

 secure a housekeeper anywhere else, I could 

 probably find one here. As I have a very good 

 photo of the healthful make-up of the dames 

 who live In these villages I herewith present it. 

 So far as robustness is concerned there is no 

 fault to find; but as I have seen the methods of 

 cooking performed by such dames as these, I 

 believe I prefer to stick to my own old flap-jack 

 griddle a little longer. Good-by. Sabobans. 



Some bee-keepers in these parts seem to think 

 that, if bees are brought down from the moun- 

 tains, they work with more energy in the valley 

 for a season or two than if kept all the while in 

 the valley. I think, however, that the change 

 of location, even from one portion of the valley 

 to another, would give them just as much of an 

 impetus to work. The plan can be tried here 

 to the fullest extent, for there are bee-koepers 

 quite well up in the mountain*. A Mr. Sauls- 

 bury has such an aT)iary. He collects his bees 

 from the rocks. With a burro, a few boxes and 



adjoining canyons, are many thriving apiaries 

 which the Rambler has resolved some time to 

 visit. 



To the lover of timber lands the head waters 

 of the San Jacinto River offer some attrac- 

 tions, for here the coltonwood grows with vigor; 

 it is, however, only on the bottom lands. Just 

 as soon as we St 'p up on to the liills they are 

 bari'en save for the sage and other brush growth. 

 The lovely wild sunllower was out in its glory. 

 It remains in blos^om many weeks, during 

 whi'.h the bee works it with vigor. Alfalfa is 

 also grown here for hay and pasturage, and 

 yields up a revenue to the bees. Artesian wells 

 supply ihe purest of water, and all kinds of 

 fruits grow here except oranges and other ten- 

 der tropical fruits; and there is no reason why 

 that, in time, San .Jacinto Valley should not 

 support a large population. The fruit and 

 honey interests live happily together here. 

 The fruit-producer evidently looks upon the 

 bee as his friend and helper; and where such 

 enlightened views prevail, there is harmony. 



Mr. Simmons and 1 were to start upon our 

 return early the next morning. Mr. S. had 

 gone into a speculation, and purchased 100 

 dozen eggs for the Redlands market. We also 

 had a fresh horse, just a match for our pony, 

 and we expected to get over the ground at a 

 great rate. When we were ready to start. Mrs. 

 Hallock loaded us with fine specimens of 

 peaches and prunes. The aged mother came 

 to the door and gave us her l)l('ssing, and said, 

 in solemn tones, '• Now, Mr. Rambler, take the 

 advice of an aged woman, and get you a good 

 wife, and live no more the life of a lone bach- 

 elor." I promised to consider her advice, and 

 have spent several wakeful nights over it; and, 

 not seeing my way clear to commit such a stu- 

 pendous deed, I seriously think of retiring into 

 some wild fasmess and live the unmolested life 

 of a hermit bachelor. 



After we had journeyed homeward several 

 miles I realized that we were getting over the 

 ground with our belter team at the rapid rate 

 of two and a half miles per hour, wliicu was a 

 decided improvement over our outward journey. 

 Mr. Simmons, I will bear record, is a careful 

 driver. His wife also says she wouldn't be 

 afraid to ride with him right over tlie tt)p of 

 San Jacinto Mountain. Such implicit confi- 

 dence in a man, by his wife, I have not seen for 

 many days; and now, when thinking of the 

 contemplated hermit act, glimmerings of re- 

 pentance come over the Ramblek. 



HONEY-PLANTS OF DIFFERENT LOCALITIES. 



GETTING BEES FROM ''THE MOUNTAINS, ON A 

 BUIiliO. 



gunny sacks, he spends the day in securing the 

 bees, and coming in at night with the burro 

 well loaded with the bees, which are then run 

 into hives. The disadvantage surrounding 

 these mountain apiaries is their almost inacces- 

 sible position; and the valleys offer the accessi- 

 ble inducements for the location of apiaries in 

 them: and in Diamond Valley, San Ignacio, and 



THEIR OFF YEARS, ETC. 



My experience includes eight seasons in Iowa, 

 two in Wisconsin, one in Colorado, and one in 

 this State. The principal honey-plants in Iowa 

 are white clover and basswood; in Wisconsin 

 there is much basswood, but in my location 

 there was white clover only; in Colorado, al- 

 falfa and sweet clover; and here, white and 

 black sage and several other plants of only sec- 

 ondary account. Take these five plants from 

 the list of honey-yielders, and the industry of 

 bee-keeping will come to a sudden and sure end 

 in those States. 



There are none of them but have what may 

 be termed " ofl^^ " years, wh(ui the atmosplieric 

 conditions are unfavorable for the secretion of 

 nectar. Tl\e cause of such unfavorable condi- 

 tions no one has, as yet, been able to explain. 

 In Iowa, in the fall, three months or so after the 

 first blossoming of clover, there comes on what 

 is called a second cro|); and while the pastures 

 and roadsides may become nearly as white as 



