10 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1. 



highest their natural disposition to attack 

 strangers — to regard as a morial foe every one 

 who does not belong to the family; to whet up 

 their swords every evening, and "welcome the 

 invader, with bloody hands, to a hospitable 

 grave." 



SUNKISE APIAKY. 



CALIFORNIA ECHOES. 



By Rambler. 



W. W. Bliss, of Duarte, Cal., a bee-keeper 

 and fruit-grower, is honored with several 

 medals at the Atlanta fair. 



Geo. W. Brodbeck, of Los Angeles, also se- 

 cures a medal for an exhibit of California comb 

 honey. 



Not much encouragement to embark in the 

 bee-business here, honey being only 3 cts. per 

 lb., best extracted; comb honey, 8 to 9. 



I wish to thank an unknown friend in Aus- 

 tralia for sending me a Christmas study in 

 kangaroos. The bachelor kangaroo would be 

 my piiiUcular favorite. 



We have a law in this State against the 

 adulteration of honey. The penalty is a fine of 

 $50 or upward. Some of oui bee-keepers think 

 that an imprisonment clause should be added 

 to make it more effective. 



Just see what Dr. Miller says about pulling 

 out the bottom of a well. Doctor, if you will 

 take a run out here, you will learn more in a 

 week about wells and water and irrigation than 

 you have in all your life before. There are 

 neighbors of mine here in Bloomington who 

 pull out the bottoms of their wells once every 

 week. 



Mr. Bonart, of this county, has a large api- 

 ary, and a large vineyard on the same ranch, 

 and the vineyard is not injured by the bees. 

 Mr. B. says that one year, when the grape- 

 vines were in bloom, there was a continuation 

 of northers that kept the bees from working 

 upon the whole vineyard. Only that portion 

 nearest the apiary was worked thoroughly; 

 and when grapes ripened, this portion of the 

 vinevard had the most grapes. Still there are 

 people who will complain when a bee looks at a 

 grape. 



Some of our California bee-men have a habit 

 of finding fault with their bee- paper when they 

 see any thing in it about wintering bees. But 

 just think of it, friends, in a paper that is pub- 

 lished for the whole continent. We get all 

 sides of bee-keeping, and it keeps the reader 

 posted, making him an all-round bee-keeper. 

 A local paper is liable to make a sort of one- 

 sided bee-man, and Californians can not afford 

 to fall into such a rut. Let us take the winter- 

 ing symposiums good - naturedly, especially 

 when there are 16 extra pages added. 



ANOTHER BEE KEKPEKS' UNION TO RE ORGAN- 

 IZED AVITII A I>IMITED MEMISERSHIP: DRY- 

 AVEATHER VINE HONEY SUPERIOR TO 

 THE FAR-FAMED ALFALFA. 



By John C. Wulleiimeyer. 



The exhibit was arranged and decorated by 

 my assistant. Miss Jeanette Lois Millard, and 

 was awarded 1st prize and diploma for being 

 the most interesting and most attractive ex- 

 hibit of -i'.C at the Tri-State Fair. I secured 

 1st premium on most attractive display of comb 

 and extracted honey, bees and queens, and 

 apiarian implements. We made $40 clear by sell- 

 ing honey lemonade, while other lemonade- 

 sellers never made expenses. You might say, 

 if you like, that Miss Millard and myself are 

 going to organize a bee-keepers' union (limited 

 membership of two). We might consolidate 

 with the North American. Miss Millard is 

 just 18, and loves to take care of bees, rearing 

 queens being her hobby. I have leased a 70- 

 acre farm for 5 years, and will have a honey- 

 farm— that is, plant such crops as will produce 

 honey, and pay besidi's for other things. I will 

 express you a sample of P'inch foundation, and 

 a jar of best honey on earth, and seed-pods of 

 the source (dry-weather vine or weed). 



THE DRY-WEATHER VINE, OR EVANSVILLE 

 HONEY-PLANT. 



The finest honey in the world, considering 

 body, flavor, and color, is produced by what we 

 call the dry-weather vine. It has been pro- 

 nounced such by experts, who are bee-keepers 

 and honey-dealers, and who have tasted all "he 

 principal honeys produced. Alfalfa honey, 

 which is pronounced to be so fine, finds no sale 

 alongside of our so-called " Evansville honey- 

 plant." There is a sickening odor not unlike 

 perfume, attached to alfalfa. I have sold in 

 the Evansville market, alfalfa, alsike. linden 

 (or basswood), sage, goldenrod, black man- 

 grove, saw and cabbage palmetto, orange- 

 blossom, catnip, buckwheat, and white- clover 

 honey, yet none of the above-named can even 

 be classed with the " Evansville honey-plant," 

 Test the sample mailed you and I know you 

 will admit all I say of it. It is water-white in 

 color, very thick and heavy in body, weighing 

 13 to 13 lbs. to the gallon. The flavor is its 

 winning point — very mild and delicious. One 

 never tires of it as you would of basswood. I 

 have some standing in open jars now two years, 

 extracted, and it has not begun to candy yet. 

 I received first premium last year at New 

 Harmony fair, over 13 competitors, with this 

 fine honey. I believe that this will prove to be 

 the most valuable honey-plant ever known to 

 bee-keepers, and I can back up my belief with 

 good reasons. 1. It begins to yield nectar at a 

 time when there is nothing else, usually setting 

 in here July 15. 2. Its length of bloom, as it 

 continues tniabated until cut down by the 



