1896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



135 



steamer rears, and then plunges to get over 

 them. Then, above all, it is a Hingiish term. 

 Away with it! SiMid it to Venezuela. 



If over my own signature I should say that 

 the bee-keepers of California are the most pro- 

 gressive in the V. S.. some one would say that 

 I was just booming California. But see here: 

 Manager Newman says that nearly one quarter 

 of the members of the Union hail from this State. 



There are over a thousand bee-keepers in 

 Southern and Central California. From a few 

 figures sent me by Mr. C. H. Clayton, of Lang, 

 I deduce the following figures: Around the 

 town of Acton and Antelope Valley the average 

 number of colonies to each bee-keeper is 90; 

 taking those figures for a basis, 1000 bee-keep- 

 ers own 90.000 colonies. Average yield per col- 

 ony, during the past season, one case, or l:.*0 

 lbs., or 90,000 cases, or 5249 tons, or 4.37 carloads. 

 Value, at 4 cts. per lb., 1419,930. 



Then just think of the unblushing statement, 

 that half the California honey was adulterated 

 by one firm in Los Angeles. Observe how busy 

 the railroads must have been hauling 437 car- 

 loads of stuff from the East to match our pure 

 honey. Then further observe how Hasty, in 

 the December Revieiv, lends a helping hand to 

 the "unblushing statement." 



The enterprising bee-keepers of Ventura 

 County are disposed to score Prof. Cook, the 

 Rambler, and any other man, who has written 

 any thing about three-cent honey. It is a very 

 peculiar state of things, that Ventura bee- 

 keepers have been able to dispose of their hon- 

 ey at not less than 4>o, and even 5 cts., while 

 we in the more southern counties have not been 

 able to sell for more than 4,Vo, and later the 

 offerings are 3 cts., and good white honey has 

 been sold for that; therefore I do not see the 

 necessity of scoring, for the truth is mighty 

 and must prevail. The A. I. Root Co. also get 

 a little of the scoring for trying to buy honey 

 at 3 cts. Those Ventura fellows are a queer 

 lot, any way. 



[We bought one car at 5 cts., and that was all 

 we got. When I told our buyer, Mr. Calvert, 

 that, on the authority of you and Prof. Cook, 

 white honey was selling for 3 cts., he said he did 

 not believe it, and that he would write and find 

 out. Well, he didn't get any such offerings, and 

 now the A. I. Root Co. are in for a scoring for 

 their inquisitiveness.— Ed.] 



A NEW USE FOR HONEY. 



We copy the following from the American 

 Agriculturist: 



Considerable quantities of white currants pre- 

 served in extracted honey have been imported late- 

 ly from France, and are selling freely, at long- 

 prices, to dealers in fancy groceries. A glass con- 

 taining hardly a gill retails at 35 cts. Evidently 

 only the best selected white currants :ire used, 

 slightly coolied— just enough to talie off the raw 

 taste but not injure the fine flavor— and preserved 

 in nice extracted honey. This confection is not too 

 sweet, but lias the most captivating flavor, and is 

 destined to wide popiilaiity. Here's a point, lor 

 some one tnmakeaprotliahle little business putting 

 up such preserves for market. 



THE BEE-SUPPLY BUSINESS. 



FEW FACTS REGARDING THE GROWTH OF 

 THE VARIOUS BEE SUPPLY MANUFAC- 

 TURING E8TABM.SHMENTS OF THE 

 UNITED STATES. 



By the Editor. 



In our issue for Jan. 15 I gave y^u a bird's-eye 

 view of our establishment, and some facts in 

 regard to its recent growth and improvements. 

 I have for some time cherished the idea of al- 

 lowing our competitors in business or rival 

 manufacturers to give us a brief sketch of 

 themselves. In the first place, I asked for bio- 

 graphical sketches of each of the members of 

 the different firms; but some modestly begged 

 to be excused, on the ground that they rather 

 shrank from such prominence. I gave the 

 matter up for a time, but finally renewed, ask- 

 ing each conc( rn if I might have a biographic- 

 al sketch of the ^rm as a whole, with photos of 

 the members, and in this I was successful. 



In the bee-keeping world, probably no names 

 are more familiar than those who manufacture 

 bee-keepers' supplies. I am sure it will be a 

 genuine pleasure for you all to see the faces 

 of the men and those of their co-laborers who 

 have been making hives and sections. Little 

 glimpses like these make us nearer akin, and I 

 believe they help to make us mutually better 

 acquainted. 



It is said that men of a trade can never agree. 

 It is not true of the manufacturers of bee-sup- 

 plies. The pleasaiitest of relations exist be- 

 tween all four of us. We sometimes run into 

 "red-hot competition," but, so far as I kiiow, 



