March, 1916. 



Delos Wood on His 75th Birthday 



Co.,Ind., Jan. 10, 1838. At his marriage, 

 which took place November, 1861, he 

 purchased a part of his father's farm, 

 which had been his boyhood home, 

 and built for himself, living there until 

 he came to California. 



During these years he was a breeder 

 of fine stock, introducing into this 

 county the first Costwold sheep, Ches- 

 ter white hogs, and Light Brahma 

 fowls; all of which he raised and sold 

 at high prices, winning many premiums 

 at State and County fairs. He was also 

 indirectly the means of introducing 

 other fine stock into that section. 



His father had been a beekeeper in 

 the old-fashioned way of many years 

 ago, and the son continued the business 

 under new and improved methods, be- 

 ing the first in that part of the country 

 to introduce Italian bees and use a 

 honey extractor. 



He was prominent in the Grange 

 movement, and for the greater part of 

 his life a writer for agricultural and 

 apicultural journals. He was for many 

 years a regular correspondent of the 

 Indiana Farmer. After the starting of 

 the Western Honey Bee, a few years 

 ago, Mr. Wood's articles entitled 

 " Chips," had a regular place in its 

 pages. 



Mr. Wood was a soldier of the Civi' 

 War, having served partly in the State 

 service, but chiefly in the 29th Indiana 

 Infantry. 



He came to California October, 1881, 

 and since that time his home has been 

 in Santa Barbara and the immediate 

 vicinity. He was all the while more or 

 less engaged in bee-culture. In 1884 

 he had charge of an apiary of 700 colo- 

 nies, from which was sold 20 tons of 

 extracted honey at $200 per ton whole- 

 sale ; most of it being shipped to Eu- 

 rope. 



Later he owned a small ranch a few 

 miles from Santa Barbara, where he 

 devoted himself to the rearing of bees 

 and strawberries. One season he sold 

 $300 worth of berries from one-fourth 

 acre. In 1905, in Mr. Wood's absence, 



American Vae Journal 



the ranch was swept by a mountain fire 

 and all buildings, apiary, etc., were 

 completely destroyed, as well as much 

 timber. Since this occurrence he has 

 not been in business for himself, but 

 has been employed by several of the 

 leading beekeepers of the southern part 

 of the State, chiefly in Ventura county. 

 For the last three years he was asso- 

 ciated with W. H. Allen, of Saticoy, 

 and had arranged to remain with him 

 another year. 



Mr. Wood was for many years a 

 member of the California State Bee- 

 keepers' Association, and was made a 

 life member some years ago. 



He died at his home, 725 East Gutier- 

 rez Street, Santa Barbara, Calif., on 

 Jan. 6, 1916. Although his health had 

 been failing for some months, his last 

 real illness was very brief. He at- 

 tended a meeting of the State Associa- 

 tion at Los Angeles, was caught out in 

 a cold rain without suflScient protec- 

 tion, and contracted a heavy cold. He 

 came home New Year's night in an- 

 other rain. The cold rapidly devel- 

 oped into grippe, which, with heart 

 failure, ended his life in five days. He 

 lacked four days of being 78 years old. 



He is survived only bv one daughter. 

 Miss M. C. B. Wood, his wife having 

 passed away nearly 17 years ago. 



Orange, Calif. 



No. 15.— The Honey-Producing 

 Plants 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT. 

 {Photoef>it>l!s bv the author.) 



IN this series of articles we have given 

 the same attention to the pollen 

 flowers as to those that secrete nec- 

 tar. While the latter are much more 

 important it is very desirable that the 

 beekeeper be familiar with the sources 

 of pollen as well. In this article we 

 present some plants which are of value 

 as pollen producers only, and which 

 cannot be said to be " honey plants." 



ELDERBERRY. 



The American elder or elderberry is 

 a common shrub from New Brunswick 

 west to Saskatchewan and south to 

 Arizona and Texas. Figure 70 shows 

 the flower clusters of the common 

 elder, Sambucus canadensis. Since the 

 plant blooms late May and June, there 

 is usually an abundance of pollen in 

 most localities. The bees, however, 

 gather the pollen freely at times, and it 

 is of value where pollen is not plentiful 

 at this season. 



The berries are used for pies and 

 wine. The flowers and bark are used 

 to some extent for medicinal purposes. 



HOI'S — Humulus lupulus. 



The common hop plant is too well 

 known to need description. It is com- 

 mon from New England to British 

 Columbia and southward. It is very 

 generally cultivated for making yeast 

 and for medicinal purposes. The small 

 greenish flowers are wind pollinated. 

 It furnishes pollen in abundance but 

 no nectar. Fig. 71. 



PEONY. 



The cultivated peonies are introduced 

 from Asia, and are commonly grown 

 for ornament. Most varieties are 

 double and produce no pollen. The 

 single varieties, however, produce pol- 

 len in abundance, and at times the bees 

 seek them eagerly. The writer has 

 seen as many as six to eight bees gath- 

 ering pollen on a single blossom. Fig. 

 72. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 

 Copyright: ipi6. by Frank C. Pellett. 



Michigan Short Course. — We have just 

 received the program of the Michigan 

 short course in beekeeping which will 

 be held at the Agricultural College at 

 East Lansing March 13 to 18. Prof. 

 Morley Pettit, of Ontario, and Mr. Ira 

 D. Bartlett, of East Jordan, will assist 

 Prof. Millen in giving the lectures. A 

 very attractive program is outlined, 

 but space will not permit presenting it 

 in full. 



FIG. 70-ELDERBEKRIES IN BLOOM 



