198 



June, 1916. 



American Hee Journal 



was not the case, for the third season 

 showed a total of 140 swarms. On Oct. 

 9, for instance, 14 swarms issued, and 

 from the 13th to the 18th of the same 

 month five swarms issued daily. This 

 was during foggy and drizzling weather. 

 Strange to relate it was fully two 

 months later before the main honey 

 flow started; then 19 more swarms 

 issued. 



L.\BOR. 



The farm laborer in Chile receives 

 in wages from 15 to 25 cents a day, 

 according to the fluctuations in the 

 rate of Chilian exchange. The laborer 

 must board and house himself. The 

 working day consists of 12 hours. In 

 return, however, he receives from two 

 to four acres of land to dwell upon. 



What, then, was the necessity for a 

 power extractor, when 20 cents would 

 revolve the baskets for 12 hours. It is 

 also no expense to keep the weeds 

 down, in and about the apiary. 



Felix Soto (Fig. Ill), the writer's 

 best bee hand, learned beekeeping at 

 20 cents a day. This salary soon re- 

 ceived a substantial raise. When Felix 

 could stock nuclei, introduce queens, 

 etc., he felt quite proud of being a 30- 

 cent rnan. Today he has full charge 

 of apiary San Antonio, and there is 

 every reason to believe that he is suc- 

 ceeding. Apiary Marruecos (Fig. IV) 

 another apiary of 300 colonies is now 

 handled by a Japanese, A. Hatae, who 

 is a very careful and thorough student 

 of apiculture. 



Although some of this cheap labor is 

 good, there is a great deal that is bad. 

 Slost of the help cannot be trusted. 

 The writer soon found that two good 

 sized padlocks, one on either end of 

 his solar wax extractor, were the only 

 means of protection. In apiary San 

 Antonio there were no less than 11 

 locks and keys necessary. With all 

 these precautions, however, the writer 

 was caught napping. One night he 

 left just outside the extracting house a 

 super full of dry brood combs, think- 

 ing that nothing in the world would 



KIG. 4.-APIARY MARRUECOS CONTAINING 300 COLONIE.S ON CONCRETE BASIS 

 . BUT WITHOUT THEIR WIRESCREEEN ALIGHTING "BOARDS" 



disturb them before morning (no wax 

 moths). A hungry dog, however, had 

 in some manner broken through the 

 fence surrounding the apiary and had 

 eaten every bit of pollen in the combs! 



TRANSPORTATION DIFFICULTIES. 



It frequently happens that the rail- 

 roads in Chile lose considerable freight 

 through theft. Honey is no exception 

 in this respect. Of late it is transported 

 largely in sealed cars. There is a case 

 on record where a car of honey ar- 

 rived at its destination with seal un- 

 broken and some of the honey gone; 

 that is, several of the barrels were 

 empty. The cause of this shortage was 

 soon detected. Evidently while the car 

 was stalled in transit along some siding 

 an enterprising Chilian, crawling be- 

 neath the car, with a good sized brace 

 and bit, soon established direct com- 

 munication between the bottom of a 

 honey barrel and a leceptacle pre- 

 viously provided. Doubtless this clever 



scamp had several accomplices, each of 

 which was similarly equipped. 

 San Francisco, Calif. 



FIG. ^.-CHILIAN BEE HAND INSPECTING A COLONY OF BEES 



Get Ready for the Honey Flow 



BY F. GREINER. 



THERE is no better place for a bee- 

 keepers' meeting than the work- 

 shop of an extensive honey pro- 

 ducer, though such a meeting might 

 not be attended by any more than 

 three or four interested persons. I 

 would suggest that such meetings be 

 arranged for by the beekeepers all over 

 our land, and if possible frequently; 

 they will be found very profitable at 

 any time of the year. This by way of 

 introduction of what I wish to say on 

 the subject of "Preparedness." The 

 reader need not fear that I will say 

 anything on building battleships or in- 

 creasing our standing army or any- 

 thing of the sort. It is only along the . 

 line of getting ready for the 1916 cam- 

 paign from the honey-producers' stand- 

 point. 



There were quite a few beekeepers 

 last season who were caught with no 

 dishes ready to catch the honey when 

 the downpour came. Supers had to be 

 emptied and refilled with sections. 

 Comb foundation as well as sections 

 had to be ordered hastily and shipped 

 by express; same with receptacles for 

 extracted honey. One of my neighbors, 

 I observed, is sawing out and nailing 

 up a lot of wide frame section holders 

 just now. He has also a liberal supply 

 of sections on hand, and has ordered 

 suflficient comb foundation not to be 

 caught again. Another friend was get- 

 ting his supers ready, filling the sec- 

 tions with sheets of comb foundation. 

 He had gotten along pretty well with 

 his work. 



We can never tell before hand how 

 the honey season may turn out, and to 

 be on the safe side we should always 

 be well supplied with all and everything 

 that can possibly be needed. Many do 

 not order or supply themselves with 

 shipping cases for comb honey or glass 

 packages for the extracted until the 

 crop is secured; but even this is not 

 the best way. Such things do not de- 



