1901 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CITLTURE. 



185 



Alfalfa in 

 cussed : 



RAMBLE 182. 



California; Extracting Methods Di 

 a Practical Method of Hive-record 

 Keeping. 



BV RAMBLER. 



" Now, Mr. Rambler, if you feel like it this 

 morning we will hitch my old white horse Bo- 

 nares to the top buggy, and you and I and the 

 children will visit the apiaries, and you can 

 see the lay of the land and various other mat- 

 ters. ' ' 



" I am ready any time, Mr. McCubbin ; but 

 I can tell you before we start that I do not like 

 the lay of the land. This San Joaquin Valley 

 is a great prairie, and I do not like a dead-lev- 

 el country— it is too monotonous. I was rais- 

 ed in the hill country of New York where the 

 roads wound around the hills. Those roads 

 were just charming with their change of 

 scenery. Even in Southern California our 

 roads lead into the hills and to the grand 

 mountains ; but the mountains here are in the 

 dim distance. There is nothing distinctive in 

 such a level country ; and where the roads 

 just follow land sections, and form squares, a 

 ranch house might as well be a peg on the 

 map, and other ranch houses just so many 

 more pegs. I am sure I shall be lonesome 

 without the hills." 



"Oh! well, Rambler, you will soon get 

 used to this level condition of the country, 

 and like it. You can wheel anywhere here, 

 and have no hills to contend with. We will 

 now go to our first apiary, which is out three 

 and a half miles on my raisin and alfalfa 

 ranch, which I rent, reserving the bees for 

 more skillful hands — like /ours, for instance." 



COMBIN.\TlON HONEY-HOUSE AND RESIDENCE. 



" Thank you, Mr. McCubbin ; but I fear my 

 hands will not be very skillful here, for I am 

 satisfied that the conditions are entirely differ- 

 ent here from those I have been familiar with, 

 and I shall, with your advice, have to learn 

 the trade anew. It seems that I am traded 

 around into various portions of this great 



State, and I shall be a dull scholar indeed if I 

 do not learn a few new wrinkles in bee-keep- 

 ing. Now, you are familiar with this country, 

 and know every foot of land between Reedley 

 and Traver; what are the conditions of alfalfa 

 growth here? and is the country generally 

 adapted to its cultivation ? ' ' 



"No, Mr Rambler, there are only certain 

 districts that are adapted to alfalfa culture. 

 Here is a district about two miles wide and 

 ten in length, or 20 square miles, well adapted 

 to the growth of alfalfa. East of us the land 

 is heavy, like adobe ; and, though alfalfa will 

 grow upon it, it does not thrive as upon this 

 more porous soil, and it is sown mostly to 

 wheat. Then west of us is a portion not adapt- 

 ed to alfalfa ; but when we get over to Selma, 

 13 miles west, there is quite an extensive acre- 

 age where alfalfa does well. So far as I know, 

 it runs in spots all through the valley. The 

 hindrances are sometimes adobe, sometimes 

 alkali, and again too sandy and porous, and 

 not water enough for irrigation." 



" Mr. McCubbin, I should like to ask how 

 many acres of alfalfa are in this twenty square 

 miles." 



" I know the country well, and think I can 

 answer your question quite correctly. There 

 is fully 5000 acres, or well toward eight square 

 miles. The remainder is occupied with fruit- 

 orchards, vineyards, grain-fields, etc." 



"You may think I am figuring down quite 

 fine, Mr. McCubbin ; but do you know how 

 many colonies of bees are owned in this 

 area ? ' ' 



" I think I can answer that quite closely. I 

 am acquainted with all of the bee-men, and 

 the number of colonies is not far from 1500." 

 "Then, Mr. McCubbin, there is about one 

 colony to every three and one- 

 third acres of alfalfa. Do you 

 call that crowding in too many 

 bees for the pasturage ? ' ' 



"Well, as the fellow said, that 

 depends. If we were sure of an 

 alfalfa yield every season, there 

 might be more crowded upon 

 the pasture ; but some seasons 

 the alfalfa fails to secrete nec- 

 tar ; and when that happens 

 there are too many bees, and a 

 small crop is the result. I think 

 the pasture is overcrowded 

 around my out-apiary three and 

 a half miles from what you will 

 call your home apiary. There 

 are fully 900 colonies on 1000 

 acres, and in another year the 

 number will run up to a thou- 

 sand, or a colony to every acre, 

 and that is getting them in too 

 thick." 



"You say, Mr. McCubbin, 

 that you scarcely ever have a failure of a 

 honey crop. What do you depend upon if 

 the alfalfa fails ? I believe you have no sage 

 here." 



"You are right, Mr. Rambler. We have 

 no sage here. There is some over on the foot- 

 hills of the Coast Range of mountains, on the 



