1901 



GIvEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



231 



RAMBLE NO. iS.;. 



Life in a California Outapinry; Effects of Heat on 

 Hives, Covers, etc. 



BY RAMBLHR. 



" Now while we are about it, Mr. Rambler, 

 we will skip over to the out-apiary three and 

 a half miles from here. Of course, you know 

 that an out-apiary does not have all of the 

 conveniences of a home apiary ; but this one 

 of mine will do ; it is good for more or less 

 honey. Here we are passing a creamery, as 

 you will see b}' the milk-house and the silos. 

 Such places mean a large acreage af alfalfa." 



"I have noticed, Mr. McCubbin, that a 

 large number of cattle seem to be crowded 

 upon what I should call a small acreage. 

 Here, you say, is an 80 acre alfalfa-field. How 

 many cattle will that sustain ? " 



"Well, Mr. Rambler, if a good stand of al- 

 falfa is secured in all parts of the field, and it 

 is irrigated properly, the 80 will sustain 300 

 head of cattle ; and, aside from running cattle 

 for dairying, it is quite profitable to breed the 

 cattle for beef. You can not help noticing 

 that all the cattle in this country are sleek and 

 plump, and ready for the shambles." 



"Yes, I have noticed that; and the more 

 pronounced, perhaps, for I have seen such 

 emaciated and starving cattle during the dry 

 seasons in the South ; and another thing, Mr. 

 McCubbin, I have not seen poor emaciated 

 horses here ; they are all plump and frisky — 

 in fact, too fat for speed. And here we are at 

 your out-apiary. What sort of crop do you 

 call this around here ? " 



" That, Mr. Rambler, is an alkali weed. It 

 grows rank, you observe, and, in its season, 

 the bees get a little honey from it. Then 

 there is a prickly alkali weed that gives a lit- 

 tle honey." 



" But, dear me ! Mr. McCubbin, this is a 

 desolate place — not a house within a mile ; not 

 a tree for shade ; weeds, weeds; and if you 

 have any hot weather it will strike right in 

 here. There is nothing cheerful about this 

 place." 



" Oh ! you will soon get used to the condi- 

 tion of things ; and as to hot weather, it is 

 only a matter of 115° or 120° when it gets 

 down to it. When I first came here I declared 

 that I would not work when the temperature 

 got above 100 ; but when it did come I found 

 myself working right along with the rest of 

 the people." 



" Mr. McCubbin, I notice you have quite a 

 number of loose-jointed hives in your apia- 

 ries. See here. This hive wee-waws at least 

 two inches out of square. Then just look at 

 this cover. The top is made of four narrow 

 strips, and no battens over the gaping cracks; 

 and this one I am holding is rather loose- joint- 

 ed. Jimminy Jericho ! a bee-keeper down 

 south would be ashamed to meet a looking- 

 glass if he had such hives as that." 



" Ha, ha! Why, Rambler, that hive and that 

 cover are the desire of my heart. You see, 

 when you place such a super on a hive you 

 have to look all around it to see if it is on 



right. That, Mr. Rambler, teaches yen to be 

 circumspect ; and if you are in relation to 

 hives you will be in relation to bees and other 

 things. Then these hive-bodies cost me but 

 five cents each. I buy up all of the coal-oil 

 cases I can, and a case makes a hive-body ; 

 and a case that is not fit to make a body will 

 make a cover ; and any thing that is not fit to 

 make a cover will make a bottom ; and any 

 portion not fit for a bottom I use for kindling- 

 wood." 



"And do you have much kindling-wood out 

 of it, Mr. McCubbin?" 



"Well, no; kindling-wood /'.v rather scarce 

 around here ; but, as I was going to say, a two- 

 story hive with cover and bottom cost me 

 about 20 cents without the frames. The latter 

 I get cut at a planing-mill, and I suppose you 

 think that covers with three big cracks across 

 the top will leak when the rain comes; but, 

 keep your eye on 'em, Rambler, end you will 

 learn something about covers." 



"just look at this cover." 



" But, see here, Mr. McCubbin ; it distress- 

 es me greatly to look at this cover. I suppose 

 you have a hammer here. I will nail it into 

 some shape. Then, this hive-body with 'This 

 will not explode ' printed on the outside needs 

 a little nailing, for it does look a little as 

 though there had been an explosion inside of 

 it." 



" I do not keep hammers lying around loose, 

 Mr. Rambler ; but here is a harrow-tooth with 

 which I do my nailing." 



" Land o'Goshen ! harrow-tooth ! Who can 

 drive nails with a harrow-tooth ? No wonder 

 your hives are wee waw, and covers see saw. 

 Why, down south if a bee-keeper had only an 

 ax and a harrow-tooth for a kit of tools he'd 

 be ashamed to meet a — " 



"Yes, yes; but, see here, Rambler; you 

 have lived too long in the South. Those fel- 



