GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15 



for Ventura ; and at this rate we could scarce- 

 ly scare up 140 carloads for all the southern 

 counties. We already have men in the field 

 who are looking this matter up, and we expect 

 to get further reports. 



As to Northern California, the best advices 

 seem to indicate that the crop is going to be 

 somewhat light ; so, taking it all in all, prices 

 for the whole State should advance rather 

 than go down. I would advise the large pro- 

 ducers, at least, to hold over unless they can 

 sell at a figure that is somewhere within rea- 

 son. 



The bee keepers of California have had 

 three or four poor seasons in succession ; and 

 now when they do get a little honey it would 

 be too bad for them to sell that little at a low 

 figure, because, forsooth, there has, according 

 to the buyers, been a "big crop." If there 

 had been the bees in Southern California that 

 there have been in times past, when the years 

 were good, possibly the figures would reach 

 300 to 400 carloads ; but the fact is, as I have 

 stated in previous issues of this journal, the 

 small producers became discouraged during 

 the poor years, and either sold their bees or 

 allowed them to die. 



Perhaps the question may be raised right 

 here, " What do you consider a reasonable 

 figure for California white sage?" We of 

 the Root Co. do not think it is wise for us to 

 name any definite amount ; for the large pro- 

 ducers know what honey they have in sight, 

 and know best about what they can afford to 

 let it go for. All we can say to them is, " Do 

 not let the buyers hoodwink you by big tales 

 of 500 cars." 



PRIORITY RIGHTS OF BEE-RANGES. 



Some years ago we used to hear a good deal 

 p')out " priority rights" in bee ranges. For 

 many years bee-keepers have been encroach- 

 ing on each other's boundary; and as they 

 continue to encroach, the individual yields 

 per colony are cut down proportionately. The 

 })roblem is being solved in many localities by 

 the bee-keeper buying or leasing the bee-range. 

 This is more feasible in the West, where one 

 person or one stock company may own a 

 square mile or several of them. The man 

 who will pay the highest for the bee-range for 

 a period of years is the man who will get the 

 exclusive right for that range for his bees. I 

 could name over a number of men who actu- 

 ally control by lease the bee range for several 

 square miles. Some pay as much as $50 a 

 mile per season ; some get it for much less, 

 depending on the value of the honey flora un- 

 der consideration. 



It is coming to pass, then, that the ranchers 

 of the West are learning that in their vast 

 acres, besides the growth they get from the 

 Foil direct, there is an indirect and new prop- 

 erty right which they can sell at so much per 

 square mile. 



A few of the pioneer bee-keepers have been 

 quick to appreciate the fact that they can lease 

 the range and keep out others from dividing 

 the profits ; and I am glad to give a hint to 

 many of our friends. Sometimes the rancher 

 does not know there is much value in the way 



of honey, and so he will sell a bee-range of a 

 square mile for an insignificant sum. To have 

 a man come and offer him .|25 for something 

 he never considered of any value to him is 

 somewhat of a surprise, and so much clean 

 cash, and he will sign a contract iustanter, of- 

 fering to sell the range, or lease it for a period 

 of ten years at §25 a year. Sometimes he will 

 sell for much less than that. But the bee- 

 keeper is fortunate if he can be the first man 

 to make the application. If half a dozen fel- 

 lows get to bidding on a range, there is no 

 telling where the price will go. So take my 

 advice, and bid first. 



I have assumed all along that a rancher has 

 a right to lease his range to a bee-man, just as 

 he can lease or rent cow pasturage ; and where 

 such property right is acknowledged, and a 

 purchase is made, the laws in our several 

 Slates are bound to respect them. 



But to buy a bee-range in the East would 

 be quite another matter, as one might have to 

 buy out fifty or a hundred farmers. One 

 would have to buy the whole of them ; for if 

 one of them stood out this one might put just 

 enough bees in his little spot that he would 

 not sell, to cut the profits right in two. In 

 the great West the conditions are quite differ- 

 ent. If one man does not own half a square 

 mile, there may be several that own that 

 amount ; and even if one paid each of them 

 %b apiece, he would get just the range he de- 

 sires. 



A SUCCESSFUI, PLAN OF HAVING QUEENS 

 FERTILIZED IN AN UPPER STORY. 



Our Mr. Warden, the man who has charge 

 of our 7uO colonies, has evolved a system of 

 having queens fertilized in upper stories, that 

 is a perfect success. I do not s-peak of it be- 

 cause it may be new, but because it gives ex- 

 cellent results. He tried it to .'^ome extent 

 last year, and now, after having tested it most 

 thoroughly the who'e season with scarcely a 

 failure, we are pleased to recommend it. B}' 

 his plan he succeeds in getting three queens 

 fertilized in one upper story at a time ; that is 

 to say, there may be three virgins, all of which 

 will be fertilized within the usual time. The 

 method is this : 



He takes an ordinary Lingstroth upper sto- 

 ry, and divides it off lengthwise into three 

 beetight compartments of equal size. On 

 the under side of this story and a bee space 

 below the frames he tacks a shee: of wire 

 cloth. The pnrtitions comes in contact with 

 wire cloth at the bottom, and the cover at the 

 top thus making each little n'om separate 

 and bee-tight. On two sides and one end are 

 entrances, one entrance communicating with 

 each compartment. 



This super, as constructed, is now put on 

 over a strong colony, wire cloth down next to 

 the bees. Into each of the compartments he 

 puts two frames of bees, brood, and honey. 

 He then inserts a queen-cell or lets run into 

 each a virgin queen. The cover is put on, 

 and the bees are left to their own devices. 

 He now has practically three two frame nuclei, 

 each one with a cell or virgin queen right over 

 a strong colony, the only separation being the 



