GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



BEEE<CEEPMG IN (CALIFOENIA 



P. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



The loquot and eucalyptus are 

 furnishing the bees a source from 

 which to get an encouraging 

 amount of nectar and pollen for 

 winter encourasment. 



A heavy rain lias fallen during the past 

 twenty-four hours (Dec. 12). This will 

 insure the early-blooming flowers sufficient 

 moisture to bring them forth on time and 

 in abundance. Early breeding is all but 

 assured. This, with the already prosper- 

 ous condition of colonies, will have a ten- 

 dency to increase tlie size of the crop, even 

 with a light flow. 



Certain blooming periods are given in 

 " Honey-plants of California," as applied 

 to the pepper-trees. Except that they begin 

 blooming in early spring and continue until 

 winter, they have no distinct blooming pe- 

 riod. There are several trees near my home 

 that are blooming now, Dec. 12. I do not 

 mean to say, however, that every tree blooms 

 constantly from early spring, but there are 

 trees in bloom during that period. 

 * * * 



A word of warning to those who are 

 contemplating a move to this State to take 

 up the bee business: If you are doing even 

 fairly well where you are, better stay. 

 There are hundreds contemplating the move 

 who are only doomed to disapiDointment, at 

 least for a time. Conditions are so different 

 from tliose in the East that one must become 

 acquainted with the ways of the West before 

 it is possible to make a success of the busi- 

 ness here. There are many Eastern bee- 

 keepers hei e who have made the assertion to 

 the writer that, if they were now in the 

 East with the experience they have gained 

 in the West, they could make the business 

 pay more dollars there than here. But all 

 agree that they are willing to do with fewer 

 dollars for the sake of the climate. But 

 climate will not keep us all, and the real 

 problems must first be solved by those ac- 

 quainted with conditions here before a full 

 measure of success can be realized. 

 « » » 



Mr. G. H. R., page 926, Dec. 1, your 

 explanation has cleared matters greatly, as 

 1 see it. The fact that the colony of which 

 you speak drew out six slieets of foundation 

 with but one quart of syrup does not prove 

 I he syrup was wlioUy responsible for the 

 six sheets of foundation having been drawn. 



1 have solved it like this : The syrup caused 

 the bees to draw the foundation. That is 

 what was done in this case, and not merely 

 the addition of wax to the foundation. The 

 ordinary medium-brood foundation is much 

 heavier than is utilized for the base of the 

 comb; but the cells are drawn to a greater 

 or less degree from the foundation without 

 the addition of a single wax scale by the 

 bees pulling up the surplus wax into cell 

 formation. 1 am of the opinion that has 

 been the case with your foreman's experi- 

 ment. Take a sheet of light, medium, and 

 heavy brood foundation, and measure the 

 base before placing in the hive. After they 

 are drawn, examine the base and you will 

 find that it is much thinner than when 

 placed on the hive. Take the same sheets 

 when drawn from 1-16 to 1/4 i"eh and you 

 will find the cell construction the same color 

 as the base. There is little foundation 

 drawn by bees the base of which is not 

 reduced before the cells are completed. [See 

 article by R. F. Holtermann on this subject, 

 page 13. — Ed.] 



Whether the editor of the Beekeepers' 

 Review was alluding to the California State 

 Association or some other in the November 

 issue, T am not able to say. However, he 

 came near hitting the nail squarely on the 

 head so far as this State is concerned. It 

 seems to me the selfish attitude we have 

 assumed in this is little less than inconsis- 

 tent. I am not a member of the National, 

 but expect to return to it very shortly. The 

 reason 1 am at this time not a member is 

 that I was influenced by a prominent mem- 

 ber of the California State Association to 

 hold allegiance to our own association only. 

 I see by the actions of our own association 

 in its efforts to organize county clubs to 

 enhance tlie value of the State association 

 that there must be strength in organization. 

 So I have come to the conclusion that, if 

 there is strengfh in a State association, 

 there must of necessity be a greater strength 

 in the National; and it is my opinion that 

 we shall soon see the California State back 

 in the fold of the National. It should be. 

 There is no valid reason why it should not 

 be. I was told, when persuaded to leave the 

 National, that we needed the money to 

 promote our own association. Naturally I 

 was interested in our own organization, and 

 decided to obey suggestions. Now I see 

 where I was weak, not only in paying my 



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