68 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



trying to force the bill through to the 

 Governor as now proposed. His opinion 

 was that tiie bill would be vetoed if the pro- 

 vision which gives the president and secre- 

 tary of the association control of the board 

 by legislating them as members of the board 

 with a controlling power. There was some 

 disagreement with Prof. Cook's opinion, one 

 member even declaring that the bill could be 

 forced over the Governor's head ; but a very 

 strong opinion prevailed that Hiram John- 

 son is still very much in evidence as Govern- 

 or of the State, and any such policy could 

 not be accomplished. 



Mr. Wilson, the legal adviser of the asso- 

 ciation, spoke briefly on legal lines, after 

 which he was given a vote of thanks, as he 

 had spent considerable time and energy on 

 association work without charging for his 

 services. 



The secretary's report was then read and 

 adopted. A report was made by J. G. 

 Gilstrap for Prc^f. Lynch, who is at the 

 head of the northern division of the present 

 exhibit committee, and who will have the 

 responsibility for whatever exhibit is made 

 at San Francisco. The exhibit as planned 

 is to be of an instructive nature. 



On Thursday, the 17th, Delos Wood, act- 

 ing as chairman of the convention, called 

 the meeting to order promptly on time, 

 George Brown acting as secretary. Few 

 members were on time at the call. The 

 reports of the county inspectors were taken 

 up. All inspectors reported some loss by 

 disease, black brood being the most preva- 

 lent, with better conditions existing. The 

 Los Angeles County inspector reported the 

 number of colonies for his county, normally 



60,000, had dwindled to 30,000. Great im- 

 jn'overaent had been made by requeening. 

 It was his impression that, by the end of 

 another season, they would be back to their 

 normal numbers. 



The open discussion as to the management 

 of the journal, to which a number of the 

 members had been assigned, was eliminated 

 from the program, due to the fact that no 

 good could be accomplished, and that it was 

 sure to precipitate a very warm discussion, 

 although there was no mention of these 

 facts except a warning by L. B. Andrews. 

 Mr. Andrews has a knack of sighting these 

 riffles and avoiding them. 



The election of officers resulted as follows : 

 Willis Lynch, president, with A. B. Shaffner 

 i-e-elected as secretary. Seven candidates 

 were nominated for the executive board with 

 but tln-ee to elect. Harry K. Hill and J. G. 

 Gilstrap were almost unanimously elected 

 on the first ballot, with George Brown and 

 W. H. Allen tied. Mr. Allen won out on 

 the second ballot by three votes. This puts 

 the control of the association in the North. 



An interesting report by J. Edgar Ross 

 on his litigation over keeping bees in the 

 city of Rrawley was read. An unmistakable 

 case of bee-poisoning was also reported. 

 The raising of a legal fund for the protec- 

 tion of beekeepers was suggested by Mr. J. 

 D. Bixby, which met a hearty response, and 

 was immediately acted upon. The plan is 

 to assess each member three cents per colo- 

 ny, if need be, one cent to be available at 

 once, the other two upon call. The conven- 

 tion adjourned, with the understanding that 

 it would probably be called in San Fran- 

 cisco next summer. 



MORE ABOUT CAUCASIAN BEES 



BY J. J. WILDER 



In commenting on my previous article 

 aboat Caucasian bees the editor states that 

 they were great swarmers when under test; 

 and from reports from other beekeepers 

 they had experienced about the same thing; 

 and, going further, in one of the articles, 

 that on this trial the greatest season resulted 

 with them in an almost complete honey 

 failure on account of their high swarming 

 impulse. 



Mr. Benton, the importer of these bees, 

 made the statement more than once in his 

 writings that they swarm too frequently, 

 but that they are good honey-gatherers. 

 Once in a great while a beekeeper might 

 experience the same thing the editor and a 

 few others have experienced with these 



bees; but even this might be said of what 

 we call the best. This is surely not much 

 grourd upon which to condemn. 



T have had years of experience with these 

 bees in an extensive way, and have sent out 

 several thousand of their queens to almost 

 all parts of the TTnited States. From the 

 purchasers many reports have returned, and 

 not one has reported the editor's experience. 

 Yes, without a single exception, based on 

 reports, every one is pleased with this stock. 



T have had to discontinue the sales of 

 these queens; and as I have none to offer T 

 have no policy in this article except to bring 

 out the facts about them as I have found 

 iheni, and as others have repoi'ted. 



We have found Caucasian bees almost 



