GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



BEEKEEPING IN CAUFOKNIA 



P, C. Chadwnck, Medlaiids, Ca! 



Tlie condition of the sages is 

 much better than 1 had hoped for. 



cement walk over which a pari of the tligiit 

 was directed I found several cold and stiff, 

 unable to reach the hive. 



Prof. Cook at our state conven-. 

 tion said he had no doubt that 

 Adam and Eve had bees in the 

 garden of Eden. Mr. George 



Emerson asked what material Eve made the 



bee-veils of. 



While we are having raisin, orange, and 

 grape daj'S, each of which is designated as 

 a day for every one to eat the certain one 

 of these commodities in question, why not 

 include honey? 



* * * 



A gentleman from New York city was 

 transferred to our local postoffice force. 

 One day the subject of honey came up, and 

 the other employees were surprised to hear 

 him say he had never tasted it. 



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There is nothing tliat will describe the 

 weather conditions of the present better than 

 to say that California is now being drenched. 

 The rainfall to date, Feb. 13, is above nor- 

 mal, with an average of nearly 15 inches. 



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Do not try to save fertile-woi'ker colonies. 

 T'nite them with other colonies that need the 

 bees. This may be done quickly and safely 

 by setting them on top of other colonies 

 with a sheet of newspaper between the two. 

 The paper will be removed by the bees, and 

 perfect harmony prevail. 



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A colony containing a large amount of 

 bees at this time in the season can often be 

 used to equalize the force of a less populous 

 colony by changing it to the latter's hive- 

 stand. This plan should not be used so late 

 in the season that it may interfere with the 

 working force of the stronger colony. 



J. L. Byer complains of his bees not 

 having a flight since in October. It is my 

 opinion that our California bees would b^ 

 a little more numerous during the winter if 

 they were confined more closely to the hive. 

 The loss by chill would be greatly reduced. 

 To-day, Jan. 23, the temperature was just 

 at a point that encouraged the bees to leave 

 tlie hive in quest of stores, which are avail- 

 able to some extent; but many were so 

 chilled that they were hardly able to com- 

 plele the return flight. Tn fact, on the 



If not already done, the queen-excluders 

 sliould be removed to allow the queen all of 

 the room in both chambers for laying. Re- 

 place them ten days to two weeks before 

 you expect to extract, care being used to 

 avoid shutting the queen down in a honey- 

 bound brood-chamber. She should have all 

 available room tliat ten frames will give, for 

 laying. If honey is coming in freely, and 

 the side combs contain much honey, place 

 them in the upper story and insert full 

 sheets of foundation in their place. 



* * * 



As to wliether or not it is profitable to 

 save bees from, bee-trees, Mr. Elias Fox 

 takes occasion to say that my ideas on this 

 subject were guesswork. Badly mistaken, 

 Bro. Fox. I should not be surprised if I 

 have not cut as many bee-trees in the East 

 as yourself. Besides I have dug them out 

 of rocks, taken them out of houses, trees, 

 transformer boxes, chimneys, and from un- 

 der houses in tliis state. Yet, counting every 

 thing, I believe I am the loser. It is an easy 

 matter to make a success of cutting from 

 trees if you are going to take them home as 

 you describe, and put them on frames of 

 sealed honey. There is a stubborn idea in my 

 head, however, that I could cut out four or 

 five nuclei from my own hives, with as good 

 results, while you were cutting your tree. 



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Mr. L. W. Brown, page 126, Feb. 1, says: 

 " Out in California is a beekeeper who has 

 kept bees (as w-ell as moths) for over thirty 

 years in the same yard." Just one, Mr. 

 Brown? Well, out in California are some 

 of the most progressive beekeepers in the 

 world who do not take a back seat for any- 

 body. California is a state filled with bee- 

 keepers with large apiarie.s, and richer in 

 experience, on the average, than those of 

 any other part of the United States. Cali- 

 fornia has less moth per colony than most 

 of the eastern states, for the reason that 

 beekeeping here is a specialty, and not a 

 side issue that receives attention after the 

 rest of the farmwork is attended to. We 

 liave some dirty, sloppy, careless beekeepers 

 the same as may be found anywhere, but 

 fliey are tlie kind that come and go rapidly. 

 The beekeepers worthy of the name are here 

 to stay, and are not harboring moths. 



