52 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 15 



crop until well into the winter, and after 

 tlie proper amount of rainfall. 



These certain uncertainties have led the 

 Rambler into new fields and into enlargfed 

 ideas in respect to bee culture. Let me ex- 

 pound a new doctrine. 



In the first place, let me ask why it is 

 that capitalists seldom invest in bees. The 

 answer is upon your tong'ue — owing- to the 

 uncertainties. A capitalist is looking- for 

 a sure thing-, or an income for the money 

 invested, and hardly ever enters this field 

 unless he becomes an enthusiast about bees. 



PEPPER-TREE, TWO YEARS' GROWTH. 



I am quite sure the time is ripe for put- 

 ting- the matter of honej^ production upon a 

 safe financial basis, and so sure of g-ood 

 leturns for invested capital that the latter 

 will seek investment. This new combina- 

 tion is a little too large for bee-men to un- 

 dertake themselves and without capital ; 

 but bee-keepers and capitalists can work 

 to^^ether in these interests. For instance, 

 let a company be org-anized upon strictly 

 business principles, with trained business 

 men at the head of it. Let said company 

 own, by purchase, 10,000 colonies of bees in 

 Southern California. As to the manage- 

 ment of said bees, according to our present 



methods for extracted hone}', three men 

 could manage 1000 colonies or more during 

 the busy season, which, in Southern Cali- 

 fornia, lasts from April until Jul}'. Dur- 

 ing the other eight months one man could 

 easily care for over 1000 colonies, except at 

 times when hives should be made or bees 

 moved to new locations; but when apiaries 

 become well established one expert could 

 care for an indefinite number. 



We have now established our 10,000 colo- 

 nies in Southern California. Let us now 

 go to Central California and establish an- 

 other 10,000 in a series of apiaries. Nearly 

 the same conditions exist in Central Cali- 

 fornia for the actual work in the apiary as 

 in Southern California, with the exception 

 that the honey yield comes later, or Julj- 

 until October. Inasmuch as this is prolong- 

 ing the honey season to seven months for 

 our company it might be asked, " Why not 

 move the bees from Southern to Central 

 California? " I would oppose several rea- 

 sons to this: 



1. The removal of an apiarj' abandons 

 the field to others. 



2. The expense. 



3. An apiary that has just secured a crop 

 of honey would not be fitted for gathering 

 another so soon without requeening and 

 much building-up work. 



W^e have now planted our 20,000 colonies, 

 where, in a good honey season, we shall 

 get a seven-months' flow. Now, in order to 

 fill up the five-months" gap, and make the 

 honey-flow continuous all the year round 

 for our company, let us establish 10,000 

 colonies in Cuba, where the main flow 

 comes from November to April. 



Let us now sum up the advantages. The 

 leading one is the elevation of the industry 

 t J a position of certainty. If I own stock in 

 the company I am sure to realize a good 

 percentage, even if there is a failure at one 

 pjint. If a bee-keeper has put his bees in 

 as stock he is interested in all of the loca- 

 tions; and if his crop fails, another loca- 

 tion will bring him a revenue; but when 

 the yield is good in all of the locations his 

 dividend would be no small amount. 



Another g-ood feature about this combina- 

 tion is the inducement held out to young 

 men to take up the business as an all-the- 

 year-round and life vocation. At present 

 there is no inducement, for the business in 

 one location is short and uncertain. A 

 skillful bee-keeper (and no others need ap- 

 ply) who puts his bees into the company 

 could secure work the year round. 



Then the grading and marketing of honey 

 could be brought to something systematic, 

 and in the hands of skillful managers. 



The failure of exchanges and all similar 

 organizations is caused by the narrowness 

 of their operations, and the lack of finan- 

 cial backing. I speak from experience, 

 and experience dearly bought, when I saj' 

 that associations organized without finan- 

 cial backing will and do result in weak at- 

 tempts or total failures. 



The capitalist must step in with his mon- 



