1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



291 



g-eles very economically, if he chooses; or 

 if he wants to be in style, and be in with 

 the nabobs, he can pa}' as hig'h a price for 

 hotel accommodation as he desires; but as 

 I was not a nabob, I was content to live on 

 a level with common people. 



Almost the first bee-keeper I met in Los 

 Ang-eles was Mr. Frank McNay, formerly 

 of Mauston, Wis. He was particularly suc- 

 cessful as a bee-keeper in his old State, be- 

 ginning" in the business when he was only 

 17 years old. In his early experience he 

 had more difficult}' in selling a single bar- 

 rel of honey than he had later on in selling 

 carloads. He located something like 25 dif- 

 ferent apiaries in Wisconsin, and was do- 

 ing a flourishing business; but ill health 

 compelled him to seek a new lo- 

 cation. He wandered westward 

 until he landed in California. 

 He had made a fair competence, 

 and it was not necessary for him 

 to work as hard as he formerly 

 did; and when we met lie was 

 keeping bees for pleasure as well 

 as profit. He lived in Los 

 Angeles, and had one and pos- 

 sibly two out-yards not very far 

 from the street-car line, and with- 

 in two miles of Pasadena. At 

 the last-named city we secured 

 bicycles, and took a run out 

 around to one of his out-yards. 

 It is shown opposite, and over 

 beyond is what is known as Eagle 

 Rock. On the top of this one can, 

 on a clear day, see verj' distinct- 

 ly the beautiful outline of the 

 ocean some 20 miles away, and 

 the islands off the coast of Cali- 

 fornia, 20 miles further still. 



The apiary is located up on the 

 mountain-side, and the bees of it, 

 like all California bees, were 

 very cross; and as I had neg- 

 lected to bring along with me a 

 veil I had to "stand and take 

 it." Pvven when we entered the 

 door of the honey-house and sani- 

 pled some of tiie beautiful, thick, 

 water-white sage honey, the ras- 

 cals would even go through the 

 door and attack us there. 



As we strolled through the 

 apiary, Mr. McNay said he had 

 something he wishetl to show 

 me, and so together we walk* d 

 mountain side, and everv now .and 



the size of the entrance I asked Mr. McNay 

 to sit down by the side of it while I took a 

 couple of snaji shots, and I here reproduce 

 both of them. Those ugly bees from the 

 yard followed us up there, and were sting- 

 ing us right and left; but McNay, the old 

 hardened veteran in the business that he is, 

 paid no more attention to the stings than 

 he would if the bees had been so many flies 

 following us about. Even while I was tak- 

 ing the picture they were peppering him, 

 and the pictures show how well he can 

 stand "under fire." Even his ej'es and 

 bald head seemed to be objects of their 

 wrath. 



I have run across many veterans who could 

 take stings without wincing; but McNay 



FRANK M 'nay's EAGLE ROCK APIARY, CALIFORNIA. 



up the 

 then I 



would run into the Spanish needles, and — 

 oh the exquisite pain these give to a tender- 

 foot if he is not careful I The old residents 

 have a respectful fear of these needle- 

 points, and are always careful not to run 

 into them. It was not long before I learned 

 to look before I stepped. 



As we clambered and climbed we finally 

 reached the mouth of a genuine bee-cave 

 where the bees were fl3'ing in and out. It 

 had never been explored, and no one knows 

 how many tons of honey are stored back in 

 the dark recesses. To give you an idea of 



beats any man I ever saw. I can stand a 

 few stings ; but when it comes to taking 

 them without smashing the rascals, that is 

 something I can not do. If my lens had 

 been a little more powerful I think I could 

 show you the bees on his bald head, and 

 even the bee-stings. 



I must not close without mentioning a re- 

 markable feat performed b}' Mr. McNaj' 

 in the production of a lot of honey. While in 

 Wisconsin he took 250 colonies of bees into 

 the northern part of the State, and secured 

 a carload and a quarter of basswood and 

 willow-herb honey. I doubt if such a rec- 

 ord in migratory bee-keeping is equaled. 



