1909 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



37 



with both hot and cold knives, and have worked 

 in New York and California, and I say, gi-ve me 

 a hot knife. A cold knife works in New York 

 satisfactorily; but when I came to uncap sage 

 honey I wanted a hot knife, for a hot knife cuts 

 the cappings a great deal easier than a cold one. 



I always have a whetstone on the uncapping- 

 table, and sharpen my knife every morning, and 

 several times during the day. 



I never could make a success of uncapping by 

 drawing my knife up. I always shove it do-ivn, 

 making a clean smooth cut. The cappings will 

 not stick to the comb back of the knife, but will 

 roll into the uncapping-box without holding the 

 frame leaning to one side. Always hold the 

 frame perfectly straight up and down; and when 

 you draw your knife back, cut off the patches of 

 cappings not reached on the down stroke. 



San Diego, Cal, Oct. 5. F. G. Bolling. 



[So this question of a hot or cold knife is de- 

 pendent on the kind of honey. Is that true.' — 

 Ed.] 



HOT OR COLD KNIVES FOR UNCAPPING. 



By all means use a hot knife for rapid work. 

 We use three at a time — two heating while un- 

 capping with the third one. 



El Toro, Cal. G. W. Bercaw. 



[This is a good report, and the kind we want. 

 Let us hear from others. "In the multitude of 

 counselors there is wisdom." — Ed.] 



BEE-KEEPING IN THE IMPERIAL 

 VALLEY OF CALIFORNIA. 



An Effort to Establish Priority Rights in 

 Regard to the Bee Territory; a Scheme 

 to Prevent Overcrowding. 



BY J. \V. GEORGE. 



You will find inclosed a bulletin gotten out by 

 the Imperial Valley Bee-keepers' Association, 

 which is self-explanatory. This association 

 meets on the last Tuesday of each month for the 

 purpose of placing the honey of the members on 

 the market, fixing the price, and for the transac- 

 tion of any other business that may come up per- 

 taining to the bee-keeping interests of its mem- 

 bers. 



I think Dr. Miller stands for protecting prior 

 acquisition of territory. If so he will stand up 

 and listen to a custom that the bee-men of Im- 

 perial Valley propose to follow. At the regular 

 meeting in September the inclosed bulletin was 

 ordered sent out by an almost unanimous vote. 

 At the regular October meeting a motion was 

 carried that the five last named on the informa- 

 tion committee be made into an adjustment com- 

 mittee. Then there was a resolution adopted, 

 and incorporated in the minutes of the associa- 

 tion as follows: 



RtithtJ, Thit the adjostment committee be instructed to ac- 

 cept all bees offered to them, and to use said bees in any manner, 

 and at long as they are deemed necessary for the purpose of dis- 

 couraEing any perM>n from placing o' maintaining an apiary at 

 any place where, in their judgment, said apiary might be detri- 

 mental to the interest of any bee-man who, by right of prior loca- 

 tion, had the best right tj said location. 



After the adoption of the above resolution, on 

 roll-call every memberjpresent except two offered 

 10 per cent of his bees for the purpose of carry- 

 ing out the resolution. It looks very much as if 

 any one coming into the valley and undertaking 

 to override the custom here would get just what 

 he deserves. 



We want it distinctly understood that we will 

 welcome and assist any who may come and re- 

 spect our custom. There will be in time many 

 good locations, but some will have to wait for 

 them to become profit-producing. 



El Centro, Cal., Oct. 29. 



[Although it is not stated in so many words, it 

 is inferred that the ten-per-cent contribution from 

 the members is to be put in one or more lots, and 

 that said lots are to be located right next to a 

 yard of bees that is trespassing on another's terri- 

 tory, until the trespasser would be forced out 

 and compelled to put his bees on territory not 

 belonging to some one else. This would accom- 

 plish the result sought, and all would have to be 

 good. The bulletin referred to Is given below. 

 —Ed.] 



To whom it may interest: 



This article is written to meet the demands for facts and figures 

 and reliable information about bee-keeping in Imperial Valley, 

 which are being made in person and by letter to the Imperial 

 Valley Bee-keepers' Association and its members. 



The association has found it necessary to appoint a committee 

 of six prominent bee-keepers, whose names and addresses appear 

 below, for the purpose of giving information to non-residents who 

 contemplate engaging in bee-keeping in Imperial Valley. 



The committee has authorized the publication of this bulletin 

 for the purpose of calling attention to a few facts which are well 

 worth consider.ition. 



1. The average yield per colony of extracted honey for 1908 

 has been about 100 pounds, or about half as much as the two pre- 

 ceding years. 



2. During the fall and winter of 1907, 5000 stands of bees 

 were shipped into Imperial Valley, and now with those previous- 

 ly located comprise about thirty apiaries ranging in size from 50 

 to 300 stands, and located all the way from one to three miles 

 apart. 



3. The sevOnd statement goes a long way toward explaining 

 the first; for, while the shortage has been in part accounted for in 

 various ways, the difference in the amount of honey obtained 

 from different valley apiaries is easy traceable to the number of 

 colonies kept in their respective neighborhoods. 



4. The distance apart which apiaries may be run with profit 

 in an alfalfa country depends altogether on the amount of alfalfa 

 grown in proximity to the apiaries and the size of the apiaries. 

 In Imperial Valley two to three miles is considered close enough. 



5. The dairy or stock farmer is the valley bee-keeper's poor- 

 est neighbor, and the hay farmer his best. 



6. The committee strongly advises all non-residents who con- 

 template engaging in bee-keeping in Imperial Valley to come 

 first and see. Do not take any one's word for it. Come and see 

 for yourself. 



7. The information committee is composed of six of the 

 leading bee-men of the valley, and represent different sections. 

 Their duties are as follows: 



To impart accurate information regarding the bee business, by 

 letter or interview, to all who ask; to tell and show prospective 

 locators where apiaries are now located, also of unoccupied loca- 

 tions, if there are any, in their neighborhood; to inform prospec- 

 tive locators of the rule or custom adopted unanimously by the 

 stockholders of the Imperial Valley Bee-keepers' Association in 

 open meeting, September 29, 1908, and which is as follows: 



That in the future it shall be the rule or custom among bee- 

 men of Imperial Valley not to locate apiaries closer together 

 than two or three miles (according to pasturage and size of apia- 

 ries), and that all stockholders of the association shall observe 

 this custom and give their moral support to remedy cases of viola- 

 tion. 



7. All prospective locators should call on or correspond with 

 any or all of the committee. 



J. W. George, Imperial, Cal. 



J. B. Whitaker, El Centro, Cal. 



Thos. Phillips, Silsbee, Cal. 



L. Davis, Brawley. Cal. 



A. Bland, Holtville, Cal. 



H. Perkins, Calexico, Cal. 



Committee. 



Imperial, Cal., Oct. 29. 



