42 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Beekeeping in California 



p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



EEPOET OF 23d annual CONVENTION. 



The 23d annual convention of the Cali- 

 fonia State Beekeepers' Association was 

 held on Dec. 12, 13, 14, at the Y. M. C. A. 

 building, Los Angeles. It would be impos- 

 sible to give a report of the three dajs' ses- 

 sion in detail. I will, therefore, mention 

 brieflj' some of the most important points. 

 Nearly all of the great honey-producing 

 counties were represented. Many new faces 

 were seen. Men from north and south 

 worked side by side for results. No one 

 man won more esteem than Willis Lynch, 

 of Newman. C. Hauser, of Sacramento, 

 and J. G. Gilstrap, of Ceres, were also 

 strong factors in the convention. All were 

 new to the annual assembl}'. 



In many respects it was the most success- 

 ful meeting ever held by this organization, 

 the most pleasing features being that har- 

 mony i^revailed, and that advancements 

 were made on foul-brood legislation, so 

 long hoped for. The bill is now ready to 

 present to the State legislature, and has the 

 solid support of the entire beekeeping fra- 

 ternity. It is to be hoped we may be able 

 to convince our representatives at Sacra- 

 mento that they should pass it in the inter- 

 est of this important branch of agriculture, 

 for I think it is without doubt the most 

 complete bill of its kind ever drafted for 

 the protection of the beekeeping industry. 



Mr. J. D. Bixby's remarks on black brood 

 were eagerly listened to, for there is no 

 ciuestion at the present time that is agitat- 

 ing the minds of the beekeepez's of Califoi'- 

 nia so much as that of eradicating black 

 brood or being able to combat it. 



Mr. J. E. Plesants, of Orange County, 

 had a veiy interesting paper entitled "Rid- 

 ding a County of Foul Brood." This ven- 

 erable gentleman told how he had in ten 

 years reduced American foul brood from 

 15 per cent to V2 of one per cent, which is 

 a record well worth being proud of. 



The paper of Mr. A. F. Wagner, of Im- 

 perial County, entitled " County Ordi- 

 nances and their Value," created much dis- 

 cussion, and showed plainly the opposition 

 to drastic county ordinances, but doubtless 

 helped to crystallize opinions favorable to 

 our proposed State law. 



Prof. A. B. Ulrey, of the University of 

 Southern California, spoke on " The Prin- 

 ciples of Breeding." 



Prof. Ralph Benton, of the same insti- 

 tution, spoke on " The Varieties of Bees 

 as Nature Left Them," which was largely 

 geogi'aphical in nature, describing the lo- 



cation of different races and the surround- 

 ings that limited their natural distribution. 



Then came two fine papers on queen- 

 rearing, by Mr. Henry Perkins, of Artesia, 

 and Mr. Geo. J. Brown, of Tusten. Both 

 are young men, and have a great future in 

 prospect. 



At the evening sessiou Dr. C. A. Jenks 

 gave a very interesting demonstrative lec- 

 ture on " First Aid to the Injured." While 

 this was not on a subject in connection 

 with the bee industry, yet it was valuable 

 for its instructions as to what to do in case 

 of emergencies. The most valuable part to 

 the beekeeper was that relative to snake- 

 bites, for there are few apiaries that do not 

 have the rattlesnake as a visitor. 



Willis Lynch, who has traveled around 

 the world observing the different races of 

 bees, told of bees as he found them in 

 Hawaii, the Philippines, Borneo, India, 

 Egypt, Italy, France, Germany, and Eng- 

 land. His description of the large bee of 

 the Philippines, as well as the smaller, was 

 especially interesting, as well as how the 

 natives of Borneo feast on the unhatched 

 brood, preferring it to the honey. 



Mr. C. Hauser's remarks on organization 

 were timely and to the point, and deserve 

 a place on the records of our association. 



Of Mr. J. G. Gilstrap, I can say nothing 

 better than that he came to work, and help- 

 ed accomplish many of the advancements 

 of the convention. 



Mr. J. B. Neff, who conducted our bee- 

 keepers' institutes so successfully during 

 the past summer, spoke on co-operation. 

 Mr. Neff is in the Walnut Growers' Asso- 

 ciation, and knows the value of co-opera- 

 tion. 



The association passed a resolution in- 

 viting the National to come to California 

 in 1915. This developed a scramble be- 

 tween San Diego and San Francisco for a 

 place of meeting, which was finally dis- 

 posed of by leaving the decision to the 

 National. 



Riverside County presented a resolution 

 adopted by that county's club relative to 

 protecting the bee-ranges from brush fires. 

 They have asked their county supervisors 

 to appropriate a fund for fighting such 

 fires, and to prosecute persons who care- 

 lessly start fires. I was especially glad 

 that this action was taken, for I know of 

 nothing that is more detrimental to the bee- 

 keepers of the sage-range country than to 

 have their honey source destroyed. 



Suitable resolutions were adopted in 



Continued on page 47. 



