MAY 1, 1913 



285 



Beekeeping in California 



p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



I read this headline in the issue for April 

 1 : " Painting queens so that they may be 

 quickly found." A little more training of 

 the eye will help to a great extent. I doubt 

 whether the painting idea makes very much 



headway. 



* * * 



Mr. R. M. Spencer says, April 1, p. 209, 

 '' We use a method of preventing robbing 

 during this early sirring work by going- 

 over the hives so fast that robbers can not 

 get a chance." I guess that is " going 

 some." all right. 



* * * 



California showed up well in the April 

 1st issue. Besides the cover picture, we 

 were represented by several good articles. 

 Those honey-tanks shown on the cover are 

 about as large as are ever used, and not 

 very often do we see more than one at an 

 apiary, even in this land of floods and 

 drouths in the honey-flows. 



* * * 



Did you ever stop to consider the amount 

 of excitement a swarm of bees will cause? 

 I once saw an entire family, with most of 

 the tin portion of the kitchen utensils going 

 across the fields and meadows in a merry 

 chase after a swarm, but thej' were not suc- 

 cessful in stopping it. A hive once sat in 

 the back yard of a neighbor year after 

 year, and the bees were hardly noticed until 

 the}' swarmed out; then great excitement 

 was started at once, and all hands were 

 called to hive them quick. 



A CORRECTION. 



I am in receipt of a letter from Mr. F. C. 

 Pellett, State Bee Inspector of Iowa, in 

 which he calls my attention to the fact that 

 I have misstated the report of the Iowa 

 State Beekeepers' Association, on which I 

 made comment in the April 1st issue. Mr. 

 Pellett says, " The joke is on you ; put on 

 your glasses, and i-ead the report of the 

 Iowa convention again." Well, I read the 

 report, and I humbly beg the pardon of 

 the Iowa beekeepers; but in justice to my- 

 self I think Mr. Pellett should have recom- 

 mended an optician, inasmuch as I have not 

 as yet begun the use of glasses. It is just 

 possible I may be in need of them. Any 

 way, I must admit that I did not observe 

 as closely as I should have done the clause 

 relating to being accompanied by a certifi- 

 cate of health signed by some duly author- 

 ized Government or State inspector. 



PROSPECTS FOR HONEY. 



We axe nearing the end of the second 

 week of April with little if any better pros- 

 pects for a honey crop than at the same 

 date last season. So far we have had a 

 very light season's rainfall, and at this 

 date it seems probable that our rains are 

 over for the season. We may expect some 

 showers during the next four weeks; but 

 any gi'eat amount of rain is only possible. 

 The button sage in this locality, no matter 

 how much it may rain, is practically out 

 of consideration for the season. It is badly 

 frozen, as I have before stated. Much of it 

 will not put out a bloom shoot, and some 

 not even a green leaf. The orange-trees 

 are just beginning to bloom, with bees on 

 an average in better condition than last 

 season, so we may reasonably expect some 

 honey from that source; but from the wild 

 flora there is little in prospect. It seems 

 probable that the season will be finished 

 with a total of less than last year's crop, 

 and the price ranging around 8 cts. Good 

 rains Avould, no doubt, be of some aid, but 

 it seems out of reason to expect any great 

 amount of honey after the past six weeks 

 of practically dry weather. 

 * » » 



FIRST ISSUE OF THE VS^ESTERN HONEYBEE. 



The first issue of The Western Honeybee 

 is out. I believe it is of sufficient merit to 

 recommend itself to the western beekeeper. 

 Like all work undertaken by the associa- 

 tion, it must be supported first and most 

 loyally by association members, who, with 

 their best efforts, can help gain the support 

 of the western beekeepers as Avell as many 

 in the East, for there are many in the East 

 who will be subscribers for the sake of 

 knowledge. The moi'e bright journals we 

 have, the greater will be our opportunity to 

 profit by the ideas we get one from the 

 other. It is my wish that The Western 

 Honeybee may take its place in the front 

 rank of bee journals of the countiy, and 

 I shall lend an effort in making it a success, 

 though I expect to continue my work in 

 these columns as long as I can feel that I 

 am aiding the beekeepers of my State or 

 elsewhere, or until the editors fell me that 

 my services can be dispensed with. I have 

 been editing this department for nearly 

 two years; and while I do not feel that I 

 should grab in with both hands and take 

 more than my share of credit, I do have a 

 feeling that I have done something to in- 

 terest the California beekeeper and keep 

 alive an interest in our State affairs. 



