Jlay, 1914. 



fAmerican ^e Journal | 



course, it may be left permanently in 

 the tree if so desired. But there is no 

 need of putting the hive up in a tree. It 

 may be anywhere where bees can get 

 to it ; better where it is to stand per- 

 manently. We have had a number of 



swarms come and occupy vacant hives 

 standing in the apiary, with no thought 

 of their being used as decoys. One or 

 more old brood-combs in the hive 

 will make it much more attractive to 

 the bees. 



Major Gustavus F. Merriam 



G. F. Merriam was born in Leyden, 

 Lewis Co., New York, Oct. 17, 1835, 

 and died in Los Angeles, Calif., Jan. 

 2t), 1914. He was educated at the United 

 States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md. 

 He resigned and enlisted in the War of 

 the Rebellion as First Lieutenant, and 

 was promoted to Major and Chief of 

 Artillery of the Department of West 

 Virginia, in command of Maryland 

 Heights and Bollivar Heights at Har- 

 per's Ferry. 



At the close of the war he moved to 

 Topeka, Kan., and entered into the 

 wholesale and retail dry goods business. 

 In 1875 he moved to California, 

 chiefly in quest of his wife's health, 

 and settled on a ranch in San Diego 

 county, which he named Twin Oaks, 

 and which still bears the name. His 

 great love for beekeeping prompted 

 him to bring 40 colonies with him from 

 Topeka, but the long, slow route to 

 San Francisco, and thence to San Diego 

 by steamer, and last but not least the 

 trip through the rugged mountain trail 

 of 40 miles proved too much for the 

 little fellows, and he arrived with but 

 three colonies alive. 



Beginning with these, and with what 

 he could dig out of the caves and trees, 

 he soon worked up a fine apiary of 

 nearly 200 colonies. Then came the 

 long series of drouths that the bee 

 man of California learns sooner or 

 later but inevitably to bear. 



From 1879 to '83 he saw his hard 

 earned apiary gradually shrink until 

 the early spring of '84 found him with 

 but 63 colonies to begin work with 

 again. Then came the " turn in the 

 lane." The extremely wet season and 

 consequent profusion of wild flowers 

 that so abounded in thiscountryin those 

 days allowed him to increase over four 

 to one, and make liOO pounds of ex- 

 tracted and 50 pounds of comb honey 

 to the colony, the largest yield in the 

 history of the country before or since. 

 He introduced and always used his 

 own make of hives and frames, and the 

 Merriam hive and Merriam self-spac- 

 ing frame is still generally used over 

 southern California. 



After 37 years of active life among 

 the bees, he retired and moved to Los 

 Angeles. Before leaving he was in- 

 strumental in organizing the First Na- 

 tional Bank of Escondido, and was its 

 vice-president at the time of his death. 



[Major Merriam was personally 

 known to the Editor whom he treated 

 as a friendjfor years. We cannot do 



better than insert the following letter 

 from his son regarding him and this 

 horrible accident : — Editor ] 



During the recent heavy rains and 

 flood in Los Angeles, planks were laid 

 from the sidewalks to the streets for 

 pedestrians to get across to the other 

 side of the street. 



Father had occasion to cross the 

 street near where he lived to a drug- 

 store. About midway of the street 

 that he had to follow he saw a street 

 car approaching. The track was dou- 

 ble, and he stepped from one track to 

 the other to allow the car to pass, 

 when another car coming from an op- 

 posite direction struck him, throwing 

 him down against the track and under 

 the trucks of the approaching car. 



He lived 48 hours, but did not regain 

 consciousness. Father was in good 

 health, and was very happj in his little 

 home he had made for himself and 

 Mrs. Merriam in Los Angeles, after 

 braving the struggles and hardships of 

 nearly 40 years of pioneer life here at 

 Twin Oaks. It is a shame he could not 

 have been spared the last few years of 

 his life and allowed to pass down the 

 inevitable grade in happiness and 

 peace, but such is the will of the 

 Master. 



I have left to cherish, the memory of 

 a kind and indulgent father. He was 



The Late G. F. Merriam. 



