AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 533 



a dry one the prico is as high as $15 or $20 a ton. These conditions also regulate 

 the wheat and other produce markets. 



Much of the truck gardening is carried on by Italian and Chinese gardeners. 

 The islands in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers offer splendid opportunities 

 for truck gardening, as there is plenty of water always handy, and the soil is of the 

 richest nature. Even here the Chinese have large gardens, and ship largely to the 

 San Francisco markets. Such a thing as a dry year is unknown on these islands. 

 The only thing that the occupants dread is a flood, which is occasioned by the over- 

 flow of the river, or the breaking of the levees. Some of these islands were flooded 

 by the excessive rains that visited this State last year. 



There are some apiaries along the rivers named in the last paragraph. The 

 average honey crop is good, though the honey is not as light-colored as that obtained 

 on high ground. The comb honey stored by the common bees on the islands is suffi- 

 ciently light to command about the same price in the market as the clear honey 

 from the southern part of the State. It has not the high flavor that the sage honey 

 has, and in other ways it is not as good. However, the islands, or rather the banks 

 of the rivers, in the central portion of the State, are not bad places to establish an 

 apiary, all things considered. 



ANSWERS TO CERTAIN CORRESPONDENTS. 



No, don't come to California unless you have several hundred dollars with you, 

 and expect to make a fortune from the time you set your foot on the soil. It is as 

 hard to make a fortune here as it is in any other part of the world. Californians 

 earn their living by the sweat of their brows. 



Numerous styles of frames are in use here. The one that is most preferred is 

 the Langstroth. Any sort of a hive will do, so long as it is not too small. Small 

 hives are a nuisance, as the bees in them will throw off too many swarms. 



Mostly extracted honey is now produced. This is mainly owing, I believe, to 

 the fact that it is easier to ship. The freight rates are lower on it, and it is easier 

 to handle. 



Second-hand coal-oil cans that have been thoroughly cleansed, are used mostly for 

 shipping honey. Some producers use new cans, but the majority use the old cans. 

 I have heard that it is getting to be a hard task to get second-hand cans any more, 

 for the reason that the importers of coal-oil are buying up all the old cans to refill. 



No, most emphatically, don't wait to get married in the East before you come 

 out here. This State is full of as charming ladies as are to be found anywhere, and 

 who are looking for the right man* to put in an appearance. Perhaps you are that 

 gentleman. You may be sure that the aforesaid ladies want you to come out here 

 and make your matrimonial intentions known. 



When you have lived in the State a year, you won't want to leave it. It is 

 worthy of remark that anyone who has resided here for any length of time will 

 never go elsewhere to live. Those who have tried to do it have surely come back. 



North Temescal, Calif. 



[*It must be that Bro. Pryal isn't quite the "right man," for we believe he has 

 not as yet surrendered to any "charming lady." And how about Rambler? He 

 must be the wrong man, too. — Editor.] 



A KIXD OF MIGRATORY BEE-KEEPIISfG. 



BY JOHN CRAYCRAFT. 



The subject of shipping bees to the North for the honey crop has been thought 

 over a great deal for several years. I had several long conversations on this subject 



