Mar. 15, li)li 



153 



DSEEP^DM® DM (S^LDF® ^03 D5\ 



p. C. Chadwick, Kedlands. Cal. 



The problem confronting us in Southern 

 California is not how to keep more bees, but 

 how to keep what we have until a season of 

 more bountiful rainfall. 

 4?- 



The report of the Northern California Bee- 

 keepers' Association, by W. A. H. Gilstrap, 

 has the true ring and the "get together" 

 spirit, which I hoi)e will do much toward 

 the building of a great harmonious State as- 

 sociation that will enable us to do something 

 besides "resolve." 



In behalf of our retiring President, Mr. B. 

 G. Burdick, I am going to extend a vote of 

 thanks for the State association, this mat- 

 ter having been overlooked in the rush at 

 the close of the session. Mr. Burdick wield- 

 ed the gavel, so far as I know, to the satis- 

 faction of all. 



-^ 



The gentleman who accompanied the 

 State demonstration train (I did not learn 

 his name) said before the State association 

 that European foul brood (black brood) 

 could be cured with any kind of bees pro- 

 vided the colonies were strong enough. In 

 this I believe he is badly mistaken. No 

 doubt strength is a great factor, but in itself 

 it is not sufficient. 



Northern and Central California will prob- 

 ably produce much more honey this year 

 than the southern part of the State. In- 

 deed, it is quite possible that, before many 

 years, there will be a thinning of ranks in 

 our Southland for more desirable locations 

 over the ridge. The seasons here are much 

 like the little girl who had a little curl in the 

 middle of her forehead — "when they are 

 good they are very, very good; and when 

 they are bad they are horrid/'' 

 4^ 



February has passed without a drop of 

 rain; the usual pollen-bearing spring flowers 

 did not germinate nor dry up when small, 

 for the earth is as dry now as it was last 

 midsummer. Spring breeding in many 

 places is almost at a standstill, and the out- 

 look even for orange honey is the most 

 gloomy of any time for nearly ten years. 

 Optimists say we shall have rain yet: but 

 we have had this false hope so long that ray 

 mind is very much akin to that of the man 

 from Missouri, who had to be shown. 



HOW EDUCATION AFFECTS THE DEMAND 

 FOR HONEY. 



The people of Texas have been fed on 

 bulk comb honey until they now demand 

 it. Colorado seems to have fed on section 

 honey, while out liere we have taught them 

 to eat extracted, and the quantity con.sum- 

 ed is wonderful. One grocery in this city 

 sells an amount running into tons each year. 

 Beekeepers sell many five-gallon cans to 



families, nearly all of whom return their 

 cans to be refilled the following season. One 

 enterprising young man put some bulk 

 comb on the local market two years ago, 

 giving his entire supply to one grocer to dis- 

 pose of, and a demand was created that was 

 hard to fill. The young man has since left 

 the city; but the demand for his ware re- 

 mains at that store. A majority of people 

 call extracted honey "strained honey," and 

 believe it is squeezed out through a cloth. 

 If this one false idea could be overcome it 

 would add much to the demand for this 

 product. People follow their education pret- 

 ty closely, whether it be social, religious, or 

 on other lines. Many, no doubt, remember 

 the time when grandma or grandpa "rob- 

 bed" the old "gum," carried in a quantity 

 of honey, "bee bread" (and likely some 

 brood), and really strained it. Is it any 

 wonder the idea is hard to overcome? 



4?- 



DRASTIC COUNTY ORDINANCES. 



Ventura County has passed an ordinance 

 that "all bees not bearing an inspector's 

 certificate will be destroyed on arrival," 

 while Imperial County Board says no more 

 bees shall be brought into that county. It 

 is rather laughable to read how some of our 

 county boards are going to block the avenues 

 of trade or kill it when it arrives. Personal- 

 ly, I think these county boards are well- 

 meaning gentlemen, but poorly advised. 

 Not a great while ago some one persuaded 

 the city trustees (of Redlands) to pass an 

 ordinance prohibiting any person from keep- 

 ing more than five colonies of bees in the 

 city limits. The ordinance was attacked in 

 the superior court, and defeated. There is 

 little doubt, in my mind, that such county 

 ordinances as mentioned above would meet 

 the same fate if taken into courts, for these 

 reasons: One county can not legislate against 

 another. Such regulation comes under 

 State jurisdiction, while no court would al- 

 low the destruction of healthy bees any 

 sooner than it would domestic animals. If 

 every county in the State should pass an 

 ordinance identical with that of Imperial 

 County, there would soon be a condition 

 that would be intolerable. Migratory bee- 

 keeping is a part of our molern-day progress 

 — has come to stay, and can not be stopped 

 by a few county boards. Such drastic ordi- 

 nances, in my opinion, will hasten the day 

 when we shall have a State law that will be 

 effective without trying to prevent free 

 movement, or the destruction of healthy 

 bees, for the very good reason that these 

 same counties want protection, and will 

 back a good State law solidly when they 

 meet defeat in what they have. I am not 

 opi)osing quarantine laws by any means; 

 they are becoming indispensable; but I am 

 opposing those things that are neither good 

 law nor common sense. 



