NOVEMBER 15, 1912 



721 



Beekeeping in California 



p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



No rain of consequence since early in 



October. 



* * * 



There lias seldom been a year that has 

 brought as many inquiries for bees, with 

 as few offered for sale, as the present sea- 

 son. 



* * * 



Mr. J. Ford Sempers, page 618, Oct. 1, 

 questions the line of flight of a bee as being 

 what is termed a "bee line." There is no 

 question about his reasoning under the 

 conditions he mentions; but it should be 

 remembered that bees follow the course of 

 least resistance. When in the open field, 

 with no wind to hinder, they go just about 

 as straight as wings will carry them. 



* * * 



The question of artificially ripening hon- 

 ey is agitating the minds of New Zealand 

 beekeepers. Some Californians have tried 

 this to their sorrow, and a few are prone 

 to continue the practice. Buyers have been 

 "stung" so often that now honey must have 

 a good body in order to attract them, and 

 you can not get it by extracting nectar and 

 expecting it to make a good grade of honey. 

 Better put on some more combs and let the 

 bees ripen it. They are past masters at the 



business. 



* * * 



Riverside County beekeepers have organ- 

 ized a county club Avith T. 0. Andrews 

 president, and H. J. Warr secretary and 

 treasurer. With these two men at its head 

 the new club should succeed. Mr. Andrews 

 is too well known to need any further in- 

 troduction, and Harry Warr is one of those 

 progressive, energetic young enthusiasts 

 who manage to attend every important 

 gathering of beekeepers. Good luck, River- 

 side! We have some of your residents in 

 our club. If you can catch any of ours 

 over in that valley, rope them in. 



* * * 



Mr. Editor, page 647, Oct. 15, you say, 

 "Moreover a carload shipment of bees from 

 Kansas where foul brood is prevalent was 

 kept from being shipped into the State." 

 I am curious as to whether those bees were 

 known to be diseased. If not, on what 

 ground could an interstate shipment be 

 stopped? This sounds something like the 

 rumbling of some of our California County 

 oi'dinances that seek to prevent the ship- 

 ment of bees from infected districts or from 

 within many miles of where infection is 

 known to exist. 



There is one apiary in this county that 

 has never been known to have foul brood, 

 while within the past ten years no other 

 within miles lias escaped it. This owner 

 should not be deprived of his right to move 

 them where he clioses because his neighbors 

 have had diseased colonies. 



[Let us hear from Wesley Foster on this 

 subject. — Ed.] 



Recently I gave a report of the action of 

 our county supervisors, stating that they 

 had suspended County Bee Inspector Her- 

 ron. Well, everybody thought that was the 

 last of Herron's regime, so petitions were 

 circulated for the appointment of a new in- 

 spector, and presented to the board, only to 

 meet with the information that Herron was 

 still inspector; and from what I can learn 

 he is still drawing his salai'y for office time 

 that he. never puts in. If any one should 

 be interested in my opinion of this matter 

 I would say that it is about as dirty a piece 

 of i^olitics as I have known of in this coun- 

 ty. There are men on this board who have 

 been on it for years while we have been 

 fighting for Herron's removal. / Men who 

 are now on the board promised eight years 

 ago, when we were fighting for Mr. Her- 

 ron's removal, for cause, that, if complaint 

 was made again, he would be removed with- 

 out further question. Since that time two 

 grand juries have recommended his remov- 

 al, and still he hangs to the job in spite of 

 our efforts. Some of these men are up for 

 election this fall; and while this will not 

 reach its readers until after election, I 

 sincerely hope that the voters' district will 

 see fit to let them retire to private life. I 

 have had great respect for the present 

 chairman, and in some respects still have, 

 but he has played politics with us beemen 

 long enough. Some of his friends will 

 doubtless resent this; but I say it without 

 fear or favor. 



This only goes to show the need of a 

 State-wide law to regulate the inspector- 

 ship and to put it into the hands of the 

 beekeepers themselves. At the last meeting 

 of the San Bernardino County Association 

 we voted to let the removal of Mr. Herron 

 go, and to work for a State law by which 

 we could cause his removal without having 

 to humiliate ourselves before the county 

 board of politicians who think more of 

 their jobs than of our interests. If all bee- 

 keepers in California knew what a hard 

 fruitless fight we have had in this county 

 they would back the new law to a man. 



