California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



dry mass, and death would likely ensue. 

 But there is one thing which I do not 

 yet understand, and which I should be 

 very grateful to have explained. It is 

 this, that while many of the creatures I 

 have named will bear the four hours' 

 journey from Southend, some of them 

 will not bear the twelve hours' transit 

 from Plymouth, though equal care be 

 apparently taken with the packing in 

 both cases. But when such packing is 

 possible the gain is enormous in every- 

 thing. We often at the Palace get a 

 couple of thousand of animals, or more, 

 in packages weighing not altogether half 

 a hundred weight, while if the same ani- 

 mals needed to be conveyed in properly 

 a'erated vessels of actual water, such 

 creatures would require a pound weight 

 of water instead of only a fraction of a 

 grain weight to each. The money value 

 of the moist plan is strikingly shown in 

 the instance of shrimps, of which we 

 use about a ton weight every year at the 

 Crystal Place Aquarium, for feeding 

 purposes; and we require them alive, be- 

 cause many animals refuse to eat them 

 when dead. They cost us in good con- 

 dition about a shilling a quart; but if it 

 was necessary to bring them alive in 

 water, they would cost at least a guinea 

 a quart. — W. A. Lloyd in London Zoolo- 

 gist. 



How THE Indians Fish for Salmon. 

 While on the head-waters of the Sacra- 

 mento river last year I had several op- 

 portunities of seeing the Indians catch 

 the salmon, which serves them for food 

 during the winter, and, in fact, during 

 the whole year. The Indians, not being 

 subject to the prohibition of the game 

 laws, are allowed to take game at any 

 season of the year, and they take the 

 salmon when they are in the river to 

 spawn, at which time they come in in 

 immense numbers. The Indians take 

 them by means of spears, one of which I 

 measured and found it only a few inches 

 short of twenty-five feet in length, and 

 the modus operandi is as follows: 



The Sacramento near its head is very 

 a*v'ift, and in its passage across ditl'erent 

 ledges of various degrees of softuess it 

 excavates large pools or holes in its bed, 

 each having a small fall at the head, and 

 a rapid beyond. The water in these 

 holes, which are often very large, is com- 

 paratively still, and they make welcome 

 resting places for the tired salmon be- 

 fore they attempt the passage of the 

 rapid above; they collect in them in great 

 numbers, the water is beautifully cold 

 and clear, and the fish can be seen 

 crowded together on the bottom. The 

 Indians repair to one of these holes to 

 the number of twenty or more, and a 

 fine picture they make as they stand in 

 position to strike when the word is given, 

 nearly naked, with their brown skin 

 shining, and eyes glittering in anticipa- 

 tion of the sjjiort. Some station them- 

 selves at the rapids above and below the 

 hole, others wade out to an isolated rock, 

 or a log projecting into the stream. All 

 hold their spears in readiness, and at a 

 grunt from the leader thej' commence 

 business. 



At the fii-st onslaught all generally man- 

 age to secure a fish, which is detached 

 from the spear and thrown on the bank, 

 the spears, by the way, having barbs of 

 steel, which become detached from the 

 stock when they enter the fish, and being 

 attached to the shaft by cords, turn flat 

 against the fish's side, and make escape 

 impossible when the salmon is pierced 

 through. The Indians proceed silently 

 with their work, and secure a great many 

 fish before they escape from the bole. 

 Sometimes three or four hundred are 

 thus speared out of one pool. 



They are very cautious about making 



their preparations so as not to frighten 

 the fish till all are ready, and then to 

 confuse them by a sudden onslaught. 

 The fish are split Open and dried in the 

 sun on the bushes, which present a curi 

 ous appearance, all hung with the bright 

 red flesh; they are then slightly smoked 

 and reduced to small flakes, and laid 

 away for future use. The roes also of 

 "mahalies, " as they call the females, are 

 carefully saved and dried, and are con- 

 sidered a great delicacy by the Indians; 

 but I uev<>r heard of white men eating 

 them, although I should think that if 

 cooked while fresh, they would be quite 

 palatable. 



The trout fishing of this region was 

 also said l)y some English lords who 

 were fishing there to be superior to any- 

 thing they had ever seen, each fly on a 

 flight of six being taken in one lake as 

 soon as they touched the water; and 

 these are not lake trout, mind you, but 

 brook trout, or rather river trout, which 

 enter the lake through a stream connect- 

 ed with the river. The Dcjlly Varden 

 trout, as it is called on account of the 

 large red spots along its sides, is also 

 found in no other stream. This fish has 

 until lately been unknown to all but the 

 old hunters of the region, and is certain- 

 ly the gamest fish I ever saw, salmon 

 not excepted. It weighs from four to 

 eight pounds, and when hooked takes 

 the hook between its teeth, like a horse 

 seizing the bit, and makes a rush of 

 sometimes eighty yards in a straight 

 course, continuing these spurts until ex- 

 hausted. They seem to be of large size, 

 and are inclined to be cannibalistic. — 

 Forest and Stream. 



Fish Cdltukk in Fkance. — The French 

 Legislature has decided that fish culture 

 shall form a part of the programme of all 

 farm schools. This was a branch of 

 rural industry formerly much cultivated 

 in this country, especially in reference to 

 carp, which is a most prolific and easily 

 jn-opagated fish. Weight for weight, it 

 fetches nearly as high a price as beef, 

 and no faiuu stock can manufacture flesh 

 so rapidlj' as carp. Any pool of water 

 can raise the fry; at two years of age, 

 they must be transferred to larger spaces 

 of water, and even then, can command 

 at the rates of 200 fr. per 1000 head. 



There is a piseicultural society in 

 Jlonterey county which is alive and 

 working to introduce into the waters of 

 that county a stock of all the best varie- 

 ties of fish. Their example could be fol- 

 lowed by many other districts with 

 profit. 



ainavn. 



^ 



Bee-Keeping in Los Angeles- 



^1 



Sfe S a specimen of what has and can 

 §Wi be done by some of the leading 

 S', apiarists of this county, wi' give the 

 following figures of the amount of 

 honey produced the present season 

 by Harmon, Loop A.' May, at their ranch 

 near San Fernando station. On the first 

 of .-Vpril this firm had HO stands of bees 

 and uji to the 15th of this mouth had ex- 

 tracted some 50,000 pounds of honey of 

 superior ([uality, and are still getting 

 some honey of a poorer grade, of which 

 the amount will probably reach 10,000 

 pounds, making a total for the season, 

 or since April last, of 60,000 pounds. 

 Of this amount, 10,000 pounds has been 

 shipped to Chicago, a small quantity to 

 San Francisco, and two or three thous- 

 and pounds sold in this city. The firm 

 now have 20,000 pounds in the dejiot at 



San Fernando, with which they intend 

 to load the first car through from Los 

 Angeles to Chicago. They also expect 

 to ship the remainder of their crop to 

 Chicago, where they have established an 

 ahency for the sale of it at wholesale to 

 dealers in that vicinity. The honey is 

 mostly put up in cans containing about 

 seven pounds, and packed in cases con- 

 taining eight or twelve cans each, which 

 makes it in convenient shape for the re- 

 tail trade. In addition to the honey 

 produced this season, they have increased 

 their 140 stands of bees to IIJO, and have 

 transformed a wild, desolate patch of 

 greecewood and sage brush to one of the 

 most delightful places of residence in the 

 county, being nearly 2,000 feet above 

 the ocean, overlooking the Coast Kauge 

 of mountains, accessible by the best of 

 roads, and within three miles of San 

 Fernando. It is stated, on good author- 

 ity, that the annual product of honey in 

 this county is over 1,. 500, 000 pounds, 

 which has a market value of $1.50,000. 

 Of course, this does not include the 

 thousands of pounds of wax produced, 

 selling at twenty cents per pound, which 

 would greatly increase the figures. — 

 Weekly Mitror, Auy. 2G. 



Co.MB FoL'NDATiox. — " What is comb 

 foundation?" The following, from the 

 Atiiericun Bee Journal for Slay is an ex- 

 I^licit answer: 



Take a piece of emijty honey comb and 

 cut off all the cells, until nothing is left 

 but the division wall of wax between the 

 two opposite sets of cells, and you have 

 a comb foundation. The latest produc- 

 tion, however, consists not merely of the 

 dividing wall, but also a slight depth of 

 the cell-walls themselves, on each side, 

 and these cell-walls, although slight in 

 depth, may be of such thickness as to 

 contain enough wax, so that the bees 

 may work out or prolong the cells to 

 their full depth without auj' additional 

 material. 



These come foundations are given to 

 the bees in their brood chamber, enough 

 being put in a frame to fill it, in whole 

 or in part, perhaps only a narrow strip 

 being used for the bees to start upon. 

 They are also used for surplus honey, 

 enough being given to fill the boxes, or 

 merely enough to give the bees a start. 

 The object is to save the time of the bees 

 in secreting the wax, as also the houey 

 used in its production. Another object 

 is to secure all straight, worker comb, 

 and still another to hasten the com- 

 mencement of work in boxes when the 

 bees are loth to enter them. 



Thus much by way of answer to those 

 who are asking: "What is comb founda- 

 tion, and what is it for?" 



Paeasite.s on Bees. —The Rural World 

 reports that at the last meeting of the 

 St. Louis Academy of Sciences, Prof. C. 

 V. Kiley, the President, read a commu- 

 nication from Ci. W. Barnes, of San 

 Diego, Cal., in relation to parasites upon 

 bees in that State. The parasite was de- 

 scribed as of the color of a flaxseed and 

 easily distinguished by the naked eye. 

 It appears usually under the wing of the 

 bee, and adheres with considerable ten- 

 acity. It occasionally crawls all over 

 the bee, and is quite agile in its move- 

 ments. The bees afllicted with the ver- 

 min become agitated and move rapidly 

 over the comb, frequently dying of in- 

 juries. The parasites were first noticed 

 there last year, and have again appeared 

 this season, giving considerable trouble 

 in large apiaries. Specimens of the in- 

 sects afflicted accompanied the letter,and 

 Prof. Kiley said the parasite was the 

 larva of the blister beetle. It was well 

 known that these larva; attached them- 

 selves to bees and were thus carried into 



the hive, where they usually left tlu 

 grown bee and attacked the larva\ Prof. 

 Riley had not before heard that these 

 insects injured the^fuUy developed bees. 

 The information was valuable, if reha- 

 ble. — J{ural Xew- Yorker. 



Bees Stinging. — For fifteen years I 

 kei)t bees in my garden at 6 Lordship 

 Ten-ace, Stoke Xewiugton, the hives be- 

 ing literally shut in on three sides by 

 houses; and in that time I never heard a 

 complaint of any one ever having been 

 hurt, or alarmed or threatened. 



The bee, like man, is a creature of 

 habit. When thoroughly accustomed to 

 human society, the industrious insect 

 plods on in the most peaceable and law- 

 abiding manner; hence, while a town 

 bee may be interrupted with impunity, a 

 country bee is apt to sting when serious- 

 ly interfered with, especially when 

 cheeked in the prosecution of daily duty. 

 Dnring the fifteen years my bees saw 

 much of society, they were remarkably 

 docile and manageable, and I could 

 catch them on the wing, retain them in 

 my hands, and after some seconds liber- 

 ate them, to see them dart like an arrow 

 to the hive, and I was never stung by the 

 prisoners. But when I pUinted my bee 

 shed in a lonely spot, and the only saw 

 open meadow, they soon became so far 

 savage that I could no longer handle 

 them safely. — Hhirley Ilibbard in London 

 Times. 



Subduing Bees. — The stings of bees 

 were given them for the protection of 

 their stores. They are not disposed to 

 sting when not in danger, and every bee 

 which does sting dies. .A.way from their 

 own hive they rarely mak* an attack. 

 The natural dread of stings deters many 

 from keeping bees who would be glad to 

 do so. In the use of modern hives, the 

 danger of being stung is lessened, as 

 these give you facilities for subduing 

 them. A bee with its honey sac fuU 

 never stings. When you alarm a colony 

 of bees, they all instinctively at once fill 

 their sacs with honey, and after time 

 has been allowed them to do this, their 

 hive can be opened and examined with 

 no danger from their anger. — Mrs. Tap- 

 per. 



fovcmc. 



TRICHINOSIS- 

 An Iiiiportuut Subject. 



FEW years ago, says the Country 

 (ienUeman, no one would have 

 known the meaning of this term — 

 save some technical scientist — cer- 

 tainly no farmer, because we are 

 jnst beginning to realize that it means a 

 horrible disease. It certainly is to be 

 wished that our learned friends would 

 not frighten us so often with these long 

 words. Why not call it what it is, the 

 pork distemper ? And a dreadful distem- 

 per it is getting to be, call it by what 

 name we will, and by none will it smell 

 sweet, and the sooner we know all about 

 it and avoid it, the better. Professor 

 Verrill some years ago explained its ori- 

 gen before the Connecticut State Board 

 of -Agriculture. Professor Cress)', of 

 Amherst -Agricultural College, has on v.a- 

 rious occusions brought it before the 

 farmers of Massachusetts, and quite re- 

 cently Dr. Sutton, of Indiana, has made ' 

 a report describing in full the symptoms ' 

 and mode of treatment of the disease, to ' 

 the Indiana Medical Society, which, if 

 not pleasant reading to jiork-raisers and , 

 eaters, is of great moment to them and 

 the general public — although, perhaps 



