434 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 12, 1900. 



less suspicious and distrustful, not to say envious, and are 

 reluctant to trust each other. It is true, then, that it will 

 be absolutely necessary first to commence a g-eneral work of 

 education to show not only the value of united effort, hut to 

 convince the people that they can trust each other, and that 

 there is no inherent reason why agriculture may not be as 

 greatly .served by the most perfect co-operation as are the 

 railroads, or the manufacturing interests. 



Southern California has taken the lead in the matter of 

 co-operations, and the results are most gratifying and sat- 

 isfactory. The raisin industry was entirely prostrate in 

 the hands of the commission men, vinej'ards were being 

 dug up or sold under mortgages, and the raisin-growers 

 were the most despondent people of all our sunny southland. 

 Two years ago co-operation was suggested as a remedy, and 

 over 75 percent of the raisin-producers were brought into 

 the combination. The result was marvelous. Over a mil- 

 lion dollars about Fresno alone markt the increase in price. 

 Mortgages were paid ; profits were satisfactory, and des- 

 pondency was at once replaced by joy and courage. Last 

 year over 90 percent of the raisin-growers of our State came 

 into the combination, and that assured for two years, so 

 that now no other class of people are so full of hope and 

 courage as are the raisin-men. 



The Citrus Fruit Exchange of Southern California is 

 another illustration of the great value of co-operations. 

 This organization has agents in the East, and looks after 

 the whole matter of selling, equal distribution and general 

 progress of the business. A great saving has been made 

 in the packing, in the cost of the boxes, etc., as well as in 

 the costs of marketing. One year over two million dollars 

 worth of business was done without any loss at all, and the 

 entire loss for several years has been but a few hundred 

 dollars. And yet the business has been up in the millions. 



The Deciduous Fruit Exchange is another organization 

 which is now about two years old, and is already well on its 

 feet, and has a vigorous and gratifying status to-day. This 

 organization has secured better prices in all products which 

 it handles than those outside. In all its business it has 

 yet never lost a cent, while the expense of the organization 

 is almost nothing. We see, then, that we have the value of 

 such organizations fully demonstrated. Southern Califor- 

 nia was especially well fitted to be the pioneer in such work. 

 A great many of our ranchers (as we call them here) were 

 successful business men of the East, who came here in 

 search of health. Thus, they understood the value of co- 

 operation, and were quick to make use of it. It took less 

 time, too, to convince the general farming public that the 

 value of such organizations was immense, and objections to 

 them almost without foundation. 



I doubt if there is as much cultui'e and general business 

 sense among the farmers of any other region as you will 

 find all over Southern California. Is it not true that bee- 

 keepers are more generally readers, and men of intelli- 

 gence, than are most persons engaged in agricultural pur- 

 suits ? I think this has always been true, and since the 

 years of bad wintering and honey drouths, owing to re- 

 peated dry seasons and other causes, the unintelligent have 

 been more and more weeded out, so that to-day it seems to 

 me a large ])roportion of the bee-keepers are reading, 

 thoughtful men. If I am right in this conclusion, then cer- 

 tainly apiculture is already ripe for such co-operation as I 

 am advocating in this article. 



As I have been a close observer of co-operations in 

 Southern California, and its most earnest advocate ever 

 since I came here, six years ago, I feel that I know some- 

 thing of the difficulties as well as the advantages. I don't 

 believe there are any insuperable difficulties in the way of 

 co-operation among our farmers. The first point to be 

 gained is to convince the people that the project has real 

 merit, and the second to show them that farmers can do 

 this as successfully and extensively as can the railroads. 

 The railroads hire men to do their work. Why, then, can 

 not tlie farmers ? Then, if the farmers have no business 

 ability among themselves, which is certainly not to be be- 

 lieved, they can surely secure the very best of talent, and 

 that at an expense which they can well afford, a thousand 

 times over. I believe that the success of the raisin industry 

 in California, of the Cittus Fruit Exchange, of the Decid- 

 uous Fruit Exchange, will speak to the whole country verj' 

 soon in most persuasive tones. It would seem to me that if 

 the bee-papers would take this matter up with all the energy 

 of their being, they might soon bring' the bee-keepers into 

 harmony with these organizations. This is well worth all 

 the energy and effort it will cost, for it will not only be a 

 great advantage to the industry of the honey-producer in 

 securing better prices, cheaper implements, and a constant, 



even market, but will also be another example to the coun- 

 try, and to the farmers generally, vi'hich will alone place 

 the agricultural interests on a level with all other industries. 



Agriculture certainly deserves a higher rank, and it is 

 most deplorable that the industry has been so long lookt 

 down upon. If the best morality and highest ideal of right 

 living are to be found among the agriculturists — and I think 

 this point can hardly be refuted — then surely anything that 

 exalts this industry is well worth our first attention. 



I am a thoro optimist. I believe to-day is the best day 

 the world has ever seen, and I rest in the full conviction 

 that to-morrow will be a better day. I believe a better 

 Christianity is soon to dawn upon us; that better politics 

 are to gratify right-rr.inded men, and that more harmony 

 and general helpfulness are to come upon us as communi- 

 ties. I can not but believe that one of the greatest agents 

 in the production of this better condition of things is to 

 be a more intelligent, refined and successful agricultural 

 class. I am as strongly of the opinion that the strongest 

 lever in producing this last condition of our agricultural 

 classes will be thru co-operations among tillers of the soil. 



May I not plead then to the editors of our several bee- 

 papers to enlist heartily in this effort to bring the apiarists 

 of our country to unite in the most thoro co-operation? 

 Already California has led in this matter, and has had an 

 organization for two or three years. It is in good hands, as 

 the officers are not only our best bee-keepers, but are also 

 men of great, good sense, integrity and excellent business 

 abilitj'. It is only to be regretted that the excessive drouths 

 of the last tvfo years have been so disastrous to the bee- 

 keeper that the organization has had no chance to show its 

 value. If better years ever come to the apiculture of South- 

 ern California, I believe we shall have another example of 

 the great good that may come thru wise co-operation. 



Los Angeles Co., Calif. 



Robber-Bees — How to Cure and Prevent. 



BY S. T. PBTTIT. 



THERE are various ways of stopping robbing. The con- 

 dition of the colony being robbed should always be con- 

 sidered. In any case the first thing to be done is to 

 close the hive so nearly that a single bee can with difficulty 

 .squeeze thru, then treat the robbers the same way. There 

 may be several colonies taking a hand in the fracas. If so, 

 look them up and punish them also. When the bees have 

 quit flying toward night, open all up and let the robbers all 

 go home ; but watch, or in a few minutes they may go to 

 robbing. 



Again, at nightfall put the colony being robbed in a dark 

 cellar, and leave it there for two days. In the mean- 

 time set an empty hive in its place. The hive in the cellar 

 should be replaced on the stand in the evening, when all is 

 quiet, and place on entrance-blocks such as is described be- 

 low. If the hive being robbed is a strong one, leave the 

 entrance three or four inches wide, and cover the entrance 

 with a small armful of hay or straw, and sprinkle liberally 

 and often with cold water, and take it also to the dark cellar 

 for two days. But to prevent robbing is better, and gen- 

 erally easier, than to break it up after it once gets started. 



Less robbing will occur if the hives face to the south or 

 west, or anywhere between these points, for the simple rea- 

 son that the prevailing winds from these quarters will favor 

 the guards in several ways ; but the west winds are too 

 strong foi best results when the hives face in that direction, 

 so I prefer facing them to the south. Then in the evening 

 of the first daj' out of the cellar give each hive whose bot- 

 tom-board is at all loaded with dead bees, or is soiled, a 

 clean, sweet, zcanii floor. To warm it, it should be kept for 

 an hour or more in a warm room. The change should be 

 carefully and quickly made. Let one lift the hive straight 

 up, and another remove one floor and adjust the other ; 

 then adjust the entrance-block. Take a walk around next 

 morning, and see how bright and thankful the little crea- 

 tures look. Their home floor is so sweet and clean ! and 

 their courage will be strong enough to defend it. A dirty 

 hive is more likely to be robbed than a clean one. 



The entrance and entrance-blocks are factors that de- 

 mand our careful consideration in this undertaking. The 

 entrance should be about three-eighths inch high, and no 

 higher. 



If any one has much black blood in his yard I believe it 

 will pay him to try entrance-blocks, that is, provided he 

 has not something as good or better. I have a better in the 

 shape of an addition to these blocks for very weak or queen- 



