was so encouraging that they brought 154 

 more in 1871. and during several succeeding 

 years Mr. Harbison brouglit down all his 

 colonies, amounting to 1,000. 



In 1870 these gentlemen commenced sell- 

 ing to other parties, and as it seemed a very 

 profitable business, a great many persons 

 engaged in it, until in the spring of 1876 the 

 number of colonies of bees in improved 

 hives in San Diego county alone, as returned 

 to the assessor, was over 33,000. 



The other counties of southern California 

 also went largely into the business, Los 

 Angeles county having 24,000, and San Ber- 

 nardino, 6,000. 



In 1869 one case of comb honey was 

 shipped from Sacramento to Chicago, in the 

 first car of fruit ever sent overland. In 1873 

 Messrs. Clark & Harbison shipped a full 

 car load of 10 tons to Chicago. Previous to 

 that, the local markets of California had 

 consumed all produced at a good price, but 

 the amount had then increased so much as 

 to require a market elsewhere. Since, Cali- 

 fornia honey has been sliipped to all the 

 markets of the Eastern States, and is known 

 and generally liked for its color and flavor. 



During the season of 1876, about 3.000,000 

 lbs. of honey were produced in California, 

 of which San Diego county furnished one- 

 third. Los Angeles and San Bernardino 

 counties combined another third, and the 

 rest of the State the remainder. This was 

 the largest amount liitherto produced. It is 

 too early yet to estimate the amount for 1878, 

 but there will probably be less comb-honey, 

 and more liquid honey than in 1876. In 1877 

 several causes combined to produce a dis- 

 astrous result for the bee interest. 



The winter or.rainy season, was extremely 

 dry ; the spring was very colil and backward 

 and the early summer exceedingly hot. The 

 supply of honey was cut otf. very few colo- 

 nies gathered enough for their own use. 

 The result was a very great mortality fiom 

 starvation, amounting to one-half in San 

 Diego, fourth-fit'ths in Los Angeles. Some 

 owners saved their bees by feeding ; others 

 a part by distributing equally the stores 

 among as many colonies as it would carry 

 through, but no surplus honey was made. 



The present season has so far been a good 

 one, the spring was backward and cold, but 

 the summer has been very favorable and 

 bees l)av(^ generally gathered more honey 

 during July tlian in any previous year, but 

 the great reduction in their numbers during 

 the past year, will restrict the aggregate 

 crop, though tlie average per hive will be 

 large. 



The number of colonies of bees in the 

 southern counties of California, which em- 

 braces the greater portion of those in the 

 State was estimated a'xmt 30,000 in March, 

 1878. and the increase this year will probably 

 be fifty per cent. San Diego county has 

 principally engaged in producing comb- 

 lioney while the others gee liquid honey by 

 extracting. 



Southern California is peculiarly adapted 

 to bee raising and honey producing for sev- 

 eral reasons. The equable nature of the 

 climate is a great advantage. The tempera- 

 ture seldoui falls as low as the freezing 

 point, and even frosts are uncommon. Dur- 

 ing the winter or rainy season, bees require 



no shelter, and can fly out more than one- 

 half the time, indeed most of the time can 

 tind food. The sununer is entirely dry, no 

 rain, hail, or thunder storms interfere with 

 the labors or breeding of the bees, or cause 

 disease among them. 



Feed is obtained during nine or ten 

 months in the year and surplus honey 

 gathered for four or five. There is a very 

 large area of rough mountainous country, 

 with small valleys, furnialiing sites for 

 small farms and apiaries while the mountains 

 are covered with honey producing plants 

 peculiar to this region, and never likely to be 

 disturbed in their luxuriant growth. Among 

 these are the following : 



Man/.anita, blossoming in February ; alfi- 

 lerea, in March ; black sage, in April ; wild 

 alfalfa, in May ; white sage, in June ; Cali- 

 fornia sumac, in July ; greasewood, golden 

 rod and blue curls, in the fall. 



During a great part of the honey season 

 the nights are foggy and damp and the days 

 bright, warm and still, the most favorable 

 conditions for bees to work and store honey. 



In the work published by Mr. Harbison 

 quoted from above, he says: "In Cali- 

 fornia the quantity of iioney gathered by a 

 single hive in a year is greater, and the 

 quality better than is usually found in any 

 other country. Owing to the peculiarly dry 

 climate the honey is more der.se, weighing 

 nearly one pound more per gallon than that 

 usually made in the Atlantic States, in con- 

 sequence of which it will !.-eep good for 

 years, and can be transported to the Atlantic 

 cities and to Europe in prime order and at a 

 profit to the producer. And the time is not 

 distant when, if the business receives the 

 attention it deserves, the export of Iioney 

 and beeswax will he no inconsiderable item 

 of re venue to the apiarist of tliePaci tic coast." 



This was written nearly 20 years ago. and 

 the writer has seen his prophecy abundantly 

 fulfilled by the shipment of large quantities 

 of honey from California to all parts of the 

 world. 



We labor under the disadvantages of dis- 

 tance from the great markets, the exhorbi- 

 tantly oppressive freight charges of a rail- 

 road monopoly and some old fashioned 

 customs ; but we are making improvements 

 in the spirit of the age, we are doing our 

 part in opening up the markets of the world, 

 and we hope to be able to get more reasona- 

 ble rates of transportation. 



While we do not wish to crowd out any 

 one, we claim the right to place our product 

 on the market in fair competition, trusting 

 to its own merits to secure for us a reasona- 

 ble compensation for our labors and invest- 

 ments. 



Several of the counties of California have 

 their bee-keepers' associations incorporated 

 under the general law of the State, and they 

 are doing much good in exchanging ideas and 

 experiences and in combining for mutual 

 interest in shipping. &c. Through their 

 united action some salutary laws have been 

 passed and somt; trade regulations estab- 

 lished, and it is to be hoped that they and 

 such associations — local, state, and national 

 —will be warmly sustained and enabled to 

 go on with their good work. 



Chas. J. Fox, 



Pres. San Diego Bee-keepers' Association. 



