AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



155 



honey seasons, and what is the remedy 

 for them '?" 



The discussion of this topic had a wide 

 range, and it was shown that the 

 climatic influences of one season was no 

 guide as to what the next would be. In 

 Ventura County it was stated that an 

 abundance of rain in December, Jan- 

 uary and February would usually result 

 in a good crop. In San Bernardino, the 

 early rains were not of much account, 

 but late rains wei-e essential. A good 

 rainfall at some portion of the Winter 

 was deemed just as essential for the 

 secretion of honey as for the success in 

 any other derpartmentof rural industry. 



The convention then resolved itself 

 into an experience meeting, and each 

 man and woman gave their name and 

 the number of colonies, and amount of 

 "honey produced. The figures were very 

 interesting, showing that, in spite of the 

 cry of a poor season, many tons of honey 

 were shipped from Southern California, 

 aud that San Bernardino County was not 

 behind other counties in the tons gath- 

 ered. 



The convention then adjourned until 

 1:30 p.m. 



AFTEKNOON SESSION. 



The meeting was called^to order by 

 Mr. Abbott, of Pasadena, who was in 

 the chair. 



Bees and Grapes. 



The first topic for discussion was, 

 " Do bees bite through the skin of the 

 grape ?" 



Prof. Cook led the question with re- 

 marks upon the mouth parts of insects, 

 and was willing to stake his reputation 

 as an entomologist upon the statement 

 that the honey-bee is structurally unable 

 to bite the smooth skin of the grape. 

 The honey-bee, as a busy fertilizer of 

 the different fruit blossoms, is practi- 

 cally the fruit-grower's best friend. 

 Experiments at the Michigan Agricul- 

 tural College had demonstrated this over 

 and over again. Thin cheese-cloth was 

 tied over a limb of various fruit trees, 

 upon which were a hundred or more 

 blossoms, and being deprived of the 

 visits of the bee, there was no fruit, 

 while other positions to which the bees 

 had access were loaded witii fruit. 



In the discussion which followed, it 

 was shown that at least two-thirds of 

 the bee-keepers present were also fruit 

 growers, and where grapes or berries 

 were picked in season, there was but 

 little danger of damage. It was also 

 demonstrated by Prof. Cook, Mr. Corey, 



and Mr. Keeney, that the California 

 linnet and the ytsllow jactket would 

 puncture the grape ; after the puncture 

 was made, the bees were ready to rush 

 in in great numbers and suck the juice, 

 and receive the cursing that was really 

 due to the real mischief-makers. 



In grape drying it was sometimes 

 necessary to cover the grapes with 

 cheese-cloth, but even then it was only 

 the imperfect grapes that were de- 

 stroyed. 



Mr. Root raised the 'question of pri- 

 ority of the occupation of the field by 

 the bee-keepers, and claimed that this 

 right should be respected by the fruit- 

 men. Sometimes the question assumes 

 a vexed tone between fruit-men and 

 bee-keepers, but a little reasonable for- 

 bearance from both sides would result 

 in great benefit. 



It is very evident that a country desti- 

 tute of bees to fertilize the fruit blos- 

 soms, would either be abandoned as a 

 fruit country, or bees obtained to cause 

 it to produce again. 



The Spraying of Fruit Trees. 



The next subject taken up was the 

 spraying of fruit trees for the destruc- 

 tion of the codling moth. 



Prof. Cook gave the result of several 

 interesting experiments. London pur- 

 ple or Paris green (1 pound to 200 gal- 

 lons of water, and even so diluted as 

 -iOO gallon^ of water), when sprayed 

 upon trees in full bloom, had the effect 

 of killing bees, and even the young bees 

 in the hive. It is also useless to spray 

 trees while the tree is in full bloom, for 

 the moth does not lay the egg in the 

 embryo fruit until the blossom falls. 

 The proper time for spraying is just as. 

 the fruit is forming. A rain or a strong 

 wind upon the sprayed blossom will 

 render the spraying inoperative. 



The effect of diluted Paris green, as 

 used for spraying trees, had been tried 

 upon sheep, hogs and horses, and with- 

 out bad results. 



Best Bees for Honey Gathering-. 



The next discussion was upon the best 

 race of bees for honey gathering. 



A general discussion ensued, and re- 

 sulted in the fact that a cross between 

 the Italian aud black bee, as a hybrid, 

 was the best honey producer. The black 

 bees were credited with capping their 

 honey the whitest, and some preferred 

 them on this account, as it made a No. 

 1 product. For extracted-honey the 

 hybrid was the favorite. 



