A HE HONKY BEE IN CALIFORNIA. F. G. 

 Appleton, of San Jose, has furnished the Alia 

 with some interesting particulars connected with 

 the introduction of the honey bee in this State 

 and the adaptation of our climate and products 

 to their success : P^p^y^iLf /_^m^K 



The amount of honey and beeswax produced 

 in the United States, as returned by the Census 

 Agents, for the year 1850, was 14,662,500 

 pounds, which estimated at fifteen cents per 

 pound, gives the sum of $2,199,375, as the 

 value of this production for that year. 



One Shelton (in connection with Commodore 

 Stockton and G. W. Aspinwall) imported, in 

 March, 1853, the first bees into California. He 

 left New York with twelve stands or hives, and 

 arrived with but one ; from this one there are 

 now about one' hundred and fifty swarms. 



Buck, Appleton, Early, Daniels, Lathrop, and 

 Gates, of San Jose ; T. G. Baxter, of JSapa ; 

 Capt. Hoag and Harbison, of Sacramento, and 

 Xeyman, of Mokelumne Hill, are each interested 

 in the business to the extent of 10 to 100 

 swarms ; many others have from one to ten. 



About 3,000 pounds of honey was produced.* 

 last year ; it being more profitable to increase t 

 swarms at present, but little attention has been 

 given to induce bees to store surplus honey ; the 

 object has been to force bees to throw off 

 swarms. From some of my swarms I have taken 

 from each sixty pounds of pure honey in top 

 boxes. In each colony there are in the swarm- 

 ing season three kinds of bees a queen, con- 

 siderable number of drones, and thousands of 

 workers. The queen is the only fully devel- 

 oped female ; the drones are males, and the 

 workers are undeveloped females. The honey 

 bee is not a native of California ; those swarmed 

 here do r.ot differ from the original imported ; 

 both thrive equally well. Some bees have been 

 brought hither from Mexico, but they are the 

 same in all respects as our bee. The Italian 

 honey bee has not been imported into the United 

 States. Aristotle, who flourished 2,200 years 

 ago, speaks of three different kinds of honey 

 bees, as well known in his time. Virgil in his 

 fourth book of Georgics, speaks of two kinds as 

 flourishing in his time. The better variety he 

 characterizes as spotted or variegated, and "of a 

 beautiful golden color. Strange to say, within 

 a few years, the attention of bee keepers has 

 been called to the very variety described bv 

 Aristotle and Virgil, and after a lapse of 2,2CO 

 years, it is still found to exist, distinct and pure 

 from the common kind, and to be as superior to- 

 il as a Durham ox to one of the poorest breeds. 

 The California honey, made from mustard 

 blossom, the flower from which most of the 

 honey is gathered in this valley, is equal to anv \ 

 I have ever tasted. It has sold in San Francisco \ 

 at from *1 25 to $1 50 per pound. New swarms 

 issue as early as the 15th of April and the 

 swarming season continues to 16th of June. 

 The swarms usually cluster upon a branch of a 

 tree or bush. The operator should have his 

 hive ready ; take a blanket, or sheet, and spread 

 it upon the ground, under the cluster, place the 

 upon it, raised an inch to permit the bees 

 J to enter freely; give the branch a smart shake 

 they will fall in front of the hive, and as 

 I soon as they perceive it, will enter. If the 

 branch be of no value it can be cut oft', placod 

 under the hive, and the bees will ascend in a 

 few minutes. As soon as all are in, the hive 

 should be placed in the position, or upon the 

 stand it is to occupy, and protected from the 

 beat of the sun. Second swarms issue in about 

 Hen days from the first, and the third in two or 

 three days after the second. The hive should 

 De left unplained on the inside, and before put- 

 ting a swarm into it, washed out with salt and 



, That California is admirably adapted to the 

 honey bee, the experience of five years fully 

 demonstrates. Not only in San Jose Valley, but 

 at Sacramento, Shasta, Bid weirs, Stockton, Co- 

 lumbia and Xapa, they multiply rapidly and store 

 abundance of honey. The willow affords the 

 first material for pollen. The bees commence 

 gathering it by the 1st of January ; about the 

 15th of January it is in bloom and affords con- 

 siderable honey", though slightly bitter ; the bees 

 gather pollen and honey from the willow till 

 Mar^' The wild mustard'affords an inexhausti- 

 b' 'y of honey from the last of April to the 



i- Tune. La ; ; n the season, honey is 



t -0 l) 11 nd lioney dew. 



immigrant b rough 

 arm of bees ev 

 had two sw; 

 Wm. 



ter to L. S. Lango., v _ . 



" The Russia and Hungary A 

 ing from 2,000 to 5,000 colonies, are J 

 be unfrequent ; and we know tha 

 4,000 hives are oftentimes conp-<>' 

 point on the heaths of Germany.^ 

 we need not fear that any district 

 try, so distinguished for abundant na^,, \ 

 tation and diversified culture, will ver\\ 5^\ 

 be overstocked. ^ i 



" According to the statistical tables c 

 kingdom of Hanover, the annual productio^ 

 bees' wax in the province is 300,000 poundS 

 assuming one pound of wax to each hive, we" 

 must suppose 3000,000 hives are annually ' brim- 

 stoned ;' and assuming one-half of the whole 

 colonies produce a swarm each year, it would 

 require 600,000 colonies (141 to each square 

 mile), to secure the result given in the tables. 



" In the province of Attica, Greece, containing 

 forty-five square miles, and 20,000 inhabitants, 

 20,000 hives of bees are kept ; yielding thirty 

 pounds of honey, and two of wax : one hive to 

 each man, woman and child." Lang$troth,p. 398. 



"East Friesland, a province of 'Holland, con- 

 taining 1,200 square miles, maintained 2,000 

 colonies per square mile." Henbel, Bcmen zei- 

 1864,j. 11. 



