domestic state by the Egyptians, Phe- 

 nicians, Hebrews, and perhaps Chal- 

 deans, and lastly by the Carthaginians, 

 were introduced by the last named into 

 Sicily, Spain and such other countries 

 of Europe as were conquered by them, 

 and so ample opportunities were af- 

 forded hybridizing with the black bee 

 already domiciled in those countries. 

 This presumption could be so easily 

 tested by importing the Engyptian bee 

 into this countty and Europe, that I 

 have been induced to offer these 

 thoughts that should you deem them 

 worthy of a place in the Journal, 

 some of your correspondents and read- 

 ers, better qualified and prepared than 

 myself, could, if so disposed, test the 

 supposition. 



The similarities in color, appearance, 

 form and habits of German, Italian and 

 Egyptian varieties, when taken in con- 

 nection with these facts in history, con- 

 firm one in the belief that it would be 

 well worthy the effort on the part of 

 the scientific apiculturist to test the 

 matter, and to show (may be) by actual 

 experiment the origin of what is con- 

 sidered a distinct variety of the bee. 

 Had Mr. C. O. Perrine imported the 

 Egyptian bee for the purpos^ of trying 

 his experiment with the floating apiary, 

 I am induced to believe that its results 

 would have been more flattering and 

 encouraging. 



Among the many varieties of Apis 

 melliflca kept by bee-venders and the 

 amateur and scientific bee-culturist of 

 the United States, none I believe have 

 imported the Eygptian bee eithe?* for 

 the purpose of experiment or profit. 



Santa Ana, Cal., July 21, 1879. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Prom Southern California. 



G. F. MERRIAM. 



It is now universally conceded that 

 Southern California will not only not 

 produce any surplus honey for market, 

 but that one-third of the colonies will 

 at the end of the season be entirely out 

 of honey. The season has been very 

 much like that of 1877, when so many 

 starved out. There has not been a more 

 brilliant prospect of a fine season with- 

 in my knowledge, than we had up to 

 Feb. 20th. We had but 3 rains last 

 winter, one each the first of January, 

 February and April, giving us a total 

 at my apiaries of only 1% inches. The 

 spring passed without any of our usual 

 fogs or dews, and instead of rains we 

 had the resultant dry weather from 

 storms on the desert, notably one the 



403 



last of March and the other June 1st. 

 During the first one the thermometer 

 went up to 100° in the shade, while the 

 last it was 110° with not a particle of 

 moisture in the air. White sage was 

 then in full bloom, but this storm burnt 

 it out, as well as nearly all other honey 

 plants. 



I do not recall any discussion in re- 

 gard to the use of water by bees during 

 very dry weather. Surface water is a 

 long distance from my home apiary— so 

 far that I have always watered the bees 

 from troughs made on purpose. Dur- 

 ing one of those dry days, when the 

 mercury stood over 100° from 9 to 4, 

 they carried 42 galls, of water from a 

 trough 8 ft. long and 14 in. wide, and 

 they got water from a dozen other 

 places at the same time — were coming 

 into the house after it and perfectly be- 

 sieged the well water tubs and barrels. 

 Is it not possible they drink it like ani- 

 mals and carry it to cool their hives 

 after the manner of other people sprink- 

 ling the floors to cool their house ? It 

 is fortunate in one respect that this is 

 an off year, for the price of honey is so 

 low that if we had produced a crop this 

 year we could not have got the cost of 

 the boxes and cases back. 



Good extracted honey for some time 

 has been 3c. in San Diego. Our barrels 

 eost us $2 each and hold an average of 

 270 lbs. net. Add to this the freight on 

 the barrels to and honey from our apia- 

 ries, the honey does not net us quite 

 l^$c. per lb. It strikes me that such 

 prices, with 5c and 7c. for comb in sec- 

 tion boxes, the business as a medium 

 of providing the apiarist with the means 

 of gaining a living for himself and fam- 

 ily is played out. It is below the cost 

 of production of manual labor, if skilled 

 labor is of any value in these days. 



It will result in driving all amateur 

 bee-keepers out of the business, leav- 

 ing it exclusively among practical men 

 who make it a business. During the 

 flush years of 1872-3-4 very many of 

 the business and professional men of 

 the time bought bees and hired men to 

 attend them. The result has been even 

 more disastrous with them than with 

 the rest of us who make a profession 

 of the business. 



Large quantities of honey were ship- 

 ped last year to England and Germany 

 under the impression that in that mar- 

 ket a fair price could be realized. Ex- 

 tracted honey in barrels was. shipped 

 around the Horn on sailing vessels, but 

 so far as I can learn, the venture has 

 not fulfilled the anticipations. One 

 German house made an advance of 

 about 5^c. delivered in Liverpool, Eng- 

 land. Consignees then had to pay 



