freight about as follows : %c from the 

 apiaries to San Diego, the same by 

 steamer to San Francisco and the same 

 again to Liverpool or Hamburg, mak- 

 ing llic total, or giving them 3c. net 

 counting barrels at cost. I understand 

 that even this amount is not likely to 

 be realized, and that consignees will 

 draw back for amount of over-drafts. 



Americans as a rule are too persistent 

 and enterprising to allow one mistake 

 or disaster to deter them from future 

 efforts in the same or other directions 

 in finding a market. Our barrels are 

 all made of sugar pine, and until lately 

 bound by 14 wooden hoops. Now there 

 is a new kind with a less number of 

 iron hoops. 



Last year during the height of the 

 season one concern in San Diego desir- 

 ing to have a part of the barrel trade, 

 which was then in the hands of a re- 

 sponsible commission firm, tried to 

 bulldose them into dividing the profits 

 under a threat of throwing another 

 make on the market. Not succeeding, 

 they brought on a large lot of fir and 

 spruce barrels which never could be 

 made tight. I was swindled with a lot 

 of them, and after pouring about a 

 dollar's worth of wax in each, sent off 

 some, but they leaked all the way to 

 market. All kinds of receptacles for 

 honey have been tried on this coast, 

 and nothing has been found except tin 

 or sugar pine which will hold it. We 

 usually take out the bungs and tip at 

 an angle of 45°, then pour about half a 

 teacupful of melted wax in each end, 

 turning the barrel around so as to wax 

 the entire chine. Then, unless we 

 leave them out in the sun or fill too full 

 we have no trouble with leakage. 



I saw a new extractor in San Diego 

 recently, intended to extract 6 frames 

 at once without turning. Each frame 

 is put between 2 wire screens which 

 hang like a door. To turn, one of 

 these is turned half way when all can 

 then be turned to place. When per- 

 fected it will be the means of expedit- 

 ing the work exceedingly. The gearing 

 is so constructed as to prevent all wab- 

 bling, which now occurs in other ma- 

 chines when combs of- unequal weight 

 are put opposite each other. 



There is at this writing a vast num- 

 ber of flowers, but they secrete so little 

 honey that the bees get very tired while 

 trying to get a load. In passing a mass 

 of flowers one will see the bees rise 

 languidly and lazily as if they thought 

 it mattered little whether they found 

 another flower or not. They seem com- 

 pletely discouraged, and lose many of 

 the usual attributes of bees. 

 I noticed in a late Journal that honey 



from horehound is reputed to be bitter. 

 That plant grows here in places near 

 the coast, and will thrive almost any- 

 where. It is so easily grown from the 

 seed that I have a .uantity gathered, 

 intending to sow it on some waste land 

 provided I can learn that it will not 

 prove bitter. Who of your subscribers 

 can answer this question V 



I had occasion to remove some of my 

 lightest hives a few miles, in the hope 

 that they might get enough to go 

 through. They did very well — quite 

 contrary to the predictions of some who 

 told me they would use up all they had, 

 and not do as well as if let alone. 



I notice a complaint that veils injure 

 the eyes. It is so in my case as well as 

 others here who use them nearly all the 

 time. Some fasten a piece of glass in 

 front to give a clearer view of the work 

 as well as to obviate the strain on the 

 eyes. 



I inclose some seed of the blue sage, 

 button sage, purple sage and several 

 other named sage. It is our best honey 

 plant. The only objection to it is, it 

 comes on during swarming time when 

 its wonderful product cannot be util- 

 ized to advantage. It will stand quite 

 cold weather when in bud. 



San Luis,Rey, Cal., July 20, 1879. 



[The seed came safely to hand. A 

 portion has been forwarded to Prof. 

 Cook, the remainder we will plant this 

 fall and in the spring, as suggested by 

 Mr. Merriam.— Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Honey Resources of Florida. 



A. B. BEALL. 



Probably a few items from the "Land 

 of Flowers" may be of interest to you 

 and your readers. Practically I am a 

 novice in apiculture, having but re- 

 cently commenced the business on a 

 small scale. I have read and studied 

 the standard authors, Langstroth, Quin- 

 by and Prof. Cook, and back numbers 

 of American Bee Journal. Con- 

 sidering your advice as ex cathedra, I 

 have adopted the Langstroth hive. 

 With my short experience and a careful 

 study of the description of many kinds, 

 and observation of some of them, I am 

 convinced that it combines all the es- 

 sentials to successful bee-keeping in 

 this climate. But I wish to write par- 

 ticularly of the adaptability of this sec- 

 tion for the business. Perhaps you 

 will think my views necessarily crude, 

 but they are based upon the opinion or 

 those who have been keeping bees in 



