304 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



pose and try to drive the bee-keepers 

 away ; but the tide is turning ; even 

 now a few fruit-growers are openly ad- 

 vocating the securing of bees in the 

 orchards. Some are getting bees to in- 

 crease their fruit, while a few are 

 around with startling statistics showing 

 that bees increased the fruitage of es- 

 pecially plums and pears astonishingly. 

 Thus the trend of sentiment, even 

 with the pomologists themseJves, is in 

 the right direction. We propose this 

 year to demonstrate some truths that 

 will be eye-openers. So we hope to in- 

 crease the leaven. When we show the 

 fruit-men of California that the bees 

 are their friends, and no enemies, we 

 will have won over to the advocacy of 

 apiculture in California a large body of 

 the most intelligent and progressive men 

 to be found in any State or Nation. 



Mr. Woodbury, in his very able and 

 carefully prepared essay, among the 

 many other good things said : In Italy, 

 where bees and fruit are alike impor- 

 tant industries, and have been for gen- 

 erations, there is not only no discord, 

 but the utmost harmony between api- 

 arists and pomologists. They have 

 learned at least that they do not antago- 

 nize each other, even if they do not 

 recognize their reciprocal value to each 

 other. 



Who shall state correctly the future 

 of bee-keeping in Southern California, 

 when a general appreciation of the 

 value of bees to fruit-culture is secured, 

 and comes to help the natural adapta- 

 bility of this region to the business of 

 bee-keeping in making the importance 

 of apiculture understood '? We shall 

 work untiringly to bring this happy con- 

 summation about speedily. So, very 

 soon, California will be known as widely 

 for its bee-keeping as for its gold, its 

 fruit, its marvelous salubrity, and its 

 wondrous beauty and unparalleled cli- 

 mate. 



FOUL BROOD IN CALIFORNIA. 



The matter of foul brood is of impor- 

 tance here, when it was introduced by 

 purchasing honey to feed. Thus Che- 

 shire's idea that honey does not contain 

 the germs of this fell malady are again 

 disproved. Excellent laws are in force, 

 and with the general intelligence and 

 enterprise everywhere present in this 

 region among bee-keepers, we need have 

 little fear even of this terrible microbe 

 disease. It came in for discussion, as of 

 course it should, but there seemed no 

 tremor of fear, and so this one enemy — 

 for wintering here is assured — brings 



really no serious disquietude to the bee- 

 keepers. 



MARKETING AND TRANSPORTING HONEY. 



The marketing and transportation of 

 honey is a live question in California, 

 and called forth much earnest discussion, 

 and some suggestive resolutions. The 

 fruit-men have already organized in a 

 way to make marketing more simple and 

 satisfactory. It is hoped that the 

 honey-producers may gain admittance to 

 their association with great benefit. 



Freight rates arc enormously high on 

 honey. The question of reasonable re- 

 duction will be pressed, and favorable 

 action will without doubt be secured in 

 the near future. 



HIVES AND MANIPULATION. 



Many matters of methods and ma- 

 nipulations were also considered. It is 

 very evident that in skill of handling 

 and arranging the apiary California is 

 not a whit behind her sister States of 

 the East. 



Prof Woodworth, of the State Univer- 

 sity, was present, and explained a sort 

 of knock-down hive, which he feels may 

 be advantageous. In this hive there are 

 no frames, but the common one-pound 

 section is used in the brood-chamber as 

 well as for extracting and surplus comb 

 honey. The hive goes together without 

 nails. It should be put to actual prac- 

 tice when the propolis of the bees and 

 the ease of manipulation could be stud- 

 ied, before it is recommended to young 

 bee-keepers. 



Claremont, Calif. 



Diyiiini Colonies for Increase. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY H. F. COLEMAN. 



I have been interested in the replies 

 to Query 908, on page 142, as to "which 

 is the better plan in dividing colonies, to 

 leave the old queen In the old hive or 

 lAove her into the new one ;" and I de- 

 sire to give my opinion with reference to 

 it. 



I have had considerable experience in 

 dividing colonies for increase, but unless 

 an increase is desired beyond what is ob- 

 tained by natural swarming, I would 

 not divide at all. 



Natural swarming has been the most 

 satisfactory to me, but in case division is 

 desirable, I think it is much the best to 

 leave the old queen on the old stand. 

 Nearly all of the field bees return to 



