AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



659 



all-prominent feature of shifting the 

 combs from the hive into the extractor. 

 Thus obtaining honey and selling it at 

 the prices which had previously existed, 

 vs^as a money-making business. 



The honey-producer who adopted 

 those improvements in season to catch 

 the big prices did as well as the man 

 who ran his horse to death and secured 

 a claim in Oklahoma. The price of 

 honey has sought its level, and those 

 bee-keepers now say the business does 

 not pay. This is because they are stand- 

 ing in their old tracks, and are waiting 

 for the old prices to return. 



While they waited, time went on ; the 

 progressive bee-keeper invented system 

 and applied it to his manipulations, and 

 minor inventions, brought out since, and 

 is as much as ever receiving a dollar for 

 a dollar earned. As California bee-keep- 

 ing does not suffer much from the effects 

 of winter, California bee-keepers thought 

 that the movable comb and extractor 

 were all that was necessary, and they ex- 

 changed their books and papers for 

 elbow-grease alone, in consequence of 

 which they are fully a decade behind 

 their Eastern brethren, and are now 

 making a special move to the adoption 

 of the Langstroth frame, so as to use 

 standard appliances. Had they been 

 subject to effects <9f winter losses and 

 short crop, they would have studied as 

 they worked ; where, as it was, they 

 simply sat by, waiting for another rainy 

 winter season — the requisite for a honey 

 crop. The present step of progress is 

 caused mainly because of a sprinkling 

 of more scientiflc bee-keepers coming 

 into competition with them. 



Downey, Calif. 



me Com f eatHer in tlie SoulL Etc 



Written for the " Ormige Judd Farmer 

 BY MKS. L. HARBISON. 



After an absence of nearly four 

 months, in the Sunny South, I am again 

 among my bees. They are all here to 

 answer to roll-call, with the exception of 

 two colonies which were small and weak. 

 They passed the winter upon the sum- 

 mer stands, with chaff cushions in the 

 upper story, and the entrances open. 



"While traveling through southern 

 Illinois, my eyes were gladdened by the 

 sight of grand, large apple-trees adorned 

 with pink bloom, but they gradually 

 disappeared as the central part of the 

 State was reached. 



The unusual March weather brought 

 disastrous results, especially in the 

 South where vegetation was far ad- 

 vanced. Ice formed in many places in 

 Florida, and frosts followed for several 

 nights. I noticed this peculiarity in the 

 vicinity of St. Andrew's Bay. Maderia 

 vines remained green and thrifty during 

 all the freezing weather, while here in 

 the North they are turned black by a 

 light frost in the fall. Also many hot- 

 house plants on porches were not in the 

 least injured, when ice formed 3€ of an 

 inch thick. Clothes on the line froze 

 stiff, yet oranges, nectarines, peaches 

 and pears apparently were not injured 

 in the least. Young cucumber vines, 

 and similar tender vegetables, were 

 killed. This immunity from frost was 

 probably owing to the presence of large 

 bodies of salt water in the vicinity. 



There was another curious incident 

 about this freeze. Four or five hills of 

 potatoes would be found frozen to the 

 ground, while as many following in the 

 same row would show no effect of frost 

 whatever. The effect of this March 

 frost varies in different localities, and 

 honey may come from an unlooked for 

 source. Therefore, keep a close watch 

 over all colonies lest they suffer for lack 

 of stores. 



It is very discouraging to see the blos- 

 soms killed, but bee-keepers are getting 

 used to disappointments. In the North 

 it is not entirely uncommon to see the 

 ground covered with white clover blos- 

 soms which will not yield a pound of 

 honey. Indeed, of late a good honey 

 year in the North is the exception rather 

 than the rule. Apiarists may be thank- 

 ful if their bees are in a healthy condi- 

 tion, and free from foul brood. 



WATER FOR BEES — DROUTHS. 



It is very important that bees should 

 not be obliged to fly a long distance for 

 water. In the early morning fill their 

 drinking-vessels with warm water, and 

 refill them occasionally until the sun be- 

 comes warm. Old paint or butter ke^s 

 will do very well for vessels. The water 

 in part of them should be a little brack- 

 ish: Use about a spoonful of salt to a 

 pail of water. The cloths on the sunny 

 sides of the kegs will be almost black 

 with bees sucking out the moisture. 



Drouth prevails in this locality, and 

 to-day (April 30th) there is a hot, 

 scorching wind. The outlook for bee- 

 culture is far from promising. The 

 freeze late in March did much damage 

 to fruit-bloom, and the drouth injures 

 what clover there is left. The bees are 

 gathering pollen from the dandelions 



