1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



409 



is fair to look upon, just as some ladies are, and 

 is painted, of course, just as some ladies are. 



I kept frii'ud Wilder just as far away from 

 the building as possible. Of course, the Ram- 

 bler, being such an old dulYer, had nothing to 

 fear; but my companion, being young and 

 susceptible to sly glances, I had to frequently 

 admonish him about the thorn and the rose. 

 He behaved himself remarkably well, however; 

 and when we found Prof. Cook in the museum, 

 all thoughts of the fair sex were banished. 

 Like all of the surroundings, the museum is 

 new, and the collection looks small beside the 

 extensive museum in Lansing, Mich.; but it is 

 evident, from the rapid additions now being 



placed in the cases, that the museum will be a 

 grand success. Prof. C. enthuses his students 

 to become collectors of every thing curious; 

 and I will drop the hint here, if any person can 

 send specimen birds, insects, fossils, or curios, 

 they will be thankfully received and properly 

 credited. Mr. Wilder, being an expert bird- 

 undertaker, was interested in the museum. 

 Their conversation ran largely to cross-beaks, 

 hook-bills, sharp-shins, etc. Prof. C. said his 

 sharp-shins had all gone to the midwinter fair, 

 where they were posing for the curious to look 

 at. They wound up their bird-talk on a dis- 

 gruntled-looking pair of ducks. Prof. C. em- 

 phasized the remark that he was not a duck- 



man. I heard a person, not long ago, irrever- 

 ently refer to a certain member of the fair sex 

 as a duck of a woman. In that light I was 

 glad to hear Prof. C. make the remark. A little 

 later, however, he seemed to reverse his opinion 

 by saying that there must be something wrong 

 with all of those California bachelors who 

 would not so much as try to cheer their lonely 

 cabins with a wifely fixture. Prof. C. is cer- 

 tainly well provided for in that matter, and has 

 a model home in a little cottage, near the col- 

 lege. 



I was happy to find Prof. Cook alive to the 

 interests of the honey-producers of California; 

 and as members of the State Association we 

 discussed the most vital points at 

 issue; and the most vital of all 

 points, we agreed, was the market- 

 ing of our products. It is proposed 

 to make that the issue until some- 

 thing is accomplished. The fact is 

 ever before us, that not much can 

 be accomplished without the co- 

 operation of the producers. The 

 hint is, therefore, dropped that our 

 bee-keepers can be thinking and 

 acting upon it during the coming 

 season. 



Prof. Cook is now in a fair way 

 to own an apiary near the college, 

 and it is hoped that the efforts now 

 being advanced will result in the 

 establishment of an experiment sta- 

 tion here. The college has upon its 

 roll nearly ;200 students, and no 

 doubt a large class would be inter- 

 ested in the study of the wonders of 

 the bee-hive. It would seem that, 

 if students can be interested in the 

 study of bee culture anywhere, it 

 would be in this honey country; and 

 though the students may not here- 

 after become bee-keepers, it Is safe 

 to say that many of them will be- 

 come intelligent orchardists. Prof. 

 Cook believes in object-lessons, and 

 puts cheese-cloth bags over various 

 branches of fruit-trees, excluding 

 the bees from those parts, and showing the val- 

 ue of the bee in the proper pollenization of the 

 flower in order to secure fruit. The student is 

 thus made to appreciate the mission of the 

 honey-bee, and to become its warm friend. 

 With his duties in the class-room, with the 

 bees, his Jersey cow, and bicycle. Prof. C. is a 

 very busy man. 



Claremont has a splendid backing in the 

 snow-clad San Antonio Mountains, the highest 

 peak bearing the familiar name of "Old Baldy." 

 The water from San Antonio Canyon provides 

 water for an extensive irrigating system; also 

 for power for the electric lamps of Ontario and 

 Pomona, and will soon be harnessed to a line 



