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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



}iov. 18, 



breakers upon the beach. This was a very unique experience 

 to thein, and as my wife exprest it, " The awful roar and dash 

 was sublime in the extreme." 



Well, the next day about three o'clock p.m., found us in 

 the land of our adoption. Our carload preceded us, and we 

 were enabled to at once uove into a small cottage, and with- 

 out worrying the readers with our vicissitudes, I will picture as 

 best I can my present location, so that if by chance any should 

 come to the " Hidden Vale," they may seek the " Sunny Side 

 Apiary " of the Pacific Slope, under the direct supervision of 

 your humble servant. 



Some 12 or 15 years ago, a gentleman by the name of 

 Merriam, in traveling over the solitudes of the new-born set- 

 tlements in Southern California, came into a lovely valley, 

 whose soil and natural advantages at once attracted and cap- 

 tivated his acute perceptive faculties, and in which he at once 

 resolved to pitch his tent. This little valley, nestling between 

 rugged and lofty mountains, was not at this early stage 

 known by any name, and Mr. Merriam christened it "Twin 

 Oaks" Valley. Not far from Mr. Merriam's residence are the 

 famous "Twin Oaks." They are very large, but a foot or 

 two of space between them, their branches intermingling. 

 They are almost identical in appearance, and are visited by 

 hundreds of curiosity seekers. On arrival, inquire for " Twin 

 Oaks." You will be told that it is five miles northwest of the 

 city. Should you be fortunate enough to be driven over the 

 route, you will pass along avenues flankt on both sides with 

 citrus and deciduous fruit-orchards, extensive grain-fields, fine 

 residences, ornamental trees, evergreens, and yards at all 

 times redolent with variegated flowers. Arising in the back- 

 ground on either side may be seen beautiful rolling foothills 

 and lofty mountains reaching several thousand feet in alti- 

 tude. When nearly four miles distant from the city you will 

 come to quite a lengthy but gradual ascent, and upon reach- 

 ing the highest point, should the atmosphere be clear, the 

 great Pacific Ocean can be seen toward the setting sun, and 

 the valley of "Twin Oaks" opens like a grand panorama far 

 below, stretching far back into the winding recesses of the 

 mountains to the north. A bird's-eye view at this point will 

 reveal a cottage unpretentious in appearance 300 feet below, 

 and possibly one-fourth of a mile distant. This cottage is ac- 

 companied with a barn and other out-houses, located in the 

 center of a newly planted orchard of prunes, apricots, 

 peaches, etc., while immediately around and in front of the 

 residence may be seen orange, lemon, palm and other useful 

 and ornamental trees. A hedge of cypress can be seen en- 

 closing the sides and front, while to the south the evidence of 

 the bee-crank is plainly manifest, by the rows of bee-hives 

 arranged with little regard to order. This is where I have 

 "hung «p," and struggling to stem the current of hard times, 

 and again do what little I can in the rank of progressive bee- 

 keepers. 



My place is located at the extreme southern or lower end 

 of the valley; above me are lovely orchards; vineyards, resi- 

 dences, etc., and mountains on both sides covered with the 

 sages — a veritable paradise for bees. 



And now to my report, as to what I have done in this Hue 

 since my debxU as a California citizen : I bought 20 colonies 

 of bees last B''ebruary, and moved them a distance of nine 

 miles to my present home. I had on hand 10 colonies I 

 bought the year previous. I transferred them all out of their 

 original hives Into the 10-frame Simplicity during the month 

 of March, having many of the combs to cut out of their origi- 

 nal frames, and transfer into the regular standard Langstroth 

 size. This put them back fully two weeks, and my neighbor 

 bee-keepers wore having swarms and extracting honey two 

 weeks before me. But when my bees did get down to busi- 

 ness, their progress was very rapid. Their surplus arrange- 

 ments were prepared mostly with full sheets of foundation, 

 and it seemed thai they drew them out like magic Into full 



drawn combs, filled with honey, and then the swarming-fever 

 became general. I was notequipt with surplus arrangements 

 sufficient to increase the storage capacity in proportion to the 

 strength of the colonies to occupy them, hence the increase 

 was very large. 



At the commencement of the season I had 29 colonies in 

 working trim, one having been robbed shortly after it was 

 transferred. I also requeened three colonies. My increase 

 was from 29 to 52 colonies, and surplus honey secured 46 

 cases of 120 pounds each, making 5,520 pounds, or nearly 

 190 pounds to the colony, spring count. This is not so bad 

 for the first effort of a tenderfoot Sucker, considering all 

 drawbacks. I also obtained nearly 100 pounds of beeswax. 

 More anon. San Diego Co., Calif., Oct. 20. 



Queen-Rearing — Some Concise Directions. 



DR. J. P. H. BROWN. 



Mr. S. A. Deacon, of South Africa, on page 612, has in- 

 terspersed so much good humor along with his "Trials and 

 Troubles at Queen-Rearing," that it had a markt effect on my 

 "risibles." Well, it seems he went at it scientifically; his 

 wit( was all right; his work was honest and square ; he tried 

 the very latest and " up-to-date " process. True, in hatching 

 the cells he never got quite as far along as the cook-stove 

 process, the manure plan, the clam-shell improvement, and 

 the old sitting hen " annex." It may be that our late authors 

 discarded these once-highly-recommended processes. 



In all probability, after Mr. Deacon gets farther along in 

 his " trials and troubles," his experience will pan out some- 

 what after that of the woman who preferred the old-time pro- 

 cess of getting babies to any new fangled plan. 



Now, Mr. Deacon, I have been studying the history of the 

 hive-bee for over 30 years — have in this time not only reared 

 thousands of queens, but tens of thousands. Some things 

 about the business I have learned, and many things I don't 

 know. One thing I do know, that the best, most prolific and 

 longest-lived queens are reared in full colonies at swarming- 

 time. At this time the hive is literally boiling over with bees 

 — with young bees; and both honey and pollen are plentiful. 

 These are the conditions to te observed in rearing first-class 

 queens. You must keep your operations within the grasp of 

 the instinct of the bee. The more you try to bend this in- 

 stinct — the more you deflect it — the less your success. 



In a short article like this, only a few general ideas can 

 be given, but they can be elaborated and reduced to practice. 



In queen-rearing, there are hundreds of small details to 

 attend to — they have to be met at once. No books can enumer- 

 ate them — no solutions can be given to suit all cases. They 

 can only be solved and adjusted by the ready tact and practi- 

 cal sense of the queen-bee order. 



1. The larvso should not be over 24 hours old. This is a 

 very important matter. Noli too much should be given the 

 breeding colony. The idea should be to concentrate the force 

 of tha colony to a few cells rather than distribute the force 

 over a whole frame of uncapt brood. 



2. The bulk of the nurse-bees jiiit.st be young ones, if well 

 developt cells are wanted. Old bees make poor cells — often 

 fall to make any, some assertions to the contrary notwith- 

 standing. 



3. The hive must have plenty of honey and pollen. 



4. The comb containing the larv;c must have enough re- 

 cesses or openings beneath the larv» so there will be no ob- 

 structions to the building of cells. 



5. The temperature must be favorable — nights warm and 

 pleasant. 



6. Your breeding hives should not have less than four 

 frames, the size or area of the Langstroth. Little 4x5 boxe 



