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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Nov. 6 1902. 



done until the very last days of February of the present 

 year, when there was a mass-meeting of the fruit-growers 

 and bee-men again called. In this meeting the bee-raen 

 were asked to go on and carry out the intention of their 

 resolution which was passed the year before, in July. Our 

 pear-trees begin to bloom about the first week in March, 

 and this, perhaps, was the last week in February. 



In that meeting our committee got together and agreed 

 to clear up a certain district two miles square, and move 

 our bees three miles from that line, as a matter of test. In 

 our resolution the summer before we had agreed to move 

 them clear out of the district, away from the pear-trees, but 

 now, for want of time, as it was within a few days of the 

 time when the pear-trees would bloom, we agreed to move 

 out of this one district only. This was done, but before 

 this meeting adjourned the bee-men asked the pear-men to 

 see that they moved their bees. 



Now, there are some of our pear-growers there that 

 have a few bees, and some of our fruit-men have bees, and 

 farmers have bees, and there are bees in the fence-corners — 

 bees all around. I suspect you have them the same way 

 here. So, we did not want to be responsible for the moving 

 of the bees which belonged to the fruit-men ; we left that 

 to the fruit-men's committee, and this fruit-men's commit- 

 tee agreed to do it. 



After the meeting adjourned we went to work moving 

 our bees, and the Central California Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion moved every bee that belonged to them, and moved 

 them the distance they agreed to move them — three miles 

 from that line — clearing up a territory two miles square 

 right in the heart of the pear-blight district. 



On visiting the pear-trees after they came in bloom 

 there were bees all over the trees very nearly as numerous 

 as ever before, and, on coming to investigate, the fruit-men 

 had their bees, had them still ; men who had pear-trees 

 upon their ranches, quite good-sized orchards, had bees, 

 and so the test was spoiled. 



Now, then, I believe, gentlemen, that the bee-men of 

 Central Califbrnia have done all that they could do in re- 

 spect to this matter ; they desired to make a test of the 

 matter, but they did not believe that the bees were respon- 

 sible for the spread of the blight at that time. The test 

 was spoiled, but the trees were seemingly infected. 



Now, in the winter-time our pear-growers prune down 

 their trees quite closely, pruning off all signs of dead wood 

 and blight, leaving the tree in the spring to come out new ; 

 you would scarcely see there had been any blight except the 

 top is not quite so large. That was the case this time. The 

 trees were in blossom, the bees were working upon them 

 two weeks, and there was not a blight to be seen, and peo- 

 ple thought for some reason there was not going to be a 

 blight. But, seemingly, all at once, like a thunder-clap 

 from the clear sky, the trees were all wilted, the blossoms 

 just appeared to topple down, bow down their heads under 

 the blight : nearly everything in sight was blighted, and it 

 took it all at once. That is something that we as bee-men 

 do not understand, or how it is so affected, but there was no 

 blight seen upon the trees anywhere except in the blossom. 

 I investigated it myself; I was on the ground; went 

 amongst the large orchards and saw it with my own eyes ; 

 that blight attacked the trees directly in the blossom. 

 About a week later than this the leaves began to shoot out 

 amongst the blighted blossoms, and then the blight ran 

 down the little stem that held the blossom and would affect 

 the leaf and limbs, going on down the limbs. 



About the time that we had our joint meeting of fruit 

 and bee men regarding the moving out of the bees, the 

 Board of Supervisors of our county appropriated money by 

 means of which certain trees might be put under mosquito- 

 netting to make a test that way. After we had seen the 

 other test had failed we thought quite likely we had a test 

 under this head that would prove beneficial. I visited these 

 trees and saw that they were not as reported. Perhaps you 

 are not familiar with the report, but the Board of Horticul- 

 ture published an article in our county paper stating that 

 the trees which were under mosquito-netting were unhurt 

 by the blight, while all the trees around them were blighted; 

 stating further that the fruit on these trees that were under 

 this protection was good, the trees were full of fruit, while 

 all around them was otherwise. 



I immediately went to these orchards and examined 

 these trees under mosquito-Metting, and I found that they 

 were much blighted ; I found that they had very little fruit ; 

 but I found that there was more blight existing on the trees 

 outside the mosquito-netting than under it. But on exam- 

 ining those trees later in the season, after the pears were 

 perhaps half grown, I found that there were no more pears 



upon those trees than the trees around them. This experi- 

 ment was conducted in the Charles Downing orchard, the 

 largest pear orchard in the State. You saw a picture of that 

 orchard last night upon the screen, which was taken during 

 the last days of June, a year ago last June, but to-day that 

 orchard is half dead, and this winter, perhaps, three-quar- 

 ters of that orchard will be dug up. This is only one. The 

 pear-growers claim that they lose enormous sums of money. 

 There is one grower claims he loses at least $10,000 a year 

 from the loss of pears alone. That was in the year 1901. 

 If he lost 810,000 from the loss of pears alone in 1901, this 

 year, if this statement is correct, he has lost three times 

 that amount ; but whether it is or is not correct, the pear 

 interests in our country are large and extensive. There 

 are one or two pear men who have stated that they lose 

 pears enough in a single 3'ear to buy up the whole bee-in- 

 dustry of the State. That is not correct. All the pears 

 that are grown in Kings county or Central California, per- 

 haps, would not amount to the honey industry of the 

 State; but of the two industries growing side by side in 

 Kings county, the pear industry is the greater, or was be- 

 fore the blight struck it. 



The question as it stands to-day, is that the Board of 

 Supervisors probably will do nothing. However, they are 

 electing a new Board at this present election. But we fear 

 this, that the fruit-growers will place notices upon their 

 fences, " Poison about. Take care of your bees." We ex- 

 pect that will be done ; in fact, it has been done ; that is, 

 the poison has been put out and bees have been poisoned, 

 but the notices have not yet been posted. 



The way the pear-blight is now existing and spreading 

 rapidly, consuming the orchards, it will not be two years 

 before there will not be a pear-tree left of the variety of the 

 Bartletts. In view of this, our bee-keepers in our conven- 

 tion held the 24th of August last, passed a resolution and 

 gave it to me to bring to this convention, which I have with 

 me and will read. It is as follows : 



The Central California Bee-Keepers' Association, assembled in 

 regular session in Hantord, Kings Co., Calif., this 27th day of Sep- 

 tember, 1902, for the purpose of transacting business and discussing 

 matters relative to the best interests of the Association, including the 

 pear-blight and bee-question, which is so prominent with us at pres- 

 ent; and 



Whereas, The National Bee-Keepers' Association convenes at 

 Denver, Sept. 3-5; and, 



Whereas, It is an organization, organized tor the protection of 

 its members; and, 



Whereas, There is in this vicinity an existing malady known as 

 pear-blight, which is fast killing the trees and destroying the fruit 

 crops thereby ; and, 



Whereas, The bee it accused of spreading said blight, and is 

 alleged to be responsible to a great extent for the cause of failure in 

 the pear crop, which loss is placed as high as 1510,000 per annum for a 

 single grower; and said growers have made reported efforts to get the 

 County otlicials to pass certain ordinances prohibiting the keeping of 

 bees where pears are grown ; and, 



Whereas, There are threats of wholesale poisoning of the inno- 

 cent bee, and said threats have, in a measure, been carried out, to the 

 damage of some of our growers; and. 



Whereas, This Central California Bee-Keepers' Association's 

 members are members of the National Association, and are very desir- 

 ous that the mother Association take up the matter, and in case there 

 is further trouble, that the National Association %vill give us the 

 advice and protection that is usually done in cases like this. There- 

 fore, be it 



lirsuh'fil, That we pass on this set of resolutions and preamble to 

 the National Association assembled at Denver, Colo., asking them to 

 consider its merits, and to discuss its contents, and that they take up 

 the matter and give us the protection herein asked for. And be it 

 further 



Renolved, That Mr. F. E. Brown, our present Secretary, is our 

 regular authorized representative t« that body. 



F. E. Brown, Seeretarn. Joseph Flort, rreKiilenl. 



Pres. Hutchinson — You have heard the description 

 given and the resolution which has been read. What shall 

 we do with it ? 



S. Francis — I move the adoption of the resolution. 



R. Iv. Taylor-j-Does that meet the point? This is a 

 resolution of the California Association with regard to their 

 troubles there, and a request that this Association examine 

 into the matter and extend to them such advice and aid as 

 they may need. Now, the adoption of that would not help 

 them out any. It seems to me that motion should be put in 

 some different form. 



Mr. Abbott — Mr. Chairman, was there a seconder to 

 that motion ? 



Pres. Hutchinson — I did not hear one. 



Mr. Abbott — If there was not I will make another mo- 

 tion. This is a question which will involve the expendi- 

 ture of money, and belongs exclusively to the Board of 

 Directors. I move that the whole matter be referred to the 



