450 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 15 



that will ever place California at the extreme 

 front as a honey- producing State. 



I have seen and tasted comb honey the past 

 few weeks that certainly was the equal of any 

 I ever saw anywhere. Yet comb honey will 

 never be the chief California product. The 

 distance to market, and liability to break down 

 in transit, the danger from insects, and the 

 greater labor of production, and less yield, all 

 give preference to extracted. Extracted honey, 

 then, will always take the lead here. 



Last year I handled several tons of extracted 

 honey. There were only two complaints made; 

 one that some of the cans were old; the other, 

 that the honey was often mixed. This is im- 

 portant. No man can afford to put honey in 

 old gasoline-cans, no matter how well cleaned 

 or how cheaply secured. Sage honey is water- 

 white; buckwheat, beautiful amber. The lat- 

 ter will never sell for so much as the former; 

 therefore it behooves every bee-keeper to keep 

 a sharp watch and not mix the two kinds; for 

 all that contains the amber honey, even though 

 in small proportions, will be discounted in the 

 market. Carelessness in this regard will be 

 expensive. Clean new cans and thorough grad- 

 ing will pay a tremendous profit on the extra 

 expense. 



It is reported that San Diego County will 

 ship fifty carloads of honey the present season. 

 It is probable that the other counties of South- 

 ern California will do as well. 



This is a good year for testing the value of 

 the Bee-keepers' Exchange. It is certain that 

 this is a move in the right direction. Before 

 many years all our industrial pursuits will have 

 exchanges. Why not all join now and speed 

 the glad day? The gain in purchase of sup- 

 plies and in sale of product must be consider- 

 able. It is hoped that nearly all in California 

 will join the Exchange. 



Claremont, Cal., May 31. 



SYou are not the only one. Prof. Cook, who 

 not understand bow he was voting on the 

 question of amalgamation that was submitted 

 time ago. I had hoped that it would not be 

 necessary for me to say any thing by way of 

 criticising the policy that Mr. Newman has all 

 along pursued; but 1 can hardly avoid doing 

 so if I explain why I can not fully fall in with 

 the plan you have suggested. 



A few years ago, you, with the rest of us, voted 

 to have the constitution of the Union changed 

 so that it could take up the question of adul- 

 teration, or, in fact, any question that might 

 be decided upon by its otBcers. When it car- 

 ried unanimously we thought something would 

 be done. But Mr. Newman has persistently 

 kept the old Union working practically along 

 the old line of defense; and I see no reason for 

 thinking he would not continue to do so as long 

 as he is General Manager. For this reason we 

 do not feel like using the influence of Glean- 

 ings in trying to force upon him the necessity 

 of taking up adulteration in California, when 

 he is so manifestly unwilling; for one can not 

 carry out a plan that he is not heartily in sym- 

 pathy with. 



I feel that we must look to the United States 

 Bee-keepeis' Union or to the California Bee- 

 keepers' Exchange for help in the manner you 

 have indicated in your article. The same ef- 

 fort in those organizations, along the line of 

 fighting adulteration at least, would be produc- 

 tive ox much more good. Personally 1 should 

 be glad if the old Union would help along the 

 good work already instituted in California; 

 and I am authorized lo state that A. I. Root, 

 one of the directors, would be in favor of hav- 

 ing the old Bee-keepers' Union take up the line 

 of work suggested. 



There is just as much room now for the two 

 organizations in the United States as formerly. 

 If the old Union shall insist upon continuing in 

 its old work, its field will be narrow. The new 

 Union is practically the old North American, 

 with added functions of usefulness. There has 

 been room for the two organizations in the 

 past, and I do not see why there should not be 

 room for them now. I feel confident with you, 

 however, that, if the old Union does not make 

 a change, it will die a natural death, and a new 

 one will take up the work along lines that are 

 commensurate with the needs of the times. 



I am glad to note that you. Prof. Cook, are 

 heartily in favor of the object of the new Union 

 as set forth in the constitution of the new one; 

 and therefore it seems to me your efforts should 

 be directed in the channels of that organiza- 

 tion. While it will not be able to accomplish 

 much the first year, it has a backing of men in 

 it who will make it do something in the future 

 if others will take hold and help with their dol- 

 lars.— Ed.] 



■—' ANSWERS TO c 



ISEASOMBLlEdtfESTIl 



BY G.M.DOOLITTUt.B0B00INO.N,Y. 



PREVENTION OP AFTER- SWARMING. 



QuesUo7i.—Wou]d not a queen-cell just about 

 to hatch, or a virgin queen, introduced into a 

 hive immediately after its colony has cast a 

 prime swarm, prevent after-swarming by the 

 young queen tearing down the cells before they 

 were ready to hatch? In this way would there 

 not be a great advantage by furnishing the 

 colony a laying queen a week sooner than they 

 would otherwise have a laying queen, besides 

 stopping after-swarming? 



Answer.— The above seems very simple and 

 easy to answer at first sight ; but upon a closer 

 look it will be found to embrace some of the 

 most perplexing questions which ever come up 

 to the thoughtful, practical apiarist. Let us 

 look at the matter somewhat closely and see 

 what we can find in the text given us. It Is as- 

 sumed that, if a queen-cell or virgin queen Is 

 given to a parent colony immediately after it 

 has cast a swarm, said queen, from the cell or 

 otherwise, will go to tearing down the queen- 

 cells left in the hive when the swarm issued 

 therefrom. This is not the first time I have 

 heard this assumption; but it is rarely that a 

 greater mistake is made; for in nineteen cases 

 out of twenty, if the swarm is hived on a new 

 stand the cells will not be torn down, and not 



