1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



87 



able, as the change in cHmatic conditions of 

 one seaso]i have serious effects upon the im- 

 agination. 



Many will bear me out, that it is impossible 

 to give positive, practical information about 

 this country, its advantages, disadvantages, 

 resources, etc., in one season's experience. 

 No doubt Mr. H. has been conscientious in his 

 statements ; but such statements are apt to 

 lead to wrong impressions and doubt upon the 

 writings of the experienced. 



Mr. H. must excuse me, for I do not wish to 

 reflect in any manner upon his integrity. Mr. 

 H., wild buckwheat honey is amber instead of 

 white, of fine flavor, and very thick. There 

 are much less than half migratory bee-keep- 

 ers. 



My large moving-racks are not unwieldy 

 upon the roads I moved on the past season ; 

 but I had new teamsters, who had had but 

 very little experience with big teams on our 

 roads. In fact, they had been used to two and 

 four horse teams on level farm land. If Mr. 

 H. had seen our worst roads that I have haul- 

 ed over for years back, tlien he would say, " / 

 don't /cnoic." The inexperienced teamsters of 

 this season, one of them, would say, "You 

 drive; I am afraid; " and the other would say, 

 " I tremble in my shoes," and on fair roads at 

 that. 



Mr. John Arnott, the able superintendent of 

 the Newhall ranch, of 49,000 acres, was one of 

 the best teamsters of this State in times past, 

 when he was in practice, and may be as good 

 now. He drove a 24-tnule team, with a heavy 

 load, over one of the worst passesin this State, 

 where the curves were so short he could not 

 see his leaders — this, too, on one of the most 

 dangerous passes, where the least bad driving 

 out of the track would land all hundreds of 

 feet down, none living to tell the story ; but 

 these big teams are thoroughly trained to do 

 their respective work. The two swingers, or 

 horses ahead of the wheelers, are the mo.st 

 important on these short curves, being trained 

 to jump the chain (leading from the wagon 

 that they haul b}' ) toward the bank of an out- 

 ward curve, or from the bank in an inward 

 curve, along these dangerous places, and that, 

 too, if well trained, without a word from the 

 driver, in many cases. These are the bad 

 roads, where unwieldy wagon-loads have been 

 hauled over, and where Mr. H. would saj' it 

 was an impossibility, as he is extremely 

 skeptical as to possibilities here. We also do 

 not run any risks of quicksands; for when 

 there are floods, then the roads in most cases 

 are unfit to drive, or, rather, to haul over. Our 

 floods are few and far between, and of short 

 duration. 



The main cause of the loss of ten colonies 

 in moving was that my Springs were of insuf- 

 ficient capacity for the proper play for rough 

 chuck-holes. Since then I have had an extra 

 set made to order — a six-ton set — a ton and a 

 half more capacity than I generally carry. 

 This will allow of the proper play. 



Right here let me state that I wovild advise 

 all who buy the Spaulding springs (the best 

 in the market) to get from % to /^ capacity 

 more than they wish to carry, according to 



their roads — the large capacity on the rough- 

 est roads. 



My successful way of hauling bees was to 

 prepare them the same for comb as for ex- 

 tracted honey, as they are supposed to be 

 strong in numbers (if properly manipulated), 

 and lower story crowded with brood ; and when 

 in this condition a super is absolutely neces- 

 sary. With proper management bees are 

 stronger in good than in poor years. A screen 

 at the entrance is not altogether necessary. I 

 have had, many times, better success with 

 mainly top ventilation. At the suggestion of 

 Mr. Hatch I lay over during the day after the 

 first night out, which is contrary to m}- suc- 

 cessful practice, as all bee-men with practical 

 experience know that, while on the move dur- 

 ing the day (and otherwise), bees will keep 

 nicely clustered, quiet, and easy, and no wor- 

 ry; but a number of hours' rest, with a strong 

 light day, is what does the harm. With the 

 proper manipulation with me, bees will be 

 stronger in numbers after a honey-flow, for 

 there should be an abundance of brood comb 

 with good queens. In following migratory 

 bee-keeping in this section, the super should 

 be full of good worker comb free to the queen, 

 and more solid brood and less honey will be 

 in the brood- apartment, or lower story, and 

 consequent force for business. 



To return to moving. I have had teams 

 heretofore that could trot along where the 

 roads were good, starting in the evening at 10 

 or 11, and drive .Similes, ard get to bean-fields 

 by 9 to 11 the next morning — 10 to 12 hours' 

 drive, including a feed and rest for team after 

 midnight. The team should have a day or 

 two of rest before making another trip. I 

 have had, in the majority of movings, my 

 hives filled with honey, and queens crowded, 

 in six days from landing in the bean-fields. 



In addition to Mr. Hatch's statement regard- 

 ing the preparation for crop for beans, the soil 

 is kept cultivated ti rough the winter to keep 

 down the weeds as much as possible, and to 

 keep the surface mellow so as to retain the 

 moisture. After each rain the cultivation is 

 followed. After the rains are all over, this 

 cultivation ir. continued until the surface is dry 

 for about four inches down. This depth of 

 dry soil keeps the sun from heating and evap- 

 orating the moisture underneath. From the 

 last of April until about the 20th of May, 

 planting is done. The late planting is prefer- 

 red by many, for the soil is warmer, and the 

 seed matures more rapidl}' with the warmer 

 weather, and a good stand is the result. Now, 

 should there come sufficient rain directlj' after 

 the planting, there forms a crust, and the 

 beans do not come through; in fact, they rot, 

 and the planting has to be done over with ad- 

 ditional labor and expense. This extra seed 

 is a big item, for it takes from 25 to 80 lbs. to 

 the acre, 40 lbs. being about the average for 

 limas, and 10 lbs. and up for small beans. 

 Limas are planted from 2(i to 36 inches be- 

 tween rows, and 12 inches apart in the row. 

 About the same preparation of soil is practic- 

 ed for other crops, or crops that are planted 

 after the rains are over, such as corn, beets, 

 etc. Barley, wheat, oats, etc., are sown during 



