294 



GIvEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15. 



was in the management of bees. My first 

 year in this State, and first bee experience, 

 was with the same parties with whom Mr. Hill 

 worked while he:e — Messrs. Wheeler and 

 Hunt. I noticed that Mr. Hutit had consid- 

 erable to say about the way Harry Hill man- 

 aged things. Mr. Hunt, in observing my way 

 of uncapping honey in the ordinary way, with 

 an upward stroke, broke right out in a sort of 

 enthusiastic way, and said, "That Harry Hill, 

 who worked for us, could beat anybody I ever 

 saw in the uncapping of honey. Why, he 

 could uncap with an upward and a downward 

 stroke of the knife; and, before you knew it, 

 it was ready for the extractor. Yes, sir; that 

 Harry Hill was the best all-round bee-man I 

 ever knew." 



I heard Mr. Hunt extol Mr. Hill so much 

 that it was a real relief when I, one day, went 

 out on an inspecting-tour with Mr. Wheeler, 

 and he didn't mention Hills of any kind all 

 the way to the apiary. We went to the San 

 Mateo apiary (you know where it is, Harry, 

 up in that canyon past the old Spanish bury- 

 ing-ground where the graves all have a pile of 

 stones on them to keep the coyotes from dig- 

 ging up the bodies). When, in the course of 

 our inspection of these cross Cyprian bees, I 

 stopped to pull out a few stings, Mr. Wheeler 

 broke right out just as Mr. Hunt had as afore- 

 said: 



"Why, that Harry Hill, who worked for us, 

 could endure more stings than any fellow I 

 ever saw. He cared no more for slings than I 

 would the bite of a fly. Then he could hive 

 more bees in the shortest space of lime than 

 any other live man. We came out here one 

 Sunday to see to the bees, and found several 

 swarms on the bushes; and (do you believe 

 it?) he had those bees hived quicker than you 

 could say Jack Robinson. Yes, sir; that Har- 

 ry Hill was the best all-round bee-man I ever 

 saw." 



Mr. Wheeler's talk on the return trip was 

 of a very hilly nature, and I was really glad 

 to get back and have a talk with Mr. Hunt. 



Now, if Mr. Hill can sling ink and scissors, 

 and uncap editorials with an upward and 

 downward stroke, the rest of the editorial 

 family had better look out. All hail to the 

 new departure with the American Bee-keeper. 

 I believe I will subscribe again. 



Southern California is strictly in it for a 

 short crop of honey again. Ventura County, 

 where the best quality of honey is produced, 

 is as dry as a bone. That locality is dryer 

 than the more southern counties; but we have 

 nothing to brag of here. Five inches of rain 

 will not make a honey crop; and, even should 

 we get heavy rains now, the moisture would 

 hardly have any effect on the sages. The 

 only chance left is for a moderate yield from 

 wild buckwheat, and that produces dark hon- 

 ey. Then there is a prospect that there will 

 be a moderate yield from the orange bloom, 

 which is of great extent in Riverside and Red- 

 lands. You Eastern honey-producers will not 

 have the California crop to compete with you 

 this coming year. 



Mr. N. Levering, the veteran bee-keeper of 

 Southern California, has come into the pos- 



session of several apiaries in the extreme 

 northern portion of the vState, through the 

 death of his brother. As Mr. Levering does 

 not expect a yield of honey from his bees near 

 this city, he will soon start for the northern 

 apiaries, where a fair yield is expected ever^' 

 jear. The northern counties are so near the 

 web-foot State of Oregon that they always get 

 an abundance of rain up there. If we could 

 only turn our long State end for end about 

 every other year we too might be benefited 

 by a perpetual honey crop. I hope Mr. Lev- 

 ering success in his venture. 



There is considerable moving of bees just 

 now in this locality. Mr. Brodbeck is mov- 

 ing his bees from the dry hills to the alfalfa 

 districts south of this city. Mr. Graham, the 

 extensive bee keeper in the northern portion 

 of this county, we understand, is moving his 

 bees over the Tehachapi Mountains into the 

 alfalfa district near Bakersfield. And that is 

 what is the matter. Those fellows up there 

 will make several kicks about those foreign- 

 ers coming into their pasturage. Well, I trust 

 that there will be no friction in the scramble 

 for pastures new and profitable. 



My friend W. A. Pryal, of Oakland, must 

 be much discouraged over the bee-keeping 

 prospects in that portion of the State. He 

 writes me that he has sold part of his apiary, 

 and has sent the rest to Diabolo (lliat is the 

 way the Spanish say devil). I have no doubt 

 my friend means Mt. Diabolo. I regret to 

 hear such a discouraging report from that por- 

 tion of the State. 



A FOUL-BROOD LEAFLET FOR FREE DISTRI- 

 BUTION. 



McEvoy's Treatment. 



BY W. W. CASE. 



yl/r. Root: — In your Feb. 15th issue you ex- 

 press a desire for Mr. McEvoy's treatment of 

 foul brood — something capable of being issued 

 in pamphlet form. I herewith inclose you a 

 pamphlet of Mr. McEvoy's, issued by the 

 New Jersey State Board of Agriculture, which 

 I think entirely fills the bill. 



The preamble and resolutions on p. 2 were 

 drawn by me, I being then (as well as now) 

 secretary of the Huntingdon Co. Board of Ag- 

 liculture. In all probability, if the edition 

 was stereotyped you will be able to obtain the 

 plates by addre.ssing the Hon. Franklin Dye, 

 Trenton, N. J. 



The bee journals of the country must begin 

 to close up on foul brood. From experience 

 and observation I firmly believe that fully for- 

 ty per cent of the colonies of the country are 

 infected, and the infection may be yet greater. 



Now, go careful on "that disease that so 

 closely resembles foul brood, yet is not, ' ' as. 



