504 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JUI.Y 1. 



tractor in the room above, and the work with 

 the honey is all on the down grade until it is 

 loaded into the wagons. This is a consideration 

 that every bee keeper should have in mind 

 when locating an apiary. It saves an immense 

 amount of lifting and perspiring in this hot 

 climate, and is conducive to a mild disposition 

 and longer life. 



At the time the accompanying photo was 

 taken, 52 colonies had been taken from the 

 terraces and loaded upon the wagon. This 

 was also easy downhill work. The very effi- 

 cient lieutenants who had charge of this work 

 were Mr. Fassel, a young bee-keeper of Pasade- 

 na, and Mr. Feeree, of Los Angeles. That 

 they are adepts at this work is proved by the 

 fact that the entire hundred colonies were 

 moved without the loss of a colony. 



While moving, a shallow rim covered with 

 ware cloth is nailed to the top of the hive, giv- 



out of the question; but when he increases to 

 1000, which he proposes to do, I have no 

 doubt he will adopt the Mendleson method. 



The apiary at Calabasas is usually worked 

 for comb honey. As before stated, the hive 

 is what may be considered a shallow one. 

 Two brood-chambers are used, and the queen 

 is given all inducements to fill them with 

 brood. This is attended to in ample time to 

 have a strong force of workers ready when 

 the main flow of honey comes. The upper 

 brood-chamber is taken off, and, the super of 

 sections applied, the bees have to go into the 

 sections at once. Expansion to any degree is 

 attained Vjy tiering up. 



The most beautiful honey the eye ever 

 dwelt upon is produced in this apiary, and it 

 commands the highest prices in Los Angeles. 

 The 4^4 X 4l4 section is strongly advocated, 

 and Mr. B. very pertinently asks: " What if 



brodbeck's apiary xkar calabasas. 



ing ample ventilation and clustering room for 

 the bees. In the spring or autumn the bees 

 can be moved without risk of loss in daytime; 

 while if moved in the heated term, the onlj' 

 safe plan is to move in the night. 



Mr. Brodbeck and Mr. Mendleson differ in 

 their methods of migration. The former be- 

 lieves in making up a load for two horses, and 

 allows them to trot over a good portion of the 

 journey, making two trips for moving the 

 hundred colonies. Mr. Mendleson believes 

 that large loads and many teams is the proper 

 way. In reasoning out the matter they are 

 both right, for one prepares for moving 100 

 colonies, and the other for 1000. To show 

 more plainly the diiferent plans, I herewith 

 illustrate. 



The expense to Mr. Brodbeck for a grand 

 outfit for moving his 100 colonies would be 



all our honey is produced and placed upon the 

 market in the t.ill Danzy section, or in the 

 fence section, what is there to warrant a better 

 price than we are now getting in the section 

 in common use ?" 



Mr. B. attributes much of his success in the 

 production of a superior grade of honey to 

 the use of the section-holder super and the 

 use of narrow starters in the bottom of the 

 section. This insures a better filling of the 

 section. During the past year, owing to cool 

 nights and a superabundance of fogs, and a few 

 o'.her unfavorable surroutidiugs, the bees did 

 not take well to the sections. If the comb- 

 honey plan had been followed out, there would 

 have been a light yield. Mr. B., seeing clearly 

 this condition of things, changed a good 

 portion of the colonies to the production 

 of extracted honey. Having plenty of surplus 



