506 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



combs the change was attended with suc- 

 cess, and a yield of about twelve tons of hon- 

 ey was the result. 



Another bee-keeper in the same field, with 

 double the number of colonies, secured but 

 little more than the above, which clearly 

 shows that the bee-keeper is the main factor 

 in the production of a large honey-yield. The 

 bees will store honey under very unfavorable 

 cirsumstances if the management is adapted 

 to the conditions of climate, nectar secretion, 

 and strength of colony; and the best results 

 are obtained only through the exercise of pre- 

 science; and I believe that quite a number of 

 our most successful bee-keepers, those who 

 have followed the business for years, gradual- 

 ly attain this faculty. 



When the season's work is all done in the 

 foot-hills, and after the fruit is all gathered 

 and dried in the cit)% the bees are then 

 brought in during the cool autumn da3-s. 

 They have been culling flowers that are scant 

 of honey for manj' weeks in a dry pasturage, 

 and it is with a more jo}-ous hum they go 

 forth near the city where the eucalyptus and 

 alfalfa are in bloom. It is a hard jaunt, how- 

 ever, to move bees, and even Mr. B. longs for 

 a place where bees can be managed without 

 the necessity of the moving process. 



Mr. Brodbeck, wishing to initiate me into 

 the management of an apiary thirty miles 

 away, kindly invited me to take the journey 

 to Calabasas with him. I accepted the invita- 

 tion. Mr. B.'s pet hor.se. Prince, and Mr. 

 Feeree's horse, drew our vehicle. It was load- 

 ed with various bee-fixings and a large box 

 of provisions. 



"Why, Mr. B.," said I, "you don't expect 

 us to use all those provisions in three days' 

 time, do you?" 



" It is well enough to take along a good sup- 

 ply," said he; " then I had to put in a few 

 scraps for Juno and Fido." 



"Oh! I see," said I, " the terr — the dogs 

 are going along too, are they?" 



" Yes," said Mr. B. " They are so sad and 

 lonesome when I leave them at home. They 

 enjoy a ride just as much as a person. I do 

 like to see them enjoy themselves." 



Well, we started; and I must say the terrors 

 did enjoy the ride. The artist can shown in a 

 manner plair..;- i'':.t.i words how we four enjoy- 

 ed the scener} , n the way to Calabasas. 



My previous experiences with Prince led me 

 to believe him to be a slow quadruped, and I 

 suggested as much to Mr. Brodbeck. He 

 acknowledged that he might be slow sometimes 

 when driven alone, but with another horse his 

 ambition was to keep ahead. Mr. Feeree's 

 horse had the same trait, and between the two 

 we should fly like a leaf before the wind. 



When we started out in the morning, and 

 the horses were feeling fresh, they did very 

 well for a few miles. Mr. B. shouted back to 

 me several times, " See how we fly! I told you 

 so!" 



Just beyond the city limits we cross a little 

 range of hills through the Cahuenga Pass. 

 At the very entrance of it, and at the foot of 

 the grade, we encounter a dwelling whereon 

 is a sign bearing the foUoAving words : "The 



Last Chance;" and the horses, acting as 

 though they had finished their journey, turn- 

 ed right up to the front door. 



" Hello, B.," said I, "is this Calabasas?" 



But brother B. was striving with the whip, 

 and, after a while, made out to get up a loco- 

 motion of the horses again, making a few re- 

 marks about that Feeree horse. 



"That's right," said I, " lay it all to Fer — " 

 But I said no more. Those terrors had such a 

 baleful look at me that I hauled my umbrella 

 over my head and kept quiet; but those horses, 

 so greatly were they disappointed over the 

 non-halt at the Last Chance, they now tried 

 to see which could walk the slower. Ah me ! 

 that was a long road up the west side of the 

 San Fernando Valley. I had ample time to 

 view the landscape. Every few minutes I 

 wanted to shout, "I told you so!" but those 

 terrors were on the alert to resent any intru- 

 sion on their master's dignity, and again I 

 kept quiet. 



Toward evening we drew up to the little 

 cabin. The dogs were, fed and put to bed 

 early; and, finding such a relief, I forgot the 

 tr3ang episodes of the day; and during the rest 

 of the stay I had a very enjoyable time. I 

 had no further tribulation while at the apiary, 

 for. keeping near bees, there were no canines 

 to bother; in fact, I had the upper hand of the 

 dogs there, and that was an immense com- 

 pensation for the previous inconvenience they 

 had caused. For many days I will remember 

 my visit to Calabasas. 



SELLING COMB HONEY TO GROCERS. 



Be Your Own Drummer; Work for and Expect 

 Large Sales; Be Businesslike, and Answer Ob- 

 jections ; Labels and Second-class Sec- 

 tions. 



BY G. K. HUBBARD. 



Editor Gleanings: — Although you have 

 published a number of articles on the subject 

 of selling honey, I thought it possible that I 

 could contribute something on this that 

 would be helpful, and that might encourage 

 some one to make an effort in this line who 

 has dreaded to undertake it. The object of 

 this article is to encourage those who have a 

 crop of honey to dispose of to sell it at the 

 groceries in neighboring towns, thus accom- 

 plishing the desired result of getting better 

 prices and keeping the small shipments from 

 going to the city commission men. 



We Californians are doubly interested in 

 keeping honey from going into the cit}- mar- 

 kets, for the reason that we are compelled to 

 sell our product there. There is no escape 

 from it except for those who have small 

 amounts to sell. Our honey must of necessi- 

 ty go to market in carload lots of 1000 or 

 more cases, and it is only the large cities that 

 can handle it in such quantities. The smaller 

 ' cities and flourishing towns offer a splendid 

 market at fair prices, and ought, in nearly ev- 

 ery case, to be supplied without the grocers 

 having it shipped in from the wholesale cities. 

 The cost of getting a pound of comb honey to 



