698 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



JULV 15 



they only supply one already created. If I 

 sent my honey to a commission house I 

 should feel like coing- something- to create a 

 demand for it. There is a demand for ap- 

 ples, oranges, bmanas, cabbag^e, and the 

 like, from hundreds of dealers, because 

 they are necessary articles of food; but you 

 put a lot of honey down along^Side of such 

 things, with only such demand as comes 

 from the grocers, and with the commission 

 man loath to push it frcm lack of knowl- 

 edg-e of its virtues and merits, it is readily 

 outclassed. Honey is a specialty, and in a 

 class by itself; and the almost universal 

 suspicion of adulteration has a tendency to 

 keep it there. This prejudice I tried to 

 break down, and feel that I succeeded with 

 most I talked to, and feel that I did more to 

 enlig-hlen the people on the mysteries of the 

 bee than perhaps ever was done before by 

 one man in the city of Columbus. I don't 

 know of any better or cheaper way to clear 

 away these doubts than for every bee-keep- 

 er who has honey to sell to go in and sell it 

 himself, right at home where he is known; 

 stand square on your feet, tell them what 

 you know about bees, and you are bound to 

 succeed. 



That blessed old typewriter! I wonder 

 where it is. No doubt it has long- since 

 been consigned to the scrap pile, or has be- 

 come reincarnated in a more modern one, 

 presided over by some pretty blue eyed girl 

 with a pencil in her hair and a pink sack; 

 but it will never do a more noble deed than 



the silent lesson it taught that country boy 

 more than twenty years ago. 

 Pataskala, Ohio. 



[There is no possible doubt but that the 

 stories about manufactured comb honey 

 have done a fearful damage to the honey 

 business. See editorial on this subject 

 elsewhere. — Ed ] 



BEE-KEEPING IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. 



Fred M. Hart and His Apiaries. 



BY TRANSIENT. 



FOUL-BROOD INSPECTOR FRED M. HART AT HIS HOME 

 IN THE SUBURBS OF HANFORD, CAL. 



Early in March of this year the writer 

 had the pleasure of meeting many promi- 

 nent apiarists of Central California at their 

 Central California Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion in Hanford. As was natural, he in- 

 quired into things apicultural. At this 

 time but an inch or two of rain had fallen, 

 and all agreed that it would be a very poor 

 year for bees in this part of California. 

 Since then we are told the honey crop is a 

 failure. Many were feeding then to keep 

 bees alive, when, usually, honey would be 

 coming in. The present foul- brood inspec- 

 tor, Fred M. Hart, of Hanford, took us in 

 charge, and, in his light rig, soon had us 

 viewing the apiaries in the locality near- 

 est Hanford. At his fine country residence 

 shown, we were made welcome by his wife. 

 She is interested in all he does, and spoke 

 of E. R. Root's visit when on a 

 trip to California. Mr. Hart's 

 little boys are bee-men too, or 

 think they are. The home they 

 entertained >ou in has since 

 burned to the ground. In the 

 views shown in the large plate 

 ( except the top one ) can be 

 seen our friend in his out-api- 

 aries. He, too, expects no crop, 

 but goes. on with their care in 

 true bee-keeper style, keeping 

 them in good condition for an- 

 other season. In the top view 

 of the large plate he is seen on 

 one of his tours of inspection for 

 foul brood. He is experiment- 

 ing with formaldehyde being 

 aided by a retired army doctor 

 who has had experience with 

 its use as a disinfectant. 



As his locality is overstocked 

 he has his bees in five different 

 yards; but with the aid of one 

 man he gets around to them all. 

 Mr. and Mrs. Hart are seen 

 in front of their home in the 

 view, and their hearty welcome 

 given a stranger bee - keeper 

 will ever be remembered b^ me. 



[I remember with very much 

 pleasure the delightful visit I 

 had with the Harts at their 

 beautiful home near Hanford. 

 These people are among the few 



