164 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Mar. 15 



Bee-keeping in Southern 

 California 



By Mks. H. G. Acklin, Glendoea, Cal. 



Mr. G. M. Gress, formerly of Minnesota, 

 but now of Sioux Falls, S. Dak., who is 

 spending the winter in Pasadena, reports a 

 very good yield of comb honey from yellow 

 sweet clover last season. The seed of this 

 clover was sown by a bee-man of Sioux 

 Falls. Would it not be a wise move for our 

 bee-keepers to do likewise — especially near 

 the coast, where moisture is almost sure 

 during the entire year? 



I note that Redlands has been selected by 

 the manager of a moving-picture company 

 as an ideal place to get the "real spirit of 

 the west " views. Thirty people are to pose, 

 etc., in canyons, preferably Santa Ana and 

 San Timoteo. I was wondering if there 

 would not be more of the "real spirit of 

 moving" than is generally shown in pic- 

 tures if that troup were to get banked up 

 against some of the big apiaries located in 

 those canyons. 



Cooperation! What does it really mean? 

 and why is it more difficult to secure it in 

 the honey business than in all other indus- 

 tries? I live in an orange section — orange- 

 groves north, south, east, and west. Now, 

 if some of the "little " growers, like myself, 

 for instance, should get in a hurry for mon- 

 ey, and sell their crops to outside parties for 

 less than the association can get, I wonder 

 what would happen. That seems to be the 

 greatest stumbling-block to organization 

 among bee-keepers. Orange-growers work 

 on the mutual plan. In fact, the growers 

 own the association. At the annual meet- 

 ing they elect the men they want to carry 

 on the business for them the coming year. 

 Expense is shared, and profits divided. The 

 grading rules are established on a firm basis. 

 The people at the packing-houses attend to 

 that. Any stockholder can make investi- 

 gation if affairs are not run to suit him. I 

 think everybody around here belongs to an 

 association. Of course, right here the hon- 

 ey business is not as extensive as the orange 

 industry; but there are apiaries located all 

 along the foot-hills. But there was a time, 

 also, when the orange industry was not as 

 extensive as at present; but the growers 

 were organized just the same. Why can 

 not the honey-producers do the same thing? 



In listening to discussions on this subject 

 at conventions one is thoroughly convinced 

 that cooperation is what bee-keepers now 

 most earnestly desire. In union there is 

 strength. A demand coming from an asso- 

 ciation has more weight than when coming 

 from a committee. If banded together like 

 some of the other industries, bee-keepers 

 could demand certain laws, and eventually 

 get something near what they wanted. 



There are many ways in which the 

 bee industry could be benefited. We need 

 a State foul-brood law; and the office of in- 

 spector of apiaries should be given to a man 

 fitted for the place instead of a man chosen 

 on account of his political affiliations. And 

 his deputies should be chosen along the 

 same broad lines. We also need an iron- 

 clad State law against adulteration of hon- 

 ey. And when those laws are enacted, men 

 should be elected to office who will see that 

 they are enforced. All this could be accom- 

 plished if bee-keepers were a unit. 



How can bee keepers become a unit? I 

 see no way except through organization and 

 cooperation. Drop all minor matttrs and 

 work with an earnest determina'ion for the 

 one great object — complete organization. 

 It matters not if one man gets his foundation 

 at one place and another one section boxes 

 somewhere else; it i's not necessary for the 

 organization to be a supply depot. The one 

 great object should be to control the sale of 

 honey. If some bee-keeper must have mon- 

 ey at once, let the organization buy his hon- 

 ey. I know I am getting into troubled wa- 

 ters in making the above statement; but 

 will some one please propose a better plan? 

 Right there seems to be the greatest (ib- 

 struction to organization. But how did 

 these other mutual associations get started 

 that are now on so firm a basis? It is 

 more difficult to grade honey than oranges, 

 and more opportunity for unfairness exists; 

 but we must not be overcome by these ob- 

 stacles. Disinterested parties should have 

 charge of these matters. Bee-keepers will 

 never come into their own till these prob- 

 lems are fairly and squarely met and con- 

 quered. And, as in all other great reforms, 

 agitation is the only way in which to get 

 parties most interested to considering and 

 planning the best method of procedure. 



Another Colony that Deserted a Hive Full of 

 Honey in the Fall. 



A Mrs. Byron, of this place, told me of a swarm 

 deserting a hive, the same as Wm. Shields reports, 

 p. 51, Jan. 15. The honey-flow stopped about Sept. 

 15, and on the last of October the bees were there. 

 By the middle of November the bees were all gone. 

 She had left the upper hive on, as she had lost bees 

 the winter before for lack of food. There was over 

 80 lbs. of sealed honey in the hive; no dead bees in 

 it. It was a large swarm. They took possession of 

 the hive in June, and had done well. I saw them 

 in September, and they were above the average. I 

 thought she must be mistaken about their leaving, 

 but she is positive. 



Ignacio, Col., Jan. 24. A. I. Mills. 



Bee-keeping in Louisiana 



W^hy Is it that we hear so little from Louisiana? 

 It is a natural bee country, and bees are now, Jan. 

 15, working as though it were summer, bringing in 

 any amount of pollen and some honey. White clo- 

 ver is coming out fine. It generally blossoms In 

 February. I expect to run three small yards this 

 season, and shall have about 100 colonies at the 

 home yard. 



We can produce the honey here, but we have no 

 near market. I am expecting to ship to Chicago, 

 but I wish I could sell nearer home. 



There are a good many colonies here in barrels, 

 boxes, and hollow logs, and the owners never hear 

 any thing about a standard hive or a bee-book. 



Hamburg, La. b\ M. Morgan. 



