1911 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



265 



Bee-keeping in Southern 

 California 



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



Winter losses have been heavy in some 

 sections of our State. Lack of stores is 

 probably the first cause, while the cool 

 cloudy weather was responsible for the loss 

 of many weak colonies. 



Mr. Frank Hanson, California correspond- 

 ent for German and French bee journals, 

 writes me that, in his opinion, California 

 bees are thinner-blooded than those reared 

 in a more rigorous climate (just as people 

 are) , and that bee-keepers from the East do 

 injury to their bees the first winter or two 

 by not keeping them warm enough. Con- 

 sidering our winter just merely another 

 summer, they are so warm themselves that 

 they never think of partly closing the en- 

 trances to the hives. 



succeed in any other business by such care- 

 less methods, neither can you in the bee 

 business. Let us take better care of our 

 bees. Unite enough weak colonies to make 

 a strong one, for a weak colony is no good 

 anywhere. See that there are queens and 

 stores, and keep them warm so that brood- 

 rearing will not be checked. Clean up the 

 yards and tidy up the honey-house just as 

 though you were expecting company. Then 

 you will see how much more pleasant it is 

 to work there, and will soon become more 

 interested in the bees. The natural scenery 

 in most apiaries is so magnificent that one 

 can hardly blame the bee-keeper for not 

 beautifying his grounds, as he has only to 

 lift his eyes to behold the utmost grandeur; 

 but that can not take the place of a neat 

 tidy yard. The extra care given our bees 

 will come back to us in added tons of hon- 

 ey. Deliberately letting bees starve should 

 be made an ofTense the same as cruelty to 

 large animals. Think of our being in a com- 

 fortable house with plenty to eat, and the 

 little workers, some of which helped bring 

 in last season's crop, starving in their hives, 

 through no fault of their own. 



Some months ago I mentioned an uncap- 

 ping-device on which Mr. C. H. Clayton, of 

 Los Angeles, was working. The other day 

 I called again to see how he was getting 

 along with it, and found that the old one 

 had been discarded as impracticable, and 

 another of an entirely different pattern was 

 being perfected. The machine seemed to 

 me almost perfect; but the inventors are not 

 satisfied yet, and are having others made 

 with added improvements. It is a capping- 

 melter and uncapping-machine combined, 

 and is to be used over a small stove. The 

 bottom is arranged for water, the steam 

 from which affords heat. Pieces of heavy 

 metal, scalloped and very sharp, run the 

 entire length on either side; and by touch- 

 ing levers at the upper corners the comb is 

 shot down between those knives and un- 

 capped in the twinkling of an eye. Prob- 

 ably five combs could be uncapped with this 

 device while one could be done by hand. 

 The upper part is made to open a little wid- 

 er so as to include Hoffman and other self- 

 spaced frames. It is compact and strong, 

 and takts very little room. The wax and 

 honey run off at the lower end. The scal- 

 loped knives need only to be sharpened. I 

 wish I could give a better description of this 

 machine; but one almost needs to see it be- 

 fore all its good points can be appreciated. 

 Mr. Clayton expects to put out several, to 

 be tested during the orange-flow this spring. 



I am fully persuaded that a more inten- 

 sive method of bee-keeping would pay here 

 as well as in other States. Anything which 

 is done in a haphazard way never wins. I 

 often hear of neglected apiaries, of combs 

 thrown out in which there is foul brood, etc. 

 Now, friends, you would never expect to 



In his paper at the State convention Mr. 

 W. H. Allen gave some good suggestions 

 about starting in the bee business without 

 much expense. One was, to make a box 

 quite tight except where the bees are expect- 

 ed to enter, and put it in a deciduous fruit- 

 tree where a runaway swarm will be sure to 

 find it. Several of those boxes can be used, 

 and many swarms caught during the sea- 

 son. Another paper, by L. L. Andrews, 

 pointed out the way to locate an apiary 

 where there are no conveniences, if one can 

 imagine an apiary in such a place. These 

 two should have been companion papers, as 

 the instructions given, if followed, would 

 enable almost anybody with an average 

 amount of intelligence, strength, and ener- 

 gy to go into the bee business. 



CUPID STUNG. 



BY H. CAKY. 



Cupid once upon a bed 



Of roses laid his weary head: 



Luckless urchin, not to see 



Within the leaves a slumbering bee. 



The bee awoke with anger wild. 

 The bee awoke and stung the child. 

 Loud and piteous are his cries; 

 To Venus quick he runs, he flies. 



" O mother! I am wounded through; 

 I die in pain, in sooth I do! 

 Stung by some angry little thing, 

 Some serpent on a tiny wing. 

 A bee it was, for once I know 

 I heard a rustic call it so." 



Thus he spake, and she the while 

 Heard him with a soothing smile; 

 Then said, " My infant. If so much 

 Thou feel the little wild bee"s touch. 

 How must the heart, ah Cupid! be — 

 The hapless heart that's stung by thee? 



