Published by The A. I. Root Company, Medina, Ohio 



II. H. Root, Assistant Editor E. R. Root, Editor A. L. Boyden, Advertising Manager 



A. I. Root, Editor Home Department J. T. Calvert, Business Manager 



Entered at the PostofHce, Medina, Ohio, as Second-class Matter 



\X)L. XXXIX 



JUNE 15, 1911 



NO. 12 



(^d{1®d°d 



OUR CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENTS. 



Our readers will notice that "Bee-keep- 

 ing in California" is conducted this issue 

 by P. C. Chadwick, of Redlands. California 

 has so many different climates, and extends 

 over such a large area, that it is our inten- 

 tion at this time to have three or four differ- 

 ent contributors supply interesting news 

 for this page, and to have such news a])pear 

 every issue instead of every other issue. 

 Mrs. Acklin will continue her notes, and we 

 shall probably secure the services of one or 

 two more bee-keepers representing the ex- 

 treme south, and also a point further north. 



WINTER LOSS NOT SO BAD IN EXTREME 

 SOCTHERN CALIFORNIA. 



The following from E. M. Gibson, ..Tamul, 

 Cal. (near San Diego), indicates fair winter- 

 ing. The weather conditions, however, are 

 unfavorable. 



I am sure it's simply guessworli yet to foretell any 

 thing about it: but conditions with me are not near- 

 ly so bad as reported by Mr. P. C. Chadwick for the 

 northern part of the State, and, in fact, I lost no 

 more bees than usual, three colonies in the lower 

 yard, eight in the next, and fifteen in the upper or 

 mountain yard. The loss in this mountain yard is 

 always greatest on account of its being so much 

 colder. Until May the prospects were first class for 

 a big crop: but the ^lay dwindling has been very 

 heavy, and the cold winds continue. We had frost 

 night before la.st (very light). May 25. If this condi- 

 tion continues, the crop will be light: but with mild- 

 er weather within the next week I expect to har- 

 vest a good crop. 



farmers' bulletin NO. 447, entitled 

 "bees." 

 We have just received Farmers' Bulletin, 

 No. 447, which is virtually a text-book on 

 bees. l)y Dr. E. F. Phillips, in Charge of 

 Ai)iculture, Bureau of Entomology. This 

 new edition is a slightly altered edition of 

 Farin^ers' Bulletin 307, with the addition of 

 a little matter in the text, and a few omis- 

 sions. On pages 45 — 48 there is a complete 

 list of the Bureau's bulletins on bee-keep- 

 ing. This, like its predecessor, is a brief 

 work on apiculture. It is conservatively 

 and carefully written; and considering the 

 fact that it is sent out free it ought to have a 

 large demand. To obtain the same, address 

 the Secretary of Agriculture, Washington, 

 1). C, asking for Farmers' liulletin No. 447, 

 entitled "Bees," by Dr. E. F. Phillips. 



the MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL OF APICUL- 

 TURE AT THE AMHERST AGRICULTURAL 

 COLLEGE. 



MASSACHUSETTS is surely outstripping all 

 her sister States in the recognition that she 

 gives to apiculture in the Agricultural Col- 

 lege at Amher!>t. Dr. Burton X. Gates, 

 formerly of the Bureau of Entomology, 

 AVashington, D. C, has been appointed in- 

 structor of apiculture, and certainly no bet- 

 ter man for the place could have been se- 

 cured. He seems to have the enthusiastic 

 backing of the Secretary of Agriculture and 

 the authorities of the college. A model api- 

 ary under his supervision has been started 

 where i)ractical demonstrations are made for 

 the benefit of students in bee culture. While 

 the apiary is not large, a nice beginning has 

 been made. It is the intention, as fast as 

 the funds will permit, toput up a model api- 

 ary workshop and extracting-building, and 

 materially increase the apiary and equip- 

 ment. Splendid jjrogress has been made 

 for the first year, and a class of some thirty 

 students in bee culture has just graduated. 



AVe had the pleasure last week of attend- 

 ing a general convention and a field-day 

 meetwhile at thecollege. Among the speak- 

 ers secured by Dr. Gates from outside of the 

 State were Anna Botsford Comstock, En- 

 tomologist at Cornell University; Arthur C. 

 Miller, of Providence, R. I., one of the best- 

 informed bee-keepers in the country; and 

 E. R. Root, of Medina. Oving to the un- 

 favorable weather the field-day meet was 

 not as largely attended as it would other- 

 wise have been. But there was a very en- 

 thusiastic gathering, and apparently those 

 who came seemed well rejiaid for their visit. 



One of the most interesting addresses 

 given to us was by Prof. W. P. Brooks, of 

 the college, on the subject of growing clo- 

 vers. In our humble opinion he knows 

 more about the clovers and suitable soil for 

 growing them than almost any other man 

 in the United States. We hope to give you 

 the benefit of some of his experience in a 

 later issue. 



The paper by Mrs. Comstock, on the do- 

 mestic economy of the hive, is one of the 

 most interesting we ever heard. We hope 

 to place it before our readers at another 

 time. 



k 



