552 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



BXEE^DM® DM ®/aLD[F(n)^raD^ 



p. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



The average per colony for the season in 

 this locality was less than 50 lbs. 



On page 420, July 15, I quoted Mr. E. M. 

 Oibson as saying that the white sage was 

 the sheet anchor of the bee industry there, 

 etc. Air. Gibson did not say white sage, but 

 Eriogonum (buckwheat), which I some 

 way confounded in my mind Math Audibrr- 

 tia jyolijstachya (white sage) . Mr. Gibson 

 has called my attention to this error, which 

 I gladly correct. 



Some bee-men open their honey-houses, 

 tanks, extractors, and wet combs to let the 

 bees clean them out at the end of the sea- 

 son. The best that could be said of this 

 practice would be no com]>liment; and the 

 worst — well, I can't do it justice, sc I M'on't 

 try. Robbing once started is hard to stop; 

 is largely a habit, and, like all habits, easier 

 to form than break. 



FOREST FIRES DESTRUCTIVE TO BEE PAS- 

 TURAGE. 



The forest fires on the San Bernardino 

 range just to the north of us made one of 

 the most beautiful and awe-inspiring sights 

 ever witnessed. The flames are said to have 

 leaped at times to the height of 200 feet, 

 and traveled part of the time eight miles 

 per hour. There has just been extinguished 

 another very destructive blaze on the San 

 Jacinto range, while scarcely a day for a 

 month has passed without smoke being vis- 

 ible in some direction from brush fires, all 

 of which destroy our bee ranges, and doubt- 

 less ai)iaries, for the reported loss annually 

 of one or more is expected. Bee-keejiers can 

 not prevent all of the fires; but they can 

 make themselves safe l)y cleaning their 

 yards so fire can not run through them. 

 C'arelessness is largely the cause of these fires 

 getting started. 



A NEW DISEASE LAW NEEDED IN CALIFOR- 

 NIA. 



We have hoped all along that European 

 foul brood would not get across the Tehach- 

 api range; but if Mr. I^. .T. Ray's article, p. 

 491, Aug. 15, is correct, we have hoped in 

 vain. I expect to make a personal investi- 

 gation. Mr. Ray intimates this was the 

 cause of the poor condition of bees this sea- 

 son; but as the poor condition was universal, 

 and this disease has not been reported else- 

 where, I can not agree with him on that 

 point. There are no cases in this district, to 

 my knowledge; and even the American is 

 well under control at this time. It all brings 

 the fact before us, however, that we should 

 never let another session of the legislature 

 pass without the enactment of an efficient 

 foul-brood law. One thing is sure — our pres- 

 ent law is a farce, and should be remodeled 



entirely. We also need a national law that 

 will i)rohibit the interstate shipment of bees 

 or honey from apiaries that have not been 

 carefully inspected. Our next State conven- 

 tion could not use time to better advantage 

 than to consider this one subject to the ex- 

 clusion of all others. There should be a 

 State law making inspection compulsory, 

 with a fine imposed on any person found 

 harboring, selling, or offering for sale dis- 

 eased bees, or honey from diseased colonies. 



Our law now provides that, when a case 

 is rei)orted, the inspector shall act. Well, 

 that looks pretty good; but with no one hav- 

 ing access to his neighbor's bees they might 

 rot down all around him and he would still 

 have no case to his knowledge to rejwrt to 

 the inspector. The law is so loosely drawn 

 that the inspector, if he so desires, can sit 

 around and draw ?4.00 per day. As our 

 county grand jurj^ called our county bee-in- 

 spector to task for reporting such an exces- 

 sive amount of office time, one might infer 

 from his report that the bees were being 

 hauled to the county-seat for inspection! 



My idea would be to abolish the county 

 inspector and have a State inspector ap- 

 pointed by the governor, upon recommen- 

 dation of the State association, and subject 

 to dismisal upon recommendation of the as- 

 sociation if proven inefficient — the owners 

 of bees to report the number of colonies and 

 location to said State inspector. The latter 

 could licensecompetent bee-keepersthrough- 

 out the State as deputies to inspect such api- 

 aries as he might designate or that might be 

 called to their attention by the owner. After 

 inspection is made, a report, on official 

 blank form, could be sent to the State in- 

 spector, and recorded in proper shape, an 

 insjieetion fee of 10 cts. per colony being col- 

 lected from the owner. Where owners fail 

 or refuse to report their bees annually, a fine 

 of not less than $25.00 should be assessed. 

 If no foul brood is found in a locality, the 

 time of future inspections could rest with 

 the State insi)rctor. I might go on giving 

 details of how I think the law should read; 

 but as there will doubtless be sufficient in 

 this to bring out a discussion I will not give 

 more details at this time. It can be seen, 

 however, that a State inspector, within 12 

 months, could have the location of diseased 

 areas well mapped out, and thus know where 

 to center his efforts. 



Alfalfa Now Yielding Honey in Missouri. 



This is the first year I have ever noticed Ijees 

 working; on alfalfa in Missouri. I suppose that the 

 drouth put it In about the same condition as where 

 they irrigate. This is the first bad drouth we have 

 had since farmers began sowing alfalfa here, and it 

 will be a good thing for bee-keepers, as more is be- 

 ing sown each year. Alfalfa produced seed here 

 this year for the first time, showing beyond a doubt 

 that it prodviced honey. 



Liberty. Mo. J. F. Diemer. 



