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



H. 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 Postoffiee, Medina, Ohio, as Second-class Matter 



VOL. XXXIX 



DECEMBER 1, 1911 



NO. 23 



(^Dil(o)[PDSl[ 



OUR COVER PICTURE. 



The winter scene on the cover of this 

 number shows a part of the apiary of .J. F. 

 Diemer, Liberty, Mo., there being in all 101 

 colonies in ten-frame hives. The picture 

 was taken last February by Mr. Diemer's 

 daughter, after a heavy fall of snow, as 

 shown. The fence, seven feet high, is along 

 the west side of the apiary, and affords good 

 protection, in connection with buildings, 

 trees, etc., on the north and east. 



HELPING TO SPREAD THE GROWTH OF 

 SWEET CLOVER. 



We would call attention to the article by 

 Mr. Henry Reddert, on page 726, showing 

 how his Association is S])reading the gospel 

 of sweet clover among the railroad compa- 

 nie • and farmers. Every individual bee- 

 keeper should seek to remove the unreason- 

 able prejudice that now exists against the 

 plant. Our booklet on sweet clover gives a 

 large amount of evidence showing that it is 

 one of the most valuable forage-plants that 

 can be grown — valuable because it will 

 thrive on waste lands unfit for growing any 

 thing else, and because it prepares other 

 land for the successful growing of alfalfa. 



bee-keepers ADOPTING AUTOMOBILES 

 GENERALLY. 



As an indication of the extent to which 

 bee-keeping is carried on by producers in 

 Colorado, it is interesting to note that there 

 are between twenty and twenty-five auto- 

 mobiles owned by bee-keepers in that State 

 alone. There are many others who are buy- 

 ing or considering the purchase of automo- 

 biles, and it would be helpful to all such if 

 those who have purchased machines would 

 tell something of their experience with them 

 — what make they have, and why they 

 bought it. We ourselves are convinced that 

 there is no other class of people among 

 whom the automobile is so great a necessity 

 as bee-keei)ers, for its use in and about ex- 

 tensive apiaries has increased to such an 

 extent that it is now almosJt indispensable. 



' ' HONEY-PLANTS OF CALIFORNIA. ' ' ~ 



There has just come from the Agricultu- 

 ral Experiment Station, College of Agricul- 

 ture, Berkeley, Cai., Bulletin 217, entitled, 

 "Honey-plants of California," by M. C. 



Richter. We presume it will be sent out 

 free tL, any resident of California by writing 

 to the Superintendent of State Printing, 

 W. W. Shannon, Sacramento. 



This bulletin contains 65 pages, giving a 

 complete list of the honey-plants of Cali- 

 fornia, classified in three groups; first, hon- 

 ej'-plants giving a surplus during the aver- 

 age season; second, honey-plants occasion- 

 ally yielding a surplus; third, honey-plants 

 not known to yield a surplus, but which the 

 bees visit more or less. 



In the introduction it is stated that this 

 bulletin "is the result not only of a compi- 

 lation of all literature obtainable on the 

 subject, but also of field work in different 

 parts of the State during the past four 

 years." 



In speaking of Salvia melMfera, or what 

 we know as black sage, it is stated: 



Honey, water-wliite and of a rich and delicious 

 flavor: of heavy body, especially north of San Luis 

 Obispo; does not granulate; moderate amount ol 

 yellow pollen. This is the best honey-producer on 

 the coast, the flow being dependent upon winter 

 rains with a warm spring Quite free from cold winds 

 and fog. When in bloom a certain amount of warm 

 weather is retiuired before it will produce nectar. 

 As a general rule, every fifth year an excellent crop 

 is obtained, and every third or fourth year a total 

 failure is experienced. That which is commonly 

 known as '"California white-sage honey '" through- 

 out the United States and Europe is not from the 

 white sage, but the black sage. The white sage 

 yields comparatively little honey as compared with 

 either the black or purple sage. The sage-worm, 

 in cloudy weather, often becomes abundant enough 

 to destroy much of the bloom. Dodder and a rust 

 iPiiccinia) also do damage in certain localities. 

 There is a cross between this species and S. apiana. 

 For the correct botanical history of the melliferous 

 sages, see H. M. Hall, Pacific Rural Press, February 

 22, 1908. 



California bee-keepers, doubtless, will be 

 interested in this bulletin, not only for its 

 technical but practical value as well. Res- 

 idents of other States can probably obtain 

 it by paying a small sum. Address State 

 Printer as above. 



SHORT-WEIGHT HONEY AND UNCLE SAM. 



The Department of Agriculture is keep- 

 ing a most alert watch of the labels used on 

 various food products, and cases of mis- 

 branding and adulteration are being prose- 

 cuted right along. Shortages in the packages 

 are being corrected repeatedly, and we be- 

 lieve that it will not be long before packers 



