FEBRUARY 15, 1914 



Beekeeping in California 



p. C. Ohadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



The meeting- scheduled for the marketing 

 eonimittee on the third Tuesday in January 

 was postponed, there being no quorum pres- 

 ent. 



* * * 



Bro. Byer and the editor are having a 

 spar over the color of a certain honey. Sic 

 e'm! I had the most fun out of that — was 

 even asked what made the African turn 



black. 



* * * 



W. G. Hewes says, page 74, " Bees do not 

 put different grades of honey in the same 

 cell." It may be that Mr. Hewes has his 

 bees educated that high, but I never knew 

 mine to draw the color line. 



* * * 



Mr. Louis H. Scholl certainly has the 

 sympathy of every beekeeper who knows of 

 his sad misfortune. We in California who 

 have missed a honey crop or two think we 

 are in hard luck; but when a man loses 

 seven out of eleven beeyards by flood he 

 certainly has sustained a great loss. 



* * * 



Dr. Miller, go slow with those large hon- 

 ey-yield stories. Some people do not swal- 

 low them a bit easy. Only a short time ago 

 a gentleman who had never had a big honey 

 crop gave me an awful shock, and almost 

 ruined my reputation by his criticism, be- 

 cause I said that I had a colony in 1905 that 

 put up 500 pounds of extracted honey. Mr. 

 M. H. Mendleson, of Ventura, has a record 

 of 450 pounds on the average for a season — 

 I think he said 1897. Many of his colonies 

 that season exceeded 500 pounds. 



The eyes of the beekeeping public are on 

 the outcome of the Root Co.'s movement of 

 bees to the South for increase as well as to 

 secure two honey crops. The movement of 

 bees from Utah to the orange-gToves of the 

 southern part of this State has been going 

 on for some time; and I believe that, as a 

 rule, it has proven a success. Mr. G. C. 

 Matthews, of Idaho, last spring purchased 

 125 colonies at Whittier, Cal. ; increased 

 them to 600, then shipped them to Idaho for 

 the alfalfa crop. Just recently he has re- 

 turned to this State with his 600 colonies to 

 increase still more, expecting to return all 

 to the alfalfa-fields of Idaho. The distance 

 from Idaho to Orange Co., Cal., is about 

 the greatest I have known of bees in car lots 

 having been shipped. Mr. Matthews is in- 

 terested with Mr. N. E. Miller. 



I wish to call the attention of the Califor- 

 nia beekeepers to the fact that the time has 

 arrived for us to act on the final campaign 

 for funds for our honey exhibit at the 

 World's Fair. As secretary of the exhibit 

 committee I should be pleased to have every 

 beekeeper from Siskiyou to Imperial Coun- 

 ty write me as to what they are willing to 

 donate on this exhibit. We want every bee- 

 keeper to feel that he (or she) has had an 

 opportunity to aid us. If we can finance 

 our plans, this will be the grandest display 

 of honey and wax ever seen. Write me at 

 your earliest convenience as to what we may 

 exjDect from you. 



* * * 



Dr. Miller says on page 764, in speaking 

 of robbers, " Most of them never find out 

 that they can rob ; but let a bee once get 

 into its little noddle the knowledge that 

 there is such a thing as getting in another 

 hive stores piled up ready to hand," etc. 

 You are right, doctor, and I just want to 

 emphasize what you say. Bees that get 

 started to robbing badly will never entirely 

 give it up until they give way naturally to 

 a generation following that has not acquired 

 the habit. One of the first things I always 

 instruct my help about is, not to leave any 

 honey or combs containing honey exposed 

 to the bees. There are times, when honey 

 is coming in freely, when it would do no 

 particular harm; but it is best to make a 

 practice of keeping every suspicion of 

 trouble under cover. 



« * « 



One of the most beneficial rains we have 

 received for several years began falling Jan. 

 9, continuing for five days. The average 

 for the southern half of the State was near- 

 ly four inches, while the northern half re- 

 ceived a larger amount. The weather dur- 

 ing the entire winter has been warmer than 

 usual, with but very little north wind at any 

 time. I have never seen prospects brighter 

 at this time of the year than at the present 

 time (Jan. 25). Should the winter con- 

 tinue wet and warm, as now seems highlv 

 probable, we shall doubtless get a bountiful 

 honey crop the coming season. The condi- 

 tion of bees is satisfactory, considering the 

 season of dearth we have passed through. 

 Some feeding is in progress, and much will 

 be done later ; but we shall be relieved soon- 

 er than usual by the abundance of wild 

 flowers that are sure to come earlier. 



Later. — Another very heavy rain is fall- 

 ing. 



