MARCH 1, 1914 



165 



Beekeeping in California 



p. C. Chadwick, Hedlands, Cal. 



SEASON PROSPKCTS 'I'O DATK. 



January was liberal with us in the matter 

 of moisture, an average rainfall of eight or 

 more inches having fallen during the mon!h. 

 At some places the fall was excessive, doing 

 much damage. At Santa Barbara eleven 

 inches was recorded for the storm, while at 

 other points there was even more. Beekeep- 

 ers are generally much encouraged at the 

 prospects, very substantial advances in sea- 

 sonable conditions having come with the 

 rain. The ground is wet deeper than it has 

 been for two years, with warm weather, 

 early breeding, and excellent growth of 

 honey-jjlants to encourage us still more. 

 We are not yet assured of a honey crop, 

 however; but an occasional good rain dur- 

 ing February and March, with showers in 

 April, and continued warm, should bring us 

 an old-fashioned bumper crop for the sea- 

 son of 1914. 



Feb. 12. — No rain so far this month. Bees 

 coming on fine. 



BEEKEEPING IN THE CITIES. 



The back-lot or back-yard beekeeiDer is 

 the future keeper of hundreds or perhaps 

 thousands of colonies. In a recent issue of 

 the Country Gentleman 1 read this : " The 

 best way to become a successful dairyman is 

 to grow up in the business." With the bee 

 business it is equally true. In fact, I believe 

 there is no branch of agriculture that re- 

 quires as intimate a knowledge to make it a 

 success IS does the bee business. At any 

 rate, the back yard is the incubator of future 

 beekeepers. I wonder what per cent of our 

 beekeepers of to-day had their start in this 

 small way. My guess would be that fully 95 

 per cent start with a few colonies. I know 

 of a few men, however, who started at the 

 top, and are working down ; and they are 

 coming down faster than many of us went 

 up. The small beekeeper is not looked upon 

 with favor in this part of the world, as he 

 is considered a nuisance on account of dis- 

 ease spreading more rapidly with him than 

 with the large beekeeper, who usually looks 

 after his colonies a little more closely than 

 the beginner. Be that as it may, we have 

 the small beekeeper here, and he will be ever 

 bobbing up while time lasts, so the inspector 

 may as well give him a show. I enjoy the 

 little fellows, and I like to converse with 

 them, tell them of foolish things I did years 



ago and hear them confess to laughable 

 mistakes. 



THE CITY BEEKEEPER STIMULATES THE HONEY 

 MARKET^ AND THUS HELPS THE PROFES- 

 SIONAL BEEKEEPER. 



The small beekeeper is a better advertiser 

 than the large one, for the large one does 

 not have time to go and hunt a market, but 

 looks for a wholesale liouse to take his crop, 

 while the little fellow goes out and sells to 

 liis neighbors and teaches them to use honey. 

 Then when the little fellow has a crop fail- 

 ure his patrons hunt a market elsewhere, 

 and thus they remain permanent users of 

 honey. Many of the advances that have been 

 made in bee culture are not due to discov- 

 eries in large apiai es. but are the result of 

 inquisitive experin 3: ting by the small bee- 

 keepers. My knowlelge of the bees is very 

 largely gained by keeping a small number 

 of colonies always near my door where they 

 can be watched daily. 



Five years ago I decided to start in the 

 bee business in a small way on the back of 

 my city lot, my plan being to buy a few 

 colonies and work up just as though I had 

 no apiary at another place. So I purchased 

 three colonies and went to work just as if I 

 had my first colonies. I have now increased 

 them to such an extent that I have 30 colo- 

 nies in my back yard, to say nothing of ten 

 that wore taken to the apiary three years 

 ago. From them I have taken considerable 

 honey, done much experimenting, and, best 

 of all, have enjoyed their presence for the 

 pleasant sounds they make and for the addi- 

 tional inspiration they have suppled me. 

 * * * 



I fear Mr. Foster is figuring wrong with 

 his poultry expense. He counts his time at 

 twenty cents per hour, which I think should 

 be added to the other side of the ledger. In 

 the summer I put in from three to five hours 

 on weeks days with my cows, chickens, bees, 

 and garden in general, in addition to my 

 regular day's work of eight hours. If I ' 

 figured this time I should be losing on an 

 average of $2.00 a day, and should soon be 

 bankrupt. But my view of the matter is 

 that I am salvaging that much time that 

 might otherwise be an entire loss. When 

 my time is worth full value, Mrs. C. or one 

 of the children gets the job of feeding the 

 chickens. There is a lot of time in agricul- 

 tural pursuits that is figured at very much 

 more than it is worth. 



