APRIL 15, 1914 



BEEECEEPMG EN CALEEOENEA 



In the March 1st issue, under High-pres- 

 sure Gardening, A. I. Root speaks of the 

 potato industry and the great sale of seed 

 for southern markets by E. E. Harington. 

 I never see the subject of the potato busi- 

 ness mentioned but that I am at once inter- 

 ested. I followed the potato-growing busi- 

 ness for a good many years in the Kaw 

 River Valley, in eastern Kansas. At that 

 time nearly the entire valley from Kansas 

 City to Topeka was one vast area of pota- 

 to-fields. AVe discovered early in the history 

 of the industry there that northern-gi-own 

 seed is far superior to any we could pre- 

 serve; for that, indeed, was the secret of 

 the greater success with the northern grown. 

 We secured nearly all of our seed from the 

 Red River Valley of the North, and used 

 nothing but the early Ohios. The secret 

 is, the fact that the potato dug (of neces- 

 sity) as soon as matured, holds all of its 

 vitality. In the South we were obliged to 

 keep our native seed for at least eight 

 months after maturity, and its vitality was 

 very much exhausted by planting time. 1 

 am the originator of the White Early Ohio 

 l^otato. I discovered two white tubers, 

 evidently sprouts, when following the pota- 

 to-plow in a field of the Red variety. I 

 placed them in the cellar side by side. Un- 

 fortunately one of them froze; but, very 

 fortunately, the other did not. I planted it 

 in the spring. About half of its crop went 

 back to the red stock. Only the white ones 

 were replanted, and so on until the fourth 

 season, when they came pure white. I had 

 them gi-own in the Red River Valley of the 

 North for two seasons, then sold the entire 

 lot to the C. J. Vaughn Seed Co., of Chica- 

 go. They were introduced by this firm. 

 * * * 



No rain has fallen since February 21. 

 The entire period from that date until 

 March 21 was a jDeriod of cloudless skies 

 March 16 a desert wind began blowing — 

 one of those dry electric winds known as a 

 " norther " that drives our moisture away 

 faster tlian any other weather condition. 

 On the 18th the record for high tempera- 

 ture came nearly being broken, it having' 

 reached the highest point for 39 years. 

 These conditions, together with the warm 

 winter, have forced the spring forAvard till 

 the flora now blooming is a full month or 

 more ahead of its season. Last year the 

 first orange flower I saw open was on the 

 7th day of April. This year the bloom will 

 be almost entirely gone by that date. The 



sage has been blooming more or less for the 

 past month, and is now almost at its best, 

 more than a full month ahead of its season ; 

 for as a rule Ave figure on little surplus from 

 the sage before May 1. 



Some of the most peculiar conditions 

 have come with the season I have ever seen ; 

 and while the bees have improved every 

 mom.ent, building up from very small colo- 

 nies to full-fledged honey-gatherei-s, yet 

 they are behind the season. February 23 I 

 discovered that I had about forty colonies 

 very short of stores and long on brood. 

 Fearing they would have to face a Aveek of 

 bad Aveather at any time, I decided to feed 

 them at once; for such conditions would 

 have forced them to starvation.. I fed 17 

 colonies a gallon each of sugar syrup. My 

 son returned to the apiary in a feAV days to 

 feed the rest. My anticipated bad Aveather 

 did not come, but I Avas not able to return 

 to the apiary for a period of tAvo Aveeks. 

 AVhen I did return I not only found some 

 of my syrup still in the feeders, but all had 

 an abundant supply of honey gathered from 

 the sage, and many colonies storing surplus. 

 The sage has been yielding freely until the 

 21st, Avhen the Aveather became cooler and 

 the clouds overcast the sky. So far I have 

 not seen a trace of our old enemy the sage 

 weevil. We shall doubtless harvest at least 

 a fair crop from the sage. The condition of 

 the bees in the sage belt is not gratifying. 

 The average loss Avill reach .50 per cent at 

 least, according to reports received. Re- 

 ports from San Diego Co. indicate that the 

 loss there has been very heavy. I am in- 

 formed by Inspector Meeker that in my 

 own county (San Bernardino) the loss has 

 been fully a half, some apiaries having lost 

 as high as 80 per cent. I ahvays figure 

 myself in San Bernardino County; but in 

 leality my bees are in RiA'erside except 

 those at my home. 



On account of the heavy loss of bees, 

 together Avith the slowness of many colonies 

 in reaching the supers, we can not expect 

 an excessive heavy crop from the sage, 

 especially if we should not have more rain 

 during the spring, which looks probable. 



Later. — Since Avriting the above, liglit 

 rains have fallen, which improves the i^ros- 

 pects to a great extent. The button sage 

 Avill develop to its fullest capacity, and is 

 assured of moisture to sustain it until na- 

 ture bids it cease blooming. The white 

 sage, Avild buckAvheat, etc., now seem as- 

 sured of their needed moisture. 



