JANUARY 1, 1916 



BEEKEEPING IN CALIFORNIA 



P. C. Chadwick, 



Another fine rain, December 4, 

 came in time to save the filaree. 



According to official reports 

 there are now more than 15,000 

 colonies of bees in Imperial Coun- 

 ty- * * * 



There has not been a season for some 

 years when the eucalyptus has shown such 

 a profusion of bloom as it does this season, 

 especiall}' the bluegum {Eucalyptus globu- 



It(s). * » * 



The supply of honey is becoming very 

 limited in this part of the woild, and prices 

 are advancing a little. One buyer claims to 

 be unable to find enough California honey 

 to fill his orders. A recent sale of a 30- 

 ton lot in Orange County at figures as high 

 as 6 cents is a big improvement in prices 

 offered heretofore. A part of this lot was 

 earned over from 1914 on account of low 

 prices. There is some credit due the bee- 

 keeper who owned it and stood for better 

 prices, even if he did have to wait nearly a 

 year and a half to win his point. A num- 

 ber of buyers have been scouring the coun- 

 try for honey, and in some sections, at least, 

 have taken all they could get, at their 

 prices. The market is sure to be cleared 

 before another harvest. 



« 4!( « 



Displayed on a large bill-board in this 

 city is an advertisement of a corn syrup 

 which is doubtless no better than the same 

 kind of corn product that has been handed 

 over counters for years. Hundreds of eyes 

 have seen the word, the curiosity of many 

 has been excited by this apparently new 

 syrup, and will be satisfied only by the 

 purchase of a trial order at least. One of 

 the greatest ideas in advertising is to keep 

 an article constantly before the public. If 

 the colored cook that is paraded before the 

 public in Cream of Wheat advertisements 

 should disappear, the public would take it 

 for granted that Cream of Wheat had ceas- 

 ed to be, and the sales would no doubt 

 slump distressingly. If honey were parad- 

 ed to the same extent in advertising, the 

 sales would increase to an enormous extent. 

 But where is the' money to back such an 

 extensive advertising campaign? 

 * * * 



The mooted question of "Goldens" seems 

 to have bobbed up again. Both the editor 

 and Mr. Byer discuss it at some length in 

 the Dec. 1st issue. My ideas have not 



Redlands, Cal. 



changed since 1 had my say in the Oct. 1st 

 issue. I covered the ground pretty fully so 

 far as my ideas were then concerned. Now 

 comes Mr. Byer with the plea that they do 

 not winter at all well, while Editor Root 

 says, " and too many of them have been 

 cross, very cross." Since my plea for the 

 fair race in the Oct. 1st issue, I have receiv- 

 ed letters from as far north as the location 

 of Mr. Byer, from men who assure me they 

 will compare them with any bees of any 

 kind, for any qualification. 



I have bred extensively this season from 

 a golden queen that was guaranteed in 

 every respect and qualification. I have as 

 yet no reason to question the guarantee; 

 and as for crossness I can only say there 

 has been no smoke used on this colony dur- 

 ing the entire season, and not one sting has 

 been suffered by any one. Last season I 

 introduced both golden and three-banded, 

 with no apparent difference in their qual- 

 ities. I have never claimed the goldens 

 were superior to the three-banded strain 

 only in black brood (European foul brood) 

 resistance; but I do claim there is no sound 

 reason why there cannot be a strain the 

 equal of any three-banded strain for other 

 qualities. It is my opinion there are now 

 several strains which have reached that 

 point, and I have the assurance of several 

 that they are superior in resistance to dis- 

 ease. As a matter of producing honey, the 

 thorobred stock of any race have nothing 

 on the common mixed race of mongrel 

 breeds. Last season the best colony in my 

 yard was the darkest in point of color. 



If I were in a locality' where there was no 

 danger of " black brood " I would breed 

 alone for quality, whether from a dark or a 

 light race; but as it is, I cannot afford to 

 take the risk. I believe the goldens are 

 sui^erior in resistance, and I expect to 

 prove that the goldens are at least the equal 

 of any race on earth. There are some 

 strains of chickens which have been bred 

 for show points so long that, as a commer- 

 cial factor, they are very unprofitable. That 

 has been the ease in the past with the gold- 

 ens; but the future will correct those mis- 

 takes. To a great extent it has been cor- 

 rected; but the prejudice against them re- 

 mains to be lived down. They must now 

 pay the price of color. They should at least 

 be given a fair and unprejudiced individu- 

 al-strain test, for there is more than one 

 strain of three-banders being unloaded on 

 the public that have little merit to back 

 their sales. 



