NOVEMBER 1, 1916 



1015 



BEEKEEPING m CALIFORNIA 



P. C. Chadwick, Redlands, Cal. 



CONNIVINGS OF HONEY-BUyERS. 



In the Western Honey Bee for 

 October appears what purports to 

 be a confidential conversation witli 

 a buyer representing a Los Angeles 

 firm. The conversation was given 

 to show how the buyers connived to 

 fix the i^rice on honey for the season, and 

 to describe the method used. Let me quote : 

 "As the honey season advances, and some 

 honey begins to be reported in the apiaries, 

 our firm, or one of the others, selects a 

 certain beekeeper, not one of the large pro- 

 ducers, but one who usually has from two to 

 five tons to sell, and always one who has to 

 sell." Continuing, the writer says the buy- 

 er drives the sharpest bargain possible, and 

 in twenty-four hours every buyer on the 

 coast knows of the sale ancl the price paid, 

 thus establishing a precedent. I will not 

 comment on the plausibility of the story, or 

 how such confidential matter has found its 

 way into print ; but it seems to me the buy- 

 er, instead of going to all of this trouble, 

 could find a better lead by using one of their 

 contracts in which the beekeeper contracts 

 a crop that is only in prospect, at a figure 

 too small to display good judgment. I 

 know of at least two beekeepers who con- 

 ti'acted their honey this year, before one 

 drop of it was gathered, at 5 cts. a pound. 

 The first offers for the 1916 crop were 

 around six cents. Who was to blame? 



THAT FUT;L-PAGE HONEY AD. 



When I saw the full-page "Airline" ad. 

 in the Ladies' Home Journal for October, 

 I meditated over its influence on the read- 

 ers, millions of them. It occurred to me 

 that we get just about what we pay for. 

 Here is an advertisement that surpasses 

 anything of its kind that has ever been 

 undertaken. Such extensive advertising Avill 

 bring results ; and while the advertisers will 

 reap a benefit, a demand will be created for 

 honey thru such advertising that will find 

 its Avay to the producer for a supply to fill 

 the demand. The entire beekeeping frater- 

 nity will be benefited directly or indirectly, 

 while the bill will be paid by one firm. But, 

 as I was saying, we get just what we pay 

 for; so if we pay one and a half dollars 

 into an association Ave shall not get to ex- 

 ceed that amount in return. If it were pos- 

 sible for beekeepers to form an organization 

 that could establish a brand and keep a 

 stock on hand to fill a demand created by 

 extensive advertising, such as the one just 

 mentioned, we would get returns in propor- 



tion. But that will never be done by the 

 beekeepers, for they will furnish neither 

 cash nor honey for such an enterprise. So 

 let us take off our hats to "Airline " and 

 wish it all the success possible, for I predict 

 it will be one of the greatest factors in the 

 honey market of the country in a few years. 

 In it there is offered a continual supply, of 

 a definite color and average flavor, which, 

 in time, Avill make it a table watchword. 



SHALL WE SAVE THE LAYING-WORKER 

 COLONIES ? 



On pages 865, Sept. 15, Mr. E. S. Miles 

 advises saving layer-worker colonies. Like 

 Dr. Miller, I believe the best cure is to 

 break up the colony. To my mind it is im- 

 practical to save such a colony. We may 

 add brood and bees, eventually getting a 

 queen to laying, but this is done at the 

 expense of other colonies, and virtually 

 amounts to building a new colony. The 

 best way I know to relieve a laying-worker 

 condition is to give such a colony a frame 

 of brood containing eggs, then exchange 

 stands with a strong colony. The bees from 

 the strong colony will soon put an end to 

 the laying workers, and- raise a queen. 



This fall I had about fifteen colonies that 

 went queenless by not having close enough 

 attention after extensive requeening oper- 

 ations. There was a good supply of bees; 

 but all except two had degenerated into 

 la3nng-worker colonies. It was to my ad- 

 vantage to save them at this time of the 

 year if possible. Ordinarily I would have 

 doubled them up with other colonies ; but as 

 it happened this time I had a number of 

 tAvo or three frame nucleus colonies, con- 

 taining a queen and a small amount of bees 

 that could not possibly winter without the 

 addition of brood. In trying to introduce 

 the queens into the laying-worker colonies 

 by the bee method I found the supply of 

 bees was too small to protect the queen, so 

 I lost several queens where the entire nu- 

 clei were set into the laying-worker colony. 

 T finally succeeded by taking the laying- 

 worker colony off a distance and shaking 

 the bees off the combs on to the ground. I 

 then set my nucleus into the fertile-worker 

 hive which Avas given the place of a strong 

 colony, Avhile the strong colony was given 

 the place of the laying-worker colony. The 

 results were entirely satisfactory, and, 

 thanks to the bluecurl floAv that folloAved for 

 three or four weeks, all came up to winter 

 with a good force of bees. But in this 

 process I do not figure that I saved the 

 laying-worker colonies. 



