3d 



&LEAN1NGS IN BEE Cri.TURE 



January, 1920 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



sage in a few localities filled the hives, 

 leaving them with plenty of stores but 

 nothing for extracting. The white sage 

 was about the same but in some places yield- 

 ed nothing at all. The purple sage, which 

 perhaps yields most of all in tonnage in a 

 good season, was a very inactive yielder 

 this year. The wild buckwheat, which so 

 tnatiy of the beekeepers of San Bernardino, 

 Riverside, and San Diego Counties depend 

 lipoii for most of their surplus honey, "went 

 iafick on us this year, ' ' as the saying goes. 

 Then the lima beftns — the old Ventura Coun- 

 ty stand-by — for Some reason failed to give 

 nectar. This variety has for years been ex- 

 tensively raised near the coast of Santa 

 •Barbara and Ventura Counties without ir- 

 rigation. Only once before, if I am rightly 

 informed, did it fail to yield, and that was 

 caused by a very hot wind which literally 

 cooked the blossoms. These beans have 

 yielded as much as 150 pounds per colony in 

 a banner year. Another variety of beans — 

 called Henderson 's Bush Ijima — has been 

 very extensively planted the last few years. 

 This variety is usually grown a little farther 

 away fi-om the ocean and is irrigated. The 

 San Fernando Valley, a practically new sec- 

 tion where thousands of acres of these beans 

 were planted, was the haven of the migra- 

 tory beekeeper this year. Nectar was yield- 

 ed in abundance, and, while the bees on the 

 old variety of bean were starving, those 

 near the irrigated bush-lima fields were roll- 

 ing in honey. Some beekeepers extracted, 

 but most of them were quite satisfied to get 

 the hives well filled for winter. 



The price of colonies in southern Cali- 

 fornia remains steady altho the demand is 

 not nearly so great as was the case last 

 winter. Very few apiaries are offered for 

 sale. Supplies are very high as compared 

 with the price a few years ago. Experienced 

 help is hard to get, but there are many ap- 

 plications from both men and women who 

 wish to learn the business. At our gather- 

 ings, one notices a constantly increasing 

 proportion of young, enthusiastic men and 

 women. A few of the real old-timers are 

 still in evidence. New blood, literature on 

 apiculture, short courses, and, last but not 

 least, oi'ganization, will surely make 1920 

 a banner year. 



A Happy New Year with much prosperity 

 to all. L. L. Andrews. 



Corona, Calif. 



* * * 



In Northern California.— ^^^^i" ^^V*" 



we been fa- 

 vored by beekeeping short courses this win- 

 ter. The Division of Extension in Agricul- 

 ture, University of California, in co-opera- 

 tion with the Extension Service of the T^. S. 

 Department of Agriculture opened their first 

 course durina: the third week of Noveiii1)pr 

 at Davis. The second course was held at 

 Fresno the week following. Dr. E. F. Phil- 



lips, George S. Demuth, and A. P. Sturte- 

 vaht represented the Government. In gen- 

 eral. Dr. Phillips spoke on the behavior of 

 bees under seasonal conditions, Mr. Demuth 

 would follow with beekeeping practices un- 

 der like conditions, and Mr. Sturtevant 

 would give an exhaustive account of bee dis- 

 eases. The information imparted by the 

 three men was of inestimable value to all 

 commercial producers. There is no gain- 

 saying the fact that many experienced and 

 large beekeepers understood for the first 

 time the fundamentals of the various meth- 

 ods which they were using, and, moreover, 

 have now a clearer conception why some 

 of their methods were not altogether satis- 

 factory, and why others were quite success- 

 ful. The local speakers were J. D. Bixby, 

 C. B. Justice, Mrs. P. Eichardson, and G. A. 

 Coleman. Mr. Bixby dwelt upon various 

 phases of practical work, which always 

 aroused keen interest among his hearers; 

 and Mr. Justice gave an account of the suc- 

 cess of the California Honey Producers' 

 Co-operative Exchange during the past year. 

 The attendance at the two courses was 

 not nearly as large as it should have been. 

 This was due entirely to the apparent lack 

 of interest manifested by the University of 

 California in the conducting of the courses. 

 There are many beekeepers that received 

 no notification at all regarding the courses, 

 and others that received announcements 

 only three days before the Davis meeting, 

 which made it quite impossible for some to 

 arrange their affairs in time to attend the 

 entire course. It is indeed regrettable to 

 have to make mention of this matter, and 

 it is done only because the writer has been 

 approached often by very many beekeepers 

 who wished to know why the University 

 practically continues to ignore the beekeep- 

 ing industry in the State. Your correspond- 

 ent must confess that he can give no definite 

 answer. It is known that other State uni- 

 vei'sities have responded and responded 

 well to the requests made by the beekeepers, 

 and that our memorandum, signed by over 

 130 beekeepers in attendance at the short 

 course, held at Davis a year ago, and re- 

 questing University aid, has been unproduc- 

 tive of results. We have all been deeply 

 grateful for the teachings given us by the 

 men who are sent out by the Government, 

 and, if we are to receive future help in this 

 direction, we must have at least the active 

 co-operation of the Division of Extension of 

 the University of California. 



Modesto, Calif. M. C. Eichter. 



* » * 



In Texas.— f^"->^ ,^ff°''t /« ^,l'''s P"t 



forth to make the short 

 course at San Antonio the best of the series 

 tliat Dr. Phillips and his associates have 

 conducted. W. B. Lanham, assistant di- 

 rector of the A. & M. Extension Service, has 

 mailed almost 4,000 invitations. S. C. Hoyle, 



