Ski'TKMBer, 1920 



li E A N T N G S 



B K K C U L T U K K 



547 



HEADS OF GRAIN X DMrnO ^ DIFFERENT FIELDS 



Fireweed Location 

 in Northwest. 



Tills is an iiloal 

 tirowi'od range, on 

 logged-off lands ly- 

 injj in Pacific Connty, Wash. The yard is that 

 of Messrs. Julian and Bush containing about 

 125 colonies. The picture shows a corner of 

 the yard and its sheltered location. The 

 apiary is well watered, and the owners har- 

 vest good yields and market the same within 

 the State. They practice jacketless outdoor 

 wintering and largely in single - story 8- 

 fraine hi\es. They found stores lower last 

 spring than any previous one, but they had 

 been foresighted enough to retain sufficient 

 honey in combs for feeding if necessary. 

 I am a ' ' small scale, " ' ' long range ' ' bee 



I came, 15 years ago, from Oakland ("ounty, 

 -Mich. Did I find it so? Not by a long shot. 

 1 was a beekeeper in Michigan — one who 

 coulil get the honey with the next one; but 

 when I canre out here to Poseyland my bee- 

 keeping did not work. I had to learn all 

 over again, and that was some job too, be- 

 lieve me. If you do not believe this, ask 

 E. K. Root, editor of this journal, who was 

 out here last winter. Didn't he tell you the 

 eastern beekeeper has an easier time than 

 we do out here? He was right when he said 

 so. 



Owing to a hot wave, 20 colonies melted 

 down for me in June, 1917. Foul brood? 

 We have it out here — four kinds, and all 



A goofl location for a fireweed honey cro]) on logged-off liuul in the Northwest. 



keeper, hut my "long suit'' is bee-hunting 

 as a diversion and sport. Since becoming 

 an addict ."^M; years ago, I have been a close 

 student of bee culture, beginning with Quin- 

 hy and following on down the line. During 

 this time I have located about 30 bee-trees. 

 Raymond, Wash. M. C. Osborne. 



Getting Down to You Easterners say 



Business. that out in California 



all they have to do is 

 to take out a load of supers, put them on; 

 when full, extract them; and in the fall put 

 a twenty pound stone on, and they are ready 

 for winter, and the bees will work for you 

 anfl board themselves; and that, if you take 

 all tlio honey off, they do not .seem to care, 

 but will gather some more to live on for 

 winter. Ves, that is what I expected when 



look alike to a tenderfoot. Stings? Oh, no! 

 r got only 36 one day with a bee-tight suit 

 on. Skunks? Yes, we have them. One 

 man got nine one night in his beeyard. Ants? 

 Yes, four kinds. They drive a whole swarm 

 out of the hive. Bees stolen? Yes, they 

 leave us the hives. Sometimes and most 

 generally the wheelbarrow, house, and all 

 go. All they left for one poor man was the 

 auto truck. Cheap bees? Fifteen dollars 

 a swarm. Do you call that cheap? Winter- 

 ing [)roblem? Well, yes, I guess that is what 

 the editor of Gleanings called it. Forty 

 pounds of good honey at 20 cents — $8.00, and 

 a good hive packed; requeen every year; 

 three to five dry years on a stretch out of 

 every six or seven years. This year I got 

 only 20 pounds per colony, spring count. 

 Then they have the nerve to ship bees here 

 by the carload. 



