162 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1922 



FROM NORTH, EAST, WEST AND SOUTH 



In Northern California.— ^ ^ ^ " ^'( 



was cold, 

 especially the latter part of the month. 

 Enough rain has fallen to take care of the 

 needs of plant life. In the extreme northern 

 portion of our section, rainfall is still below 

 normal; but, as we reach the central portion 

 of the state, we find that the normal amount 

 has already fallen. On the whole, bees left 

 their hives but little during the month, and 

 consequently the consumption of stores dur- 

 ing this period was but little. The last few 

 days of January were extremely cold and 

 nearly all portions of our district, including 

 the valleys as well as the coast sections, 

 were visited with snow. Altho practically 

 our entire sage belt was covered with this 

 blanket of snow, there need be no alarm 

 concerning injury of this year's growth. The 

 new shoots will withstand several inches of 

 snow, and no setback need be feared. The 

 manzanita buds look fine, and there will be 

 an unusually heavy bloom during February. 



The California State Beekeepers' Associa- 

 tion will hold their annual meeting at Visa- 

 lia on Feb. 8, 9 and 10. Unfortunately the 

 convention will be over when these lines are 

 read. It is our sincere hope that many will 

 be in attendance, for under the untiring 

 leadership of the Association's president, 

 Mr. Gary W. Hartman, the meeting is cer- 

 tain of success. It need only be mentioned 

 that the Association has been responsible 

 for an executive proclamation, to the effect 

 that the week of Feb. 6-11 has been desig- 

 nated as "Honey Week" in California. We 

 remember very well California 's honey 

 week of a year ago, when many, many peo- 

 ple in the city of Oakland wanted to buy 

 honey but could not get it. Many restaur- 

 ants and groceries did not carry honey, and 

 those that did have it on the shelf carried 

 but little so that their supply was soon ex- 

 hausted. Can you imagine that not a few 

 concerns were at a loss to know where they 

 could purchase honey? Wliat a state of ;if- 

 fairs! Several carloads of honey in small 

 package form could have been used to ad- 

 vantage in Oakland alone. What a Avonder- 

 ful thing is advertising! Our product lends 

 itself readily to the advertiser, and the pos- 

 sibilities in this direction are immense. We 

 need but to press the button, as it were, and 

 there would be created a most active de- 

 mand. The real problem of the future should 

 be that of production. 



In order to assist yourself and your in- 

 dustry, it is well to become a member of the 

 California State Beekeepers' Association. 

 This organization is very much alive. L. W. 

 Lasell is the secretary, and the membership 

 dues are one dollar. The Association's place 

 of business is located at 400 Hutchinson 

 Building, Oakland, Calif. M. C. Richter. 



Big Sur, Calif, 



In Southern California.— ^heweath- 



er the past 

 month has been very encouraging to the 

 beekeepers of southern California in gen- 

 eral. It has been colder than usual but no 

 hard winds, and, with the ground thoroly 

 soaked, all plants are getting a good start. 

 A hard freeze on Jan. 12 and 13 did much 

 damage to citrus fruits over most of the 

 country, a loss of 50 per cent being esti- 

 mated in some places. Corona came thru 

 the freeze the best, perhaps, of any local- 

 ity in southern California. The probable 

 loss here is from two to possibly ten per 

 cent of the fruit. Corona has only a very 

 limited number of locations for making or- 

 ange honej^, as over 60 per cent of the citrus 

 acreage -here is planted to lemons, which are 

 not classed the same as oranges in honey 

 production. 



Several carloads of bees have already ar- 

 rived in southern California from Utah and 

 Idaho points. Also, two cars have been 

 shipped into Riverside County from the Im- 

 perial Valley. This same man shipped to 

 the Imperial Valley from Riverside County 

 about 12 years ago. When we think of the 

 inconsistency of some people it is no won- 

 der that we sometimes doubt man's sincer- 

 ity. It is only a short time since the bee- 

 keepers of Imperial County enforced an ex- 

 clusion ordinance to such an extent that a 

 man who had arrived with a carload of bees 

 was compelled to reload what he had un- 

 loaded and reship out of county, to his great 

 inconvenience, to say nothing of the loss. 

 To give and take is the only way. Until 

 we look upon our brother beekeeper as hu- 

 man and entitled to his share of the things 

 God has put here for all of us to enjoy, we 

 will not get from life the real blessings of 

 living. 



Much credit is due Gary W. Hartman, 

 President of the California State Beekeep- 

 ers ' Association, for his untiring work in 

 bringing the use of honey before the public. 

 It was greatly thru his efforts that the Gov- 

 ernor of California proclaimed Feb. 6-11 as 

 "Honey Week." This should stimulate the 

 industry, as all of the citizens of the state 

 are urged to use the products of the bee- 

 keepers during that period. 



Many beekeepers are still feeding sugar 

 in considerable quantities. This shows good 

 judgment. A colony that comes thru the 

 winter a little stronger, by the judicious 

 feeding of a few pounds of sugar, will be 

 in condition to store honey or divide for 

 increase weeks ahead of the one that just 

 ])ulls tliru on account of the shortage of 

 stores. Keep a close watch on all colonies, 

 and any that are at all short of stores 

 sliould be provided for. It is too late now 

 to let any starve out or just exist. 



A few of the strongest coloaies may show 



