1881 



glea:nixgs in bee cultuke. 



oSl 



Hosmer do all he say, then I sell all I got and come 

 to America." 



If a stranger makes a statement that the general 

 experience of others would pronounce incredible, 

 with nothing to back his staten.r'nt except his own 

 say-so, he is very unfair if he do not allow the public 

 to question the truth of his statement. 



Lechler lives 20 miles from me. I have no means 

 of knowing how much honey he did get; someone 

 says his apiary is for sale, and accounts for the big 

 report in that way; I do not know about this; he 

 certainly has a choice location, with a few bees, not 

 crowded by neighboring bee-keepers, some of whom 

 have had very large yields. 



California has more diversity of soil, climate, and 

 products, than most States; a combination of fav- 

 orable circumstances makes it yield in places, at 

 times, the largest trees, the largest gravevines, 

 pumpkins, and mustard, that the world knows of; 

 also the largest yields of honey and increase of bees. 

 It also does the most unaccountahhj mean things; 

 defeats j'ou where you were positive of success. I 

 have kept bees here in California for six years. My 

 best yield was an average of about 300 lbs. to the 

 hive, and a little more than doubling my stock (I al- 

 ways credit the old stock with the surplus from 

 their swarms). Two other seasons I did nearly as 

 well. The past season yielded nearly nothing; two 

 other years I got nothing; lost half my bees, and 

 had plenty of bother. I think but very few in 

 Southern California, with the same number of bees, 

 have done better than this. Previous to 18T7 I think 

 there had not boen so many failures, and we hope 

 there will not be so many in the future; yet I do not 

 know but we must have, to prevent being overrun 

 with bees. With a few bees in a good spot, plf*ntj- 

 of empty combs, the owner hitting on the best man- 

 ngement for that year, extraordinary things have 

 been done. I can not say Lcchler's statement is 

 impossible. Quite a number have increased from 1 

 to 10 in a season. Our deputy-sheriff, on whose 

 word I can entirely rely, told me he had increased 

 from 1 to (I am almost sure it was) 30 in a season, 

 nearly all good for winter. Ytu see, if he had 15 he 

 would only have to double to get 30. 



R. Wilkin. 



San Buenaventura, Cal., Nov. 8, 18S1. 



Why. friend '\V.,did 1 not publish the bee- 

 cave story just as you sayV The very fact of 

 its havingcome from the Youth" s Companion. 

 a paper largely fiction, was, I thought, suf- 

 hcient to caution our readers, especially with 

 my closing comments. 1 have many times 

 published statements like these, thinking 

 the truth might be brought out by so doing, 

 and I think it has been. The present case 

 seems to illustrate it. Another point: Aft- 

 er such reports as these, we watch the man 

 afterward, and look for the outcome. Doo- 

 little gave us astonishing reports, but he 

 has since backed them up, year by year, 

 which would have been much more convinc- 

 ing from friend Ilosmer than the foolish 

 wager you allude to. Those who send in 

 such reports must expect to be looked after. 

 I do not feel like refusing to publish these 

 statements, because I myself was once 

 looked upon with great suspicion, even by 

 some near friends, because I reported over 

 300 lbs. from one colony, and 48 lbs. of hon- 

 ey in three days. If it is really true, that 

 friend Leckler's apiary is for sale, it looks a 



little bad ; but we trust he will come for- 

 ward and vindicate his truthfulness. It 

 don"t hurt an honest man a bit to have his 

 statements questioned, friend L., and we 

 hope you will hold no hard feelings toward 

 friend Hart, who has only expresi-ed what a 

 great many of us could hardly help feeling. 



Later.— Here is a letter from friend Lech- 

 ler himself, which many will probably read 

 with interest, as it is mainly in regard to his 

 locality, etc. 



BEE-FARMS IN FRIEKD LECHLER'S LOCAI-ITr, ETC. 



MR. KOOT:-Several parties have written to mo 

 for information in regard to this country, and the 

 chancfs for obtaining bee-farms, etc.; and as post- 

 age stamps cost money, 1 thought 1 would reply to 

 them through Gleanings, if you sec tit to publish 

 the reply, as all the inquirers say they obtained my 

 address through that source ; so I came to the con- 

 clusion I hey all take it or borrow it. 



1 will state that there is plenty of line locations 

 for sale or rent, both in Los Angeles and Ventura 

 counties. Therw are a few stands of bees for sale in 

 both counties; the price ranges from $3. to §5. per 

 stand. The Lsingstroth nive is used by most bee- 

 men. Very few take the supers off in winter; as 

 for foul brood, I hear but little nbout it now. A few 

 years back there were some apiaries that were both- 

 ered with it, and claimed they caught the disease 

 Iriim feeding aisea?ed honey; but vu investigation I 

 find about the only apiaries atfected were those 

 where the owners practiced artiflcial swarming, and 

 allowed the brood to get chilled; and of course dead 

 brood does not hatch worth a cent. That is my idea 

 about foul brood. What say you? We have over 

 •iOO stands in this locality, and allow them to swarm 

 naturally, and have never found any foul brood. 



The price of honey varies with the seasons. Last 

 year, extracted honey sold in San Francisco from 4 

 to S ets. per lb. This f^ll it is worth from 8 to 12 cts. 

 I think there would be no trouble in contracting 

 honey at .5 cts., no matter how good the season is, as 

 every year honey is taking the place of sugar more 

 and more. We have had one tine rain this fall, and 

 ever^ thing indicates a wet winter. If so, we shall 

 have a good honey season next spring and summer. 

 My bees are all out to-day, and are still getting some 

 honey Irom flowers that are in bloom. The rain has 

 started vegetation, and one more shower and the 

 earth will be covered with a coat of green in this 

 part of the country. I was out hunting a few days 

 last mouth: killed tj deer; met 2 parties of hunters; 

 one had killed 23 deer and one bear, and the other 

 party 12 deer; so you may think this is a land of ven- 

 isonaud honey, as well as milk and honey. 1 wish I 

 could send you a nice saddle of venison for Christ- 

 mas; but you are too far off; but I will think of you 

 all the same when 1 have a big roast. 



G. W. Lechler. 



Oak Park, Xewhall, Los A. Co., Cal., Nov. 4, 1881. 



HOW TO TURN LANGSTROTH OR SIM- 



PlilCITY HIVES INTO CHxlFF HIVES 



^OR AVINXERINO. 



AND THAT, TOO, ALMOST WITHOUT EXPENSE. 



i^cl^HE way to do this occurred to me a few morn- 

 Jjjl ings ago, and I proceeded at once to do up one 

 dozen of colonies as an experiment. As I 

 looked on them after I had the bees snugly en- 

 sconced in their new quarters, I felt better satisfied 

 with it than with any thing I had seen or heard of as 

 an out-door-wintering hive. I give the plan, that 

 others may try it. 



Take '/i-inch boards, 10 inches broad. Cut three 

 pieces just the length of the top of the comb-frames, 

 and a fourth piece ?« inch shorter. Nail them to- 

 gether, the short piece on and not between the sides, 

 and even with them at one end. Thus you hare a 

 box 9x10x19^4 inches in the inside, just right for six 

 frames. This box is to stand on end, the short sido 



