826 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



fertilization," and, without such re- 

 newal, virgins are of no account as pro- 

 genitors or mothers. Hence, without 

 said renewal, the Apis mellifica family 

 would inevitably become extinct. 

 Richford, N. Y. 



A Nebraska Report for the Sea- 

 son of 1§92. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY WM. STOLLEY. 



My report for the year 1892 is as 

 follows : Last winter I wintered (with- 

 out loss) 39 colonies. One I found 

 queenless in the spring, and united the 

 bees with another weak colony. I sold 

 4 colonies for $40, and thus began the 

 campaign with 26 colonies run for ex- 

 tracted honey, and 9 colonies for comb. 



The spring of 1892 was cold, wet and 

 changeable — in fact, the worst spring 

 I ever experienced, followed by a severe 

 drouth, which greatly curtailed the 

 honey-flow in midsummer. The result 

 is not very good, but much better than I 

 see many reports in the Bee Journal. 



From the 26 colonies run for extracted 

 honey, I obtained a trifle over 50 pounds 

 per colony, and from the 9 colonies 

 worked for comb honey, I got, on an 

 average, but 17 pounds per colony, 

 owing to the swarming of 5 colonies 

 worked for comb honey. The 4 colonies 

 which were worked for comb honey in 

 one-pound sections, and which did not 

 swarm, gave me 141 sections, or, on an 

 average, 35 pounds. 



My increase is but 4 colonies, so that 

 I have now 38 colonies, all of them in 

 first-class condition, and provided each 

 with not less than 25 pounds, net, of 

 winter stores, while I have set aside for 

 spring feeding 110 frames containing 

 about 400 pounds of honey. 



I have requeened my apiary, so that I 

 have now 26 queens reared in 1892, 

 and but 12 queens reared in 1891. 



My bees winter on the summer stands 

 in double-walled hives, well packed in- 

 side the hive. They had their last flight 

 on Dec. 2nd. 



The total income from my bees will 

 be about $205 cash, or $6.20 per col- 

 ony, and an increase of 4 colonies. 



Sweet clover and alfalfa are my main 

 resources for honey. The fall bloom 

 did not amount to much this year. 



Grand Island, Nebr., Dec. 2, 1892. 



Bees in California — Their Intro- 

 duction ; Harbison, et als. 



Written for the Ameriesi.n Bee Journal 

 BY W. A. PKYAL. 



Have You Read, page 813 yet ? 



(Continued from page 795.) 

 Bees were taken to the Sacramento 

 valley by A. P. Smith, in 1855, and in 

 1856 to the southern part of the State. 

 San Jose was the distributing point. 



In the fall of 1855, Mr. Harbison 

 had prepared in the East a colony for 

 shipment to him at Sacramento. It ar- 

 rived Feb, 1856. Though many of the 

 bees had died en route, he was satisfied 

 that by proper care and handling, he 

 could bring any number of colonies 

 through all right. His one colony proved 

 to him that there was plenty of good 

 honey along the Sacramento. 



Accordingly, in May, 1857, he went 

 East, and on Nov. 5th he left New York 

 with 67 colonies. Aspinwall was reached 

 ten days later ; the bees were given a 

 flight at this point during the evening ; 

 on the 16th they were on board the 

 steamer at Panama, and arrived in San 

 Francisco on Nov. 30th. They were re- 

 shipped by river steamer, and landed at 

 Sacramento Dec. 2nd. They had made 

 a journey of 5,900 miles — the longest 

 ever known at that time of bees being 

 transported at one continuous voyage. 

 Of this importation, only 5 colonies suc- 

 cumbed. The loss was attributed to tho 

 ravages of the bee-moth. 



HARBISON'S START ON A LARGE SCALE. 



This was verily Mr. Harbison's start 

 in bee-culture on a large scale in Cali- 

 fornia. All his manipulation with the 

 industrious little workers there, with a 

 few minor exceptions, were enviable 

 successes. 



In the '70's he went to the lower part 

 of the State. This was about the time 

 of the announcement of the wonderful 

 honey resources of the southern coun- 

 ties. His large, practical knowledge as 

 an apiarist soon placed him at the top 

 of the ladder. He was soon the great- 

 est honey-producer of the world. His 

 was the biggest shipment of honey to 

 cross the continent — some ten cars being 

 required to move a portion of his crop 

 in 1876. I believe a large part of his 

 honey was sent to England, where it 

 sold readily at a fair price. His apiaries 

 were scattered through San Diego coun- 

 ty, and he carefully trained young men 

 to manage them. 



