1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



73 



kind, will accept my heartiest thanks, and believe me when I say 

 that I appreciate their encouraging words very much. Life and 

 health continuing, I shall try hard to merit all the good things my 

 friends have expressed. 



Editor Root said this about the American Bee Journal, iu 

 Gleanings for Jan. 15: 



The new American Bee Journal, as it came to our office shortly 

 after Jan. 1, was a pleasant surprise. It has been changed from a 

 32page small to a 16-page large size. The printing and bmding, 

 of course, as usual, are excellent, and the selection of matter is 

 also of the highest order. If it can maintain the pace that i has 

 set for itself (and York will make it), the "Old Reliable" will 

 boom. 



Mr. Thomas G. Newman, who for nearly 20 years previous to 

 June 1, 1892, was the editor of the Bee Journal, writes thus in the 

 January number of his Illustrated Home Journal: 



The American Bee Journal has changed to a 16-page quarto 

 again, similar to -what it was ten years ago. It deserves all the 

 success it is now blest with, and we wish that its revenues were 

 ten times greater than they are. The first article of the initial 

 number of 1S1)5, by Chas. Dadant, is very interesting, as are several 

 others in that issue. 



Mr. W. M. Barnum, of Denver, Colo.— who is one of the num- 

 ber that " crack the nuts " in the Question- Box— wrote as follows 

 after receiving the second number of the Bee Journal for IS'.l.") ; 



I have just finished perusing the last American Bee Journal— 

 from the beginning to the end— and among the many good things 

 was one that particularly pleased me. Our good and observing 

 friend— the " Gleaner"— a good man in a good place, by-the-by— 

 has something good to say about the new form and appearance of 



the "Old Reliable," as follows: " 'Tisn't our old friend at all 



and we always look with an evil eye upon any usurper," etc. Now 

 the funny part, and the part I take exception to, is his first part— 

 ilisuurohlfneml—\\\^ "good old American Bee Journal" of 10 

 years ago! It is our own. long lost and dearly cherished "child " 

 of 10 years ago ; ! It does my eyes good to see it once more ; and I 

 " just won't " tolerate any such derogatory affirmations from even 

 our friend Gleaner! 



But. all levity aside, I much prefer the new form for several 

 good reasons, viz. : First of all.it is easier to read, and just as 

 conveniently handled. It is neater in make-up, the paper is better, 

 and the character of the reading matter is bet— ! Well, Bro. York, 

 I am afraid you will surely have that case of " big head " you re- 

 ferred to on page 40 — so I'll desist. You have dwie well, however — 

 and here's my H^ ! Wm. M. Baknum. 



Itnsf^tvooa Xrees and Alfalfa.— Many bee-keepers are 

 now enquiring at this office where they can buy basswoood trees 

 and alfalfa clover seed. If any one has either or both for sale, 

 why not advertise the fact in the American Bee Journal ? It would 

 pay to do so. It seems a pity that people can't get what they 

 want, when there are other people who have it for sale, and yet 

 don't seem to be wise enough to advertise. 



Mr. William A. Pryai. 



Mr. Wm. A. Pryal, of North Temescal, Calif., whose pict- 

 ure I am pleased to show on the first page, was born in San 

 Francisco, his parents being among the early settlers in that 

 city. His father was one of the very first nurserymen and 

 horticulturists of Califoruia. The first few years of William's 

 life were spent in his native city, and at Napa city. In ISOli 

 — the year of the flood, well remembered by all old Califor- 

 nians — the family removed to Oakland, then but a small town. 

 The same year the place that has since 1864 been the famil\ 

 home, was purchased from Dr. Gwin, then United States Sen- 

 ator from that State. This place is considered one of the 

 prettiest spots in the Golden West, and is directly opposite the 

 Golden Gate, and not over 3K miles from the eastern shore of 

 the Bay of San francisco. For some years prior to the e.\- 

 Senator's death, W. A. had charge of his landed interests in 

 Alameda county — was his attorney and agent. 



On the family homestead Mr. P. learned all about farming 

 and the nursery business, including the culture of flowers and 

 vegetables; also the growing and marketing of fruit. 



About 1866 his father purchased a number of colonies of 

 beesiu Temescal ; the same year Mr. A. J. King, since well 

 known as the editor of the late Bee-Keepers' Magazine, was 

 hired to teach in the district school, at which the subject of 

 this sketch was a pupil. Mr. King initiated him into some of 

 the " mysteries of bee-keeping," and gave him a copy of the 

 " Bee-Keepers' Text-Book," issued a few years previously by 

 Mr. K.'s brothers. It was in 1868 that Mr. Pryal took any 

 marked interest in bees. Owing to his studies, it was not 



until 1876 that he thoroughly developed the bee-fever. 



Though he had commenced to write on horticultural and flori- 

 cultural topics before that time, it was during the summer of 

 '76 that he wrote on subjects relating to bees. These early 

 writings were mainly about the honey-flora of central Califor- 

 nia. Ever since that time he has given a good deal of atten- 

 tion to the flowers that yield honey in that State. 



Owing to other duties he has never been able to care jr 

 more than 70 colonies of bees in any one year. During le 

 past three years his brothers have given some attention to e 

 apiary. His experience with bees has embraced nearly every 

 phase of the business ; though producing some comb honey, 

 extracted was the leading crop for the past ten years. 



Mr. Pryal was educated at public and private schools; 

 finished a business course at St. Mary's College ; entered the 

 State University, but did not remain to graduate. He clerked 

 in a law office a few years; was engaged in practice of law 

 when he was offered a place on the staff of one of the Oakland 

 daily newspapers ; after five years of daily newspaper life in 

 that city, he bought an interest in a San Francisco weekly, 

 which he edited and managed for two years, or until he sold 

 out. 



When a mere lad, Mr. P. had some experience in the build- 

 ing of the pioneer water works of Oakland. The originator 

 and president of the pioneer water company of that city used 

 to go out to the " Pryal ranch," as it was then called, and do 

 more or less surveying for the nev/ enterprise. Not having aw 

 assistant to hold his chain or pole, the president would press 

 him into service as "his assistant." The first water for the 

 then growing town of Oakland was piped from a dam on his 

 father's place, a distance of four miles. Strange as it may 

 seem, he is again building up another water company. This 

 time it is a rival one, and his work is now done not merely as 

 child's play, a? it was in reality when he assisted in helping 

 the man who gave Oakland and San Francisco their first water 

 works. Since early in 1894 he has been in the business de- 

 partment of the new and rival water company of Oakland. It 

 is one of the most perfect water systems in the world. The 

 water is brought from artesian wells that discharge a won- 

 drous amount of water daily. These wells are 18 miles from 

 the city, and powerful pumps force the water into reservoirs 

 above the city, whence it is distributed through Oakland and 

 adjacent towns and cities by one of the most perfect net-work 

 of water mains ever laid in this country. 



Mr. Pryal believes that he will never again be able to at- 

 tend to more than a few colonies, as his time is altogether em- 

 ployed in other channels, as mentioned. Even his brothers 

 have turned their attention to work that no longer allows 

 them to manage the bees. For this reason he contemplates 

 selling off the major portion of his apiary during the coming 

 spring. 



His first bee-writings were over the nnm-de-vlwne of " U. 

 K. Lyptus." He has written for the agricultural as well as 

 the apicultural press of the country, and was for many years 

 a correspondent of the Pacific Kural Press, of San Francisco. 



Mr. Pryal is the oldest of nine children, tliree of whom 

 died during the past four years. 



In May, 1893— during the World's Fair— I had the pleas- 

 ure of meeting Mr. Pryal, and enjoyed his visit very much. 

 He is an interesting conversationalist as well as journalist. I 

 am glad to count him as one of my personal friends. 



The Editor. 



^rrfOT)^ \lr)c Bee-Papers 



Conducted by " GLHANBR." 



WINTERING BEES INSIDE. 



Chas. Dadant, in Prairie Farmer, says he tried silos for 

 wintering bees, and they did splendidly, the first two winters 

 being dry and cold. Then came a warm and moist winter, 

 and the bees suffered badly. He thinks the temperature of a 

 cellar should not be allowed to go below 40-, nor for any 

 length of time above 48°. In his latitude— about 40j.2°— he 

 prefers to winter bees on the summer stands. 



PROFIT FROM COMB-BUILDING. 



The question is raised in the British Bee Journal whether 

 it may not be a good thing for bee-keepers in the southeast of 

 England to sell their combs to those in the clover district, 

 afterward to be sent to the moors to be fliled up with heather 

 money. The average American bee-keeper will likely ask. 



