1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



697 



from this plant the present season, in some localities, has been 

 enormous. Rocky Mountain honey-plant, white clover, cat- 

 nip, and other honey-producing plants have given large yields 

 of honey in some places, but lucern has been by far the main 

 honey-prodncing plant. In two apiaries, each in the midst of 

 from three to four hundred acres of lucern, and located about 

 10 miles apart, the bees have gathered from 100 to 200 

 pounds per colony. A few of them have gathered fully SOO 

 pounds. While lucern can be relied upon as a very good 

 honey-producer, it does not always yield as much as it has this 

 season. This is a curious feature with all, or nearly all, of 

 the honey-producing plants. One year they will yield large 

 amounts of honey. Then the next there may be a partial or 

 total failure. Viewing our honey-plants from this stand-point, 

 I do not think it will pay to cultivate any plant that needs re- 

 planting every year, unless they are self-sowing, and can take 

 care of themselves — such as sweet clover, cleome or Rocky 

 Mountain bee-plant, and others. After once being planted, 

 if the soil, climate and conditions are suitable for them, it is 

 almost impossible to kill them out, and, like lucern, they like 

 a rich, dry, sandy loam, and they all will stand the drouth as 

 well, or better, than most other plants. 



The lucern, when once planted, is good for almost any 

 number of years. There are many lucern fields here in Utah 

 that have been planted 30 years or more, and they grow from 

 five to nine tons of hay to the acre, as good as when first 

 planted. Thus it will be seen that while it is a very good 

 honey-plant, for a forage plant it is one of the best. But I do 

 not think it would do very well in dry land, where solid rock 

 or hard-pan is near the surface, as in that case the roots could 

 not get down to moisture. This plant has been written up 

 sufficiently in the American Bee Journal; it is easy to plant, 

 and the seed is cheap. If I wished to try it, I would prepare 

 the soil in the fall, and sow the seed as soon as the ground is 

 dry enough to work in the spring. 



While good honey-secreting plants are necessary to suc- 

 cess in bee-keeping, there are other conditions necessary to 

 success besides honey-plants. One is management. We often 

 find too many bee-owners, but not enough bee-keepers. To 

 dump bees into a nail-keg, or a dry-goods box, or even into a 

 hive, and let them do as they like, or as they can, and when 

 full let them lie out on the box or hive, or swarm out and fly 

 off, will not bring success. I know of a number of colonies in 

 this condition, and they give little or no returns to the owners. 

 But with proper management, as far as Utah is concerned, 

 unless something unusual occurs, the bees will always pay the 

 owner for his care and attention. 



Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 23. 



Hunting Wild Bees— How to Do It. 



Br J. H. ANDRE. 



September 19 being one of those rare days "just right 

 for bee-hunting," I packed my kit and hied to a favorable 

 locality some 3}-j miles away. The timber was scattering 

 hardwood from which the denser growth of hemlock had been 

 taken some years before. Bees were found on asters, which 

 grew in profusion, and set to work on a comb containing thin 

 sugar syrup. The line seemed to be what is known among 

 bee-hunters as a " wide line," or two lines nearly in the same 

 direction. The first move from the clearing into the woods 

 some 40 rods was " off the line," as but few bees came to the 

 scent. A return of part way, and on a somewhat different 

 course, soon gave a strong line. A move of 50 rods without 

 any bees coming to the scent proved I was beyond the tree. 

 Returning half the distance to an open spot in the woods, the 

 bees came immediately, and a glance up a huge maple showed 

 me the colony. 



Returning on the line to where the bees were first worked 

 in the woods (and a filled comb had been left to keep the line 

 working in case the bees failed to come to the comb further 

 on), I made an examination of the bees, and found them all 

 of one size and shape, which every one that has knowledge of 

 bees knows that it proves they belonged to the same colony. 



I was on the point of packing ray kit and starting for 

 home, when I noticed a bee take a somewhat different course 

 than towards the tree found. A close watch showed another 

 line without a single bee going towards the tree found. This 

 is the general outcome of two colonies in different localities 

 working on small pieces of comb. One will retire and leave 

 the others in possession of the sweets. The line was followed 

 some 30 rods, and this time they were located in a dead maple 

 stub of a tree, some 40 feet in height. 



The next day being pleasant, more bees were set to work 

 in another locality. They seemed the same " wide line " of 



the day before. Several moves brought me through the woods 

 half a mile away. The bees came quickly, and still led on 

 towards an apiary. This dampened my spirits somewhat, but 

 two sizes of bees had been noticed at the beginning, and re- 

 turning by a different course, the first tree examined (a maple) 

 contained the colony. 



To be a successful bee-hunter one must be a woodsman, 

 use much head-work, have a general knowledge of bees, and 

 much practice at the business. Lockwood, N. Y. 



Starting an Apiary in California. 



BY W. D. FRENCH. 



Many Eastern correspondents ask me about starting an 

 apiary in California, having read of the wonderful yields of 

 honey, delightful climate, etc., which abound through the 

 State; and the cheapness at which bees can be bought, all 

 combine to arouse the anxieties of men who wish to get rich 

 within a short time. 



Those who anticipate changing their destinies from East 

 to West, should not be led by flattering accounts, imaginery or 

 dreamy conclusions. 



I do not wish to be understood to say that California is not 

 a good State, as I believe it to be one of the best — its climate 

 cannot be excelled, although back in the mountains, where 

 bees are kept most extensively, and for profit, the mercury 

 registers from 85-^ to 1 10^, Fahr., during the greater part of 

 summer, which would make it quite comfortable for a New 

 Englander without his winter suit. 



As a rule, all localities in this part of the State, are 

 stocked to their fullest capacity, though by going far enough 

 inland, over grades and precipices, a good location can be 

 found. 



As to the price of bees, there are none to be bought in 

 good movable-frame hives, for less than $3 to S5. Many of 

 the bee-keepers here are those who know very little of the art 

 or science of the pursuit. There are, however, bees that can 

 be bought for perhaps $1.50 per colony, in old rickety or 

 Harbison hives. 



Those who keep bees as above referred to, are, as a class, 

 ready to sell their product at whatever price offered ; buyers 

 understanding the situation much better than those who sell, 

 establish a market price for honey that pleases themselves, to 

 the utter chagrin of the practical apiarist who depends en- 

 tirely upon the product of the bees. 



Dependence upon a good honey season in this country 

 cannot be strictly adhered to, as the previous season fully 

 demonstrates, and 1 am fully convinced to my own satisfaction 

 that this season's crop has been largely over-estimated. 



There is work to be done in this glorious climate by the 

 advanced bee-keeping fraternity, such as will place each in- 

 dividual in a position to dispose of his product without the 

 intervention of a lot of sharks who combine to fatten upon 

 the honest labor of those who toil. Foster, Calif. 



Some Experiences of the Past Season. 



BY GEO. M'OULLOUGH. 



I Started into the winter last year with 11 colonies, with 

 what seemed to me sufficient stores for winter. I boxed them 

 up with old boards, and packed straw around them, leaving 

 the front and entrance open, and to the south, with a good 

 cover over them, and thought they were in safe condition. But 

 about March 1. one warm day, I looked into the hives and 

 found 3 colonies dead— no honey left— starved ! Several other 

 colonies were very scarce. Having only two Miller feeders, I 

 used them on the most needy colonies, while I made 4 or 5 

 more, and continued to feed gradually until they all bred up 

 well before the elm, maple, willow, and such other things 

 took their attention. So the 8 colonies started nicely, some 

 in lO-frame and some in 8-frame hives. 



The season here (southwestern Iowa) was too dry until 

 the last week in May, when we had our first good shower to 

 start vegetation lively. 



About May 15 one large lO-frame colony began to lie out, 

 and thinking they lacked room, I took off the half story and 

 put on a full story with 10 frames— 3 frames of good old 

 comb, and 7 frames with full sheets of foundation— and I 

 thought that would give them room euough, but evidently too 

 late, for they threw off a strong swarm on the 20th— just five 

 days after the top story was supplied for them. The upper 

 story was still left on, and they went to work storing some 

 honey above, and in looking in on them a time or two I 



