1895. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



T2T 



as ever. But it will probably succumb to the winter, whereas 

 if it had not blossomed it would stand a chance of living 

 through. Possibly if I should see how it grows when sown iu 

 the fall, I would say that mine did not " thrive." 



Marengo, 111. 



Co-operation Among Bee-Keepers. 



BY PKOF. A. J. COOK. 



There is much discussion among bee-keepers as to the de- 

 sirability of some kind ol co-operation — the inauguration of 

 something like the Citrus-Fruit Exchange — some move that 

 will insure a living price for the honey produced. At the last 

 meeting of the State Bee-Keepers' Association no subje;! re- 

 ceived so much attention or elicited more earnest discussion 

 than this. Since that time, I, as president of the Association, 

 have received many letters regarding this subject from nearly 

 every honey-producing section of Southern California. The 

 people are alive to the importance — the absolute necessity of 

 some such action ; indeed, upon motion at the last meeting of 

 the State Association, nearly every one present pledged 

 himself to co-operate in such a movement in case it was inaug- 

 urated. The Los Angeles County Association have called a 

 meeting to consider this one subject. 



That there is this unrest and desire for some improve- 

 ment will be easily explained, if we look for a moment at facts. 

 It is acknowledged everywhere, that California honey is equal 

 to the very best produced in any country. Therefore there is 

 no reason in the quality of the honey why our product should 

 sell for one farthing less than the best produced in the East, 

 Europe, or even Mt. Hymettus of Greece. Yet it is a fact that 

 while the Eastern producer secures readily from six to eight 

 cents for extracted honey, an every way equal article often 

 sells for four or even three cents per pound in the honey-pro- 

 ducing region of California. 



One of our largest honey-producers stated at the meeting 

 referred to, with an unction well earned by success, that he, 

 by building a storage house, so he could keep his honey if the 

 markets were not satisfactory, had secured six cents for all his 

 honey and would sell for no less. It is unnecessary to say that 

 he was regarded with envy by all present. Yet even this 

 seems no large price, when we consider that the price East is 

 two cents more for the same quality of honey, and that the 

 freight rate is only one cent, per pound, or only 20 per cent, of 

 the selling price of the honey. It goes without saying that 

 every pound of first-class honey — and we have little else, pro- 

 duced in California — ought to bring the producer at least seven 

 cents per pound, and might, if the proper machinery was put 

 in motion to bring it cheaply and quickly into the markets of 

 the East. 



There are real obstacles in the way of securing efficient 

 co-operation : First, the producers are often poor and must 

 have immediate returns. Indeed, they often secure money on 

 a prospective crop. Of course such accommodation is difficult, 

 if not absolutely impossible, in any scheme of co-operation. In 

 fact, to realize on anticipation almost always requires large 

 discount, and, in part, explains the low price secured by Cali- 

 fornia bee-keepers for their honey, and what is more to be re- 

 gretted, often determines the price for all honey. It is diffi- 

 cult to see how any system of co-operation could meet such 

 wants. 



Again, it is almost impossible to secure the union of all 

 bee-keepers in any system which may be adopted. Some of 

 the most intelligent and forehanded of our bee-keepers, like 

 the one already referred to, feel satisfied with their sales — so 

 much in advance of the usual market — and see no need of 

 union for themselves, though they acknowledge that it would 

 be of great service to most of the craft. Others are poor and 

 feel that they cannot wait for the slow processes of co-op- 

 eration, and others, still, are ignorant, and raaybe, suspicious, 

 which is the usual companion of ignorance, and so are afraid 

 to trust any exchange or union that takes their property be- 

 fore a cash return is made. Yet, any scheme of co-operation 

 which is limited to the honey product, must of necessity be 

 general if it is to be of very much account. 



With so many and such decided difficulties before the Cal- 

 ifornia bee-keepers, it is a question of no easy solution just how 

 a successful method of co-operation can be brought into gen- 

 eral practice. 



It has been hoped by some that some other organization 

 like the Citrus iVuit Exchange might also arrange to dispose 

 of the honey. It is claimed that this would save duplication of 

 much of the necessary machinery, such as room for storage, 

 agents in the Eastern field to find a market, etc. It is very 

 probable that if the officers would take the same interest and 



exercise the same care in the marketing of the honey that 

 they exercise in the sale of oranges, that this would be the 

 wisest plan, if the apiarists could unite in trusting their pro- 

 duct to them. 



The second plan is for the bee-keepers to co-operate and 

 form a honey exchange, like that now organized by the Citrus 

 Fruit growers. To make this a success the bee-keepers gen- 

 erally must give to it earnest support. As we have seen, lack 

 of confidence on the part of some, and need to anticipate actual 

 sales by others, are likely to interfere with the general co-ope- 

 ration that is absolutely necessary to any considerable success. 



A third plan promises the least friction and greatest assur- 

 ance of success, which if successful, will soon lead to the adop- 

 tion of the plan last mentioned, as it will prove to the doubt- 

 ful that co-operation is feasible and has practicable merit. 

 This plan is suggested by the experience of some bee-keepers, 

 notably H. E. Wilder, of Riverside, who, two years ago, took 

 his large honey crop East and disposed of it at a good figure. 

 The plan is to send some man like Mr. Wilder, in whom the 

 bee-keepers have confidence. East with a carload of honey, to 

 be followed by other carloads as he gives orders. If desired, 

 this person could give bonds equal to one or two carloads of 

 honey, and he would remit as rapidly as sales were made. 

 Only those who had confidence in this scheme need join the en- 

 terprise, and if the success which is hoped attends the scheme, 

 others would join another year, and as nothing succeeds like 

 success, we might well hope and expect that this plan would 

 soon ripen into a honey exchange which would sweep into its 

 embrace all, or substantially all, the apiarists of Southern 

 California. It seems that this plan has much to recommend 

 it, and no insuperable difficulty in the way of its accomplish- 

 ment. It is to be hoped that this plan may be tried this sea- 

 son. There is no better place for it to materialize than in San 

 Bernardino, Riverside and Los Angeles counties, as in no sec- 

 tions of the world are there more enterprising intelligent api- 

 arists. In the hands of honest, pushing, wide-awake men, 

 such a scheme may do much to bring immediate benefit, and 

 be more fruitful of good in opening the door to the grand 

 scheme of co-operation that shall reach, with blessing, to all 

 the honey producers of Southern California. — September Rural 

 Californian. Claremont, Calif. 



Sweet Clover for Honey and Forage in Nebraska 



BY WM. STOLLEY. 



Frequent requests made in the columns of the American 

 Bee Journal, asking for more information about sweet or 

 melilot clover, are tlie incentives causing me to report my ex- 

 perience with this most excellent honey and forage plant. For 

 about 10 years I have grown it, partly for pasturage and 

 forage for cattle, but also for the purpose of providing for my 

 bees the required bee-pasturage. 



For years I have had from 4 to 10 acres growing with 

 melilot, and the public roads within about two miles of my 

 apiary are more or less occupied by it now. The result is a 

 remarkable one, considering that my location naturally is a 

 very poor one respecting lioney-production. From natural 

 bloom we have no surplus, except from the middle of August 

 until about the middle of September, and this surplus is dark 

 in color and rank in taste. What are the conditions now ? 

 Let us see : 



I began with 17 colonies last spring. On April 3 I found 

 12 colonies in first-class condition, 4 colonies were but me- 

 dium, and one colony was quite weak. October 15 my care- 

 fully kept record showed this : 



Best colony, 237 pounds of surplus extracted honey ; 

 weakest colony, 97. Total amount of extracted honey 

 secured, 2,980 pounds. Increase, 13 colonies. 



I had 8 natural swarms, of which 2 absconded. My aver- 

 age per colony is 175>|J pounds of honey. In light colored 

 honey I got about 2,000 pounds, and my fall honey is by no 

 means dark, for the reason that a large percentage of it is 

 sweet clover honey. 



I have also, to a great extent, requeened my apiary, so 

 that I have now 22 choice tested queen of 1895, and but 8 

 fine queens of 189-1. 



All my colonies were finished packed inside the hives on 

 Oct. 15, with plenty of natural stores (mostly white honey), 

 and will winter as usual on the summer stands, in a bee-shed 

 open to northeast, east and southeast. Now to return to 

 sweet clover. 



I will say further, that the hostility of some farmers 

 against sweet clover is abating. It has taken them years to 

 learn that sweet clover is one of our most valuable forage and 

 pasturage plants, but they are forced to "acknowledge the 



