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THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Bee. 12, 



selected, stated his plans. The method seemed very good, but 

 did not seem broad enough to satisfy the members of the State 

 Association, and after a full discussion a committee of five 

 was appointed lo draw up future plans. 



In their report they recommended plans similar to those 

 adopted by the citrus fruit producers. This report was unani- 

 mously adopted, and it was voted to work under the name of 

 The California Honey Exchange. The same committee 

 was re-appointed to work for the perfection of the new organi- 

 zation. 



PLANTS FOR HONEY. 



This vital question being disposed of for the present, Prof. 

 Cook introduced the subject of "Plants for Honey." The 

 gum-tree, or eucalyptus, produces much honey, and Mr. Ab- 

 bott Kinney, an expert, gave an interesting talk upon the 

 various species. There are 150 varieties of this tree. Sev- 

 eral species are especially rich in nectar, and the bloom opens 

 all the way from October to March, and at a time in the year 

 when bees get but little honey from other sources. The spe- 

 cies, Robusta, Ficifola and Eugensitas, are especially rich in 

 nectar. 



The pepper tree came in for unfavorable comment, for it 

 is claimed that the tree gives a dark, peppery-flavored honey. 

 The fact was brought out that the bee works upon the berry 

 as well as the blossom. 



Alfalfa was highly recommended as a great addition to our 

 honey-flora, but ranchers have a pernicious way of mowing it 

 just as it is coming into bloom. The only way to receive 

 benefit from it is a greater acreage and a dairying community. 



Mr. J. S. Harbison— the father of California bee-keeping — 

 sent an essay, which advocated independent action in the 

 marketing of honey, and through co-operative plans. Mr. 

 Harbison thinks that the industry has been reduced fully 75 

 per cent, within the past 15 years, owing to the clearing up 

 of lands for settlement, low prices, and excessive freight-rates. 

 But he thinks by united action it can be restored ; and in re- 

 lation to our honey he uses these words : 



" It is safe to say that no product of soil or water, whether 

 flsh, flesh or foul, or that of fruits in all the varied forms in 

 which they are marketed, is sold at so low a price relatively 

 to excellence as is that of our high rjrades of California honey?" 



Mr. Harbison holds that our water-white honey — the pro- 

 duct of the different varieties of sages — has no superior in any 

 country, and should sell for full 50 percent, more than it has 

 for the past few years. 



The new bee-disease— paralysis — and foul brood were dis- 

 cussed. The new disease seemed to be more prevalent near 

 the coast than in the interior. 



Among the several resolutions introduced was one of 

 sympathy with the bereaved family of the Rev. L. L. Lang- 

 stroth ; and another to the effect that California bee-keepers 

 were in accord with any movement that might be inaugurated 

 for the placing of a suitable monument over the last resting- 

 place of Mr. Langstroth. 



The election of officers resulted as follows : Prof. Cook, 

 re-elected President; J. H. Martin, Secretary; H. E. Wilder, 

 Treasurer ; and Vice-Presidents were elected for the six south- 

 ern counties. 



The convention then adjourned. 



Bloomiugton, Calif. J. H. Martin, Sec. 



P. S. — The Secretary wishes to add to this report that it 

 will be to the interest of every reader of the American Bee 

 Journal in California, who does not receive our annual notices, 

 to send to me his or her address, with the addresses of neigh- 

 boring bee-keepers. I wish to keep every bee-keeper on this 

 Coast posted in relation to the "California Honey Exchange." 



To our surprise, Mr. Jacob Alpaugh, of Ontario, Canada, 

 came into our meeting, followed by his whole family. 



Mr. Gemmill next. 



The committee upon organization expect it will take some 

 time to organize, but they are in it to stay until success is 

 assured. J. H. M. 



Earn Your Own Subscription.— Any present 

 subscriber can earn his or her own subscription to the Ameri- 

 can Bee Journal for one year by sending three new subscribers, 

 with $3.00. A copy of " Bees and Honey " will also be mailed 

 to each new subscriber, and the Bee Journal will be sent to 

 the new readers from the time the order is received up to the 

 end of 1896. This is an easy way to earn your own subscrip- 

 tion and at the same time help to circulate the Bee Journal. 

 Remember, getting 3 new subscribers pays for your own sub- 

 scription for 1 year ! Of course, no other premiumawill be 

 sent in addition. This is a straight offer by itself. 



Soui1r)€rr) Departr9et;)t> 



CONDUCTED BY 



DR. J. P. II. BTtOWJ^, AUGUSTA, GA. 



[Please send all questions relating to bee-keeping In the South direct 

 to Dr. Brown, and he will answer in this department. — Ed.] 



The Cotton-Bloom a Non-Producer of Honey. 



Dr. Brown: — Mr. J. J. Keith has shown me a communi- 

 cation to you, in which he expresses the opinion that the cot- 

 ton-plant is not a honey-producer ; and also several other let- 

 ters, all of whom, I think, hold a different opinion. He seems 

 to be getting lonely, and wants some one to keep him com- 

 pany, and at his suggestion I write to say that I agree with 

 him entirely, so far as this section of country is concerned. 

 I can't, of course, say what may or may not be the case else- 

 where. 



Cotton is the chief product here. Within a radius of three 

 miles (which we are told is within the limit of a bee's flight) 

 there are many hundreds of acres of land planted in cotton 

 every year. Cotton begins to bloom here about the middle of 

 June, and blooms continuously, unless checked by a drouth, 

 until the first killing frost, which is usually about the end of 

 October. I have been keeping bees for over 20 years, and in 

 all those years I do not think I have ever taken a pound of 

 surplus honey after the middle of June, and I would certainly 

 have taken it if there had been any. 



Bees will gather honey wherever it is to be found, and if 

 cotton blooms, or any part of the cotton-plant afforded it, they 

 would certainly lay up abundant stores during the months of 

 June, July, August and September, but in my experience they 

 do not ; and Mr. Keith tells me his experience is the same. 



Louisville, Ga. M. H. Hopkins. 



Hard Year — Criin§on Clover. 



Dr. Brown : — I have been in the bee-business for some 

 time. 1895 has been the hardest year for me — about six 

 pounds per colony covers my crop. 



I see crimson clover spoken of for its value as a honey- 

 plant. I wish to know where I can buy the seed. 



Cedar Creek, Tex. T. V. Dickson. 



Answer. — Crimson clover seed is for sale by all first-class 

 seedsmen. It would be to the interest of those having the 

 seed for sale to advertise in the American Bee Journal. 



A Texas Report — Cotton-Bloom. 



Dr. Brown : — This is my second year with bees. They 

 have stored only about 10 pounds of surplus honey this year 

 per colony. I have 23 colonies of hybrids and blacks in mov- 

 able-frame hives. I make my own hives and supplies, except 

 sections. I have made some effort to Italianize my apiary, 

 but owing to so many native bees in the neighborhood, I failed 

 to get my queens purely mated. 



We have had four light flows of honey this year, which 

 kept the bees up all right. First, the fruit-bloom started 

 them off nicely. Second, a honey-dew that they gathered 

 some surplus from— a dark honey and sugar. Third, the lin- 

 den, which the bees could not gather much from, owing to a 

 continued rain all through the flow. Now they are gathering 

 bitter honey, as they did last fall, from the bitterweeds. 



One might think from the article on page 713, tha,t cot- 

 ton yielded a good honey-flow every year all over this State ; 

 but not a pound have I gotten in two years, while in this same 

 county (Van Zandt), twenty-five miles west, my neighbor's 

 bees got rich from it. Why doesn't cotton yield honey every- 

 where alike? S. P. Brewer. 



Edom, Tex., Nov. 14. 



Answer.— In answer to your question, "Why don't cot- 

 ton yield honey everywhere alike?" I may ask, why are not the 

 crops of cotton, corn, oats, potatoes, etc., alike in all parts of 

 the same county ? It is not alike, for the soil, amount of rain- 

 fall, and atmospheric and electrical conditions are not alike. 



Every Present Sutiscriber of the Bee Journal 

 should be an agent for it, and get all others possible to sub- 

 scriteforit. See offers on page 801. 



