Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-03-02
ABOUT BEES AND BEE KEEPERS.
A Paper read before the Bee Keepers.
Association at their meeting in Eos
Angeles or February goth. by the
President, Capt. j. 4. Gordon.


Angeles on February goth. by the
President, Capt. J. 4. Gordon.
What can be done to induce the
Bee men in our midst to join the Bee
Keepers Association of Los Angeles
County?
This is question more easily asked
than answered Why do not the fra
ternity more generally unite viii h our
Association ? / will not endorse the
reason assigned by an enthusiastic
member of the Association, who, more
facetious than profound, declared that
it was owing to the fact that muscle
preponderates over brains among
many Bee-men in Los Angeles Coun-
ty; and consequently they were inca
pable of appreciating the benefits to
be derived from an interchange of
ideas OH the interesting subject of Bee
keeping. An answer more in harmO-
ny with the intelligence of our COM
rades may be suggested. Compare
lively, but few of our Apiarians make
Bee Keeping speciality. A majority
OF those who keep bees make it a mere
incident to some other business. To
the degree that the main business
pursuit engrosses their attention. We
may assume as the measure of indif-
ference awarded to their ingenious
little iaborers. They are left unaided,
to labor in moth inviting box hives
with yawning rents through which
moth millers can pass dd libituDa,
even though they were as big as leath-
er-winged bats. This class of Bee
men may be found among merchants,
farmers, capitalists and lawyers. The
only attention given by such bee-men
to their uhtiring employees, is recog-
nized in the advent of some stalwart
knight of the chip, armed with ham,
mer and chisel, who rends assunder
the diiapidated tenement well stored
with sweets gathered from the innu-
merable and lovely flowers that adorn
our mountains, plains and valleys.
Thus the hive is robbed, involving,
percbaDce, the destruction of the en-
tire colony. The honey is sent to the
nearest store; any price that may be
offered is accepted and the proceeds
placed in the pocket. Then our
shrewd bee-man and brother congrat-
ulates himself with this solacing re-
fiection = So much clear again.
And he has made this clear gain with
out cost, either of time, labor or
thought 1t will doubtless demand
patient labor of love to win this class
of economical bee men into commun-
ion with our association. Yet, we
must not despair of them. Why should
every bee-man In our county join the
ee-Keepers' Association? Because it
is his interest to do so. Can that be
made manifest? Certainly! The honey
product is one of the leading indus
tries of the county. Like any other
leading industry, to render it the most
successful and prontaole IL is proper
that all interested, should aid in ele-
waiting and establishing its character.
This can only be done by associated
effort, and imparting each to the
other the benefit of his views and ex-
perience, and in return receiving the
benefit of their experience. 1t is not
good to be alone. In the multitude of
counselors there is wisdom. These
may be trite, yet they are true max
inns.
The efficacy of this law of the asso-
citation is illustrated by the patrons of
the various Industries that engage the
attention of men. We may observe it
in the Merchants Exchange, Chamber
of Commerce, Farmers Club, Mechan-
ic and Labor Unions and in the Stock
Exchange. If advantage results to
these several classes by oheir asso-
ciated counsels, may not our fraterni-
ty anticipate like beneficial results by
resorting to similar action? We may
learn much in this direction by study
ing the habits of colony of bees.
They seem to understand the value Of
working together 'In union there is
strength" Suppose each bee in a
colony were to undertake to play a
lone hand--what would the colony ac-
complish in isolated individual ef-
forts? Absolutely nothing. Though
by concerted action they can build
comb, gather honey, regulate temper
ature, protect themselves and take
care of their young. May not some of
our brother bee-keepers learn wisdom
from the example set them by their
bees?
If the members of the association
will persevere in their efforts, more
remunerative prices will be obtained
for their oney in future. They can
establish house of their own in Los
Angeles, and be better prepared to pay
a better price for small lots of honey
placed upon the market by the quasi
bee-keepers, / have been describing.
Better prices will, in time, quicken the
sensibilities of the most obtuse bee
keepers. If you fail to find the key to
his mental perceptions, you may, new
ertheless, captivate him by putting a
few more dollars in his pockets. If
each member of our association will
resolve himself into committee Of
one, and wait on his Aeighbor bee
man and try to impress upon him the
importance of united effort to advance
the interest of Bookkeeping in our
county, the result will, no doubt, be
satisfactory. IF our effort fails, try
again, and keep trying, whenever oc-
cason Offers and, rest assured that
every bee-man in the county, who
profess intelligence enough to assist
us in. our interesting labors, will be-
come member of the Bee Keepers
Association.
Those who lack capacity to appre-
eiate their own interest, can contrib
ute but little to the cause we are work.