The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-10-14
SWEETS BY THE CAR LOAD.
THO HrNDRED THOUsASD PoCNDs
or CALII'ORNIA HONEY.
where Vnsf Territory. Hitherto Almost
worthless. has heen MADE W ost Valuable
-Dimculties Overcome I'm Bee Culture.


Mr.. j. 8. HARRISON. Of san Diego county,
california, arrived In this city Yesterday with
ten car loads of honey. each car containing
20o00 pounds. This vast aggregation q bee Iabor
was taken from Mr. Harbisons six ariaries on
the sides Of the coast range Of mountains rs
near 10 the Mexican line as they well can be and
yet claim the protection Of the stars and stripes.
twenty-five years ago Mr.. HARRISON made O stir
In the bee world BY selling nt one time two thou
sand pounds of honey. the product Of his apiary,
near New Castle. PenDsy lvania. SO much honey
had never before been raised by sinale pro-
ducer. and the sale led hundreds OF staid farm
ers 10 embark in what looked like a most
profitable field Of industry. The result was not
hatttfing. short seasons and limited bee pastur-
age forbade profitable bee culture. Oid-fash-
Toned hives were then the onlv kind known,
The modern m ans of robbing bees without kill
lug them bad not then been thought o.
Having invented a hive that enabled the cul.
turist 10 obtain successive crors Of IA ney from
the same colony Of bees, Mr. HARRISON began TO
look Tor region that would supply the food for
the bees. He searched for this In the equable
climate Of the Pacific coast and found It in
narrow strip OF country in the extreme SOUTH
western corner Of the United states, now known
"a the bee belt Of California. Sheep raising was
the only industry Of the natives found by Mr.
Hmbson when he first visited the country The
country inl nd was thought good enough for
sheep pasturng. but no one dreamed that the
soil could he made to produce grain In rayiDg
quantities. Timber was confined to the bottoms
u running streams aui 20 the cnn ons. the val.
lyys nd niiisiies being covered with 4 growth
81 stunied brdshwood from which sprang A lux
uriant growth Of white sage. sumac, and other
n,"eiins shrehs, which bloom ,heFo nine
Mr. HMbis ms first apiary was started on n
mountain SIDE. twenty miles easy Of san Diego.
q bees, bur these Were reduced to sixty-iwo rs
sas4alties' From hem lac how tx ari ries.
meu constantly, and Is reapiug ricn profits from
many thousands 4 acres that must otlerwlse
rye oerh s"Fren waste. IL soon had many
NM tois sl4 COW not less tnan three hundred
Ier,ons are aki"s honey aion. The Bee Belt
l,,a,,1b, 81 t1e h9n,e,y end hive Of bees.
on eNhlei.ion IN II. X. Inurber X Co.'S ware
The California bee season. Mr.. Vartison s,vs.
hosins ~ Feb. l. In March or Arri the bees
8 warm. nid the bee cuturst mas lively times
%, VIZ 20. YARNS; ih- science has become
within day or TWO when given hive may he
eNlected 20 swarm. and as the young bees
al .east once bog fpre selecting their new quarters
= swarm I, -ei4om lost. The doweis are al
ana june. and The ta Iius'" Of HONEY On Nay
begun Usually about NAV ~. ard the hoes
re 6eit 90 work US long as tie flowers last
h.i ease - bloom IN sufficient quantity to
IN re than sUhsist the bees IN q e early u RI ~
tWLW-i' tht tue little workers are able to md
enough TO- 1--we on without consuming their
stores a. late a. October. II Will thus lie seen
inlt the harvest time l. never longer than three
months. and j. often much less. After October
heglns' although the AIR s still ~ lid and sprirc-
lNe the bees cease to work. and retire into "A
semi-dormant condition. once every eight or
zen day. COLONY vii! turn OUT at midday and
ny around Tor an hour or two In the sunshine
Out they never hy far from tue hive aud are
never seen al work.
Tue food Of the bees In the bee belt ia cener-
ally the Hover Of the white sage. a plant TINT
closely resembles the garden sage. This l. NOT
- PC conI Anded with the sage brush Of Nevada
ana ttah. which Is OF the wormwood species
and has the family bitterness. Next 10 tie SAGE
N importance a. bee fOon Is the sumac, a shrub
thnt grows in California without poisonous
quality. ln fact. there Is no poisonous fewer
lug PLAN in the bee range. and the honey has |
none on the cohcky qualities that make Eastern |
crown, money Objectionable. The honey IL
GRADED oy the culturist according 70 the plant |
from which II IL derived That made from sage !
llWer-' pelns c!e@rest and most aromatic, Is |
Mr. HARRISON saws that notwithstanding the |
great crop IN I he has brought 20 tits market, |
he VIII probably not realize m re than sltarlaf- |
.tf leuuclns eNprnse- and interest ON capital. |
IL nae 10 DIX his nee ranch ont Of the wilder |
~ :. me roads thereto over rocky mountain |
y 1es ana deep can rs. were Quilt 10 heavy cost
ne cont nnous labor Of fifteen men l. needed |
10 the care u propas ton and harry ting Tho |
pies nave All 10 lt Transported from san \ 90 |
lorty niles from his most remote uiialS. IL |
costs A. rui FOUR cents, Ia, to freight pOfrl |
VI honey by wa'ert san Francisco ana Is raj |
10 New York. Taking into consideration lie |
ON al s~lOu- ana 'urrencV values realized here