The herald., 1895-02-07

multiplied 50 rapidly that the bee- mas
ter lost interest in saving all of his new
swarms, aud hundreds of them escaped
and In the wild state took possession OF
cans, hal!ew trees, and even holes in the
ground. To such an extent has the bee
multiplied and emigrated that it haze
taken possession of the entire atste, and
go whore YOU will in California
on the lofty mount ains; out
on the arid desert. or in
the denss foreste of redwood. Wherever
you find honey bearing flower opening
its petals to the morning sun, there
you will find the honey bee induntri-
ously seeking for the hidden drop of
nectar.
The profitable production of honey
commenced in the Santa Clara and the
Sacramento valleys in 1866. The pro-
duct OF the few hives sold for $3.50 and
81 per pound and colonies OF bees were
considered cheap at 500 each.
The rich soil of the Sacramento pro-
duCed the cages in abundance, and
hundreds OF other flowers aided to fill
out the season. Such fertile soil, how
ever, wss not to be LETT as nature planted
it simply for the honey bse, the jack
rabbit and the coyote. Seekers for gold
period did not ali find wealth in tha
mines, and these disappointed gold
hunters turned thsir attention to the
soil and its capabilities. The soil
responded molly to the plowings and
borrowings it received; sesd was planted
and the world has bean estonished at
ito productions. For hundreds OF years
it had been preparing for chance to
nd ikun1 20 h nk~l Il
it surpass all expectations. The owners
OF the soil, instead OF finding gold in
nuggets, found that by sort OF trans
mutation, after she harvest OF his pro.
ducts, he WAS in possession OF golden
coin.
The Sacramento and the surrounding
valleys soon became the wheat para
disc of the coast. and the land being
shorn of its wild flowers the bsemsster
with his hives had to seek pastures
new.
Mr.. HARRISON and his coworksrs
packed their hives and moved with
them to the far southern end OF the
state. In the osflons and little valleys
south of the Tshachepi they iancied
Themselves secure from molestation.
hundred acre5, as q certain writer
expresses it, would not support Texas
steer. but the little valleys and the hill
sides were covered with the cages and
would support profitably hundreds of
stands OF bees. The long dry season
and scarcity CT water prevented general
farming. This, said the enthusiastic
beskeeper. is indeed the paradise of the
honey bee--even greater than the Sacrss
msnto valley in its most palmy days.
and, best OF all, good to US for all time.
But listen In yonder mountain the
water comes rushing down the eeelteYed
canon, fed all the year round by springs
and melting anow it spreads out ON the
hot sands of the plsiua and disappears.
The unitarian steps in, looks at the
wasting waters, and q brilliant idea
takes possession OF HIS brain. and lie
revives the irrigation schemes of the
ancients. Another OF the cams clsss Of
men comes along, and looking over the
plains and fooshille finds here not even
running water. A brilliant idea striks
him. 81 will bore for it," GAYS he, and
behold the life-inspiring srtesian well +;
and dry, dusty, parched Southern Cali
fornis. under the happy combination
OF water and fertile soil. 10 made to
blossom like another Eden.
The growth of Southern California
since the inception OF the scheme OF
irrigation has been indeed marvellous.
and ths hundred acres that would not
support a lone Texas steer will now sus.
tain several Of them to the acre.
The beekeeper who has depended
upon the plains for his best honey pas
tursge bsholds his honey plants torn up
and burned, and the spot whereon his
miniature city was located becomes per-
haps an orange paradise.
Again he packs his beea for shipment
and moves farther into the rocky caflons,
and wonders. az he looks I'D to the huge
granite boulders above him. what schsms
OF land reclamation will again be sprung
upon him and his business.
find that California bsekeeping 80 an
industry can be divided into three
periods. ! have traced the industry in
the wild6owers and wild and isolated
locations. There has been no thought
on the part OF the beekeeper to improve
his psstursge. His little 10 acres or hi9
100 aorea, if all planted to honey pro-
ducing plants, would be only tri6ing
amount to what he should have.
After the first period, according to
natures way, there is q period of I'M
certainty, of moving bees, and in
many osees of giving up the business.
The third period, though it may not
bring such bountiful yields OF honey,
makes more of ssttlsd business of
honey production, and, am sure, bet
ter results in the end.
The beekeepera OF Inyo, Fresno, Tu-
lere, Kings and Kern counties. are now
entering into this third period. Willie
nearly all bsekeepers eouth of the les
hachepi mountains have for the past
year been feeding their bees or letting
them sterve, the bsskeepers in the FORE
going counties have been shipping honey
to the east by the carload.
Alfalfa is the leading plant from which
the honey is secured, and comb honey
almost exclusively ia the product. The
honey ia not water white, but as an of
set has very pleasant and distinctive
favor.
1t also has the exoellsnt quality OF
yielding honey every year. And the
question presents itself here, will not a
fairly uniform yield every year reault az
we'll, If not better than an immense
yield one year in five while the other
four years run the course OF good, bad,
Indifferent and nothing2
Another charming quality about the
honey business in the alfalfa districts is
that it is business that lasts all the year
round, Honey production runs we'll
along into the fsli months. Combs were
being drawn out and honey stored ia
the apiaries around Selma in Novemb bar.
Going further north, ! have found in