The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-02-06

tnat were pArHtyZeu IN Qrv 0ltuatiOu.
Captain Wood said black, or native.
bees were never Affected. but his blooded
Italian bees suffered fromit.
Mr.. Touchton gave lesson in prac-
ticsl beekesping by displaying patent
hive and it's methods of manipulation.
At the evening session President Cook
delivered his annual address. and Secre-
tery Martin read an interesting paper
on California Bsekeeping. giving his
tory OF the industry in the state from its
inception in 1858 to the present time.
PROFESSOR COOKS Address.
Mr.. President and Gentlemen:
Last year addressed you as one new
to this region and its resources, and
presented California agriculture as it APP
peared to my unpreiudiced eyes. l am
yet young among you, but have now
some observation and some knowledge
of my own, and though my outlook has
been upon one of the most Encouraging
seasons ever known to our region, yet l
am more sanguine regarding the grand
future OF the beeseeping industry OF
California than 1 was one year ago.
From q. careful investigation OF the
records. l believe we can count on q
honey harvest of unrivsled proportions
for at least three years out OF five; that
we can safely reckon on good profit
two years out OF three, and ii our man
agement be wise we need never be un-
der the necessity OF feeding our beas.
If the past year is a criterion, our bees
can fly every month OF the year. and
gather honey eveu in the months Of Mo-
vembsr, December, January and Feb
ruary. Thus the problem OF safe win
tering ia solved for US by our marvellous
climate. Warm sunshine and nectar
laden bloom come with as much salu-
brity to the bees az to the people, and
are proving of signal service in giving to
our favored region q reputation that
must soon crowd our beautiful valleys
with the best citizens of our country.
Certainly. il we except Florida. no part
Of our country offers 90 much to en- tice
the ambitious beekeeper as does our
sunny south land OF the Golden state.
believe l have proved the past year
that bees are sine qua non to SUCCESS
full fruit culture. Southern California Is
ever to be the pomologist's paradise. As
soon, then, "a our pomologists know the
real truth they will court the presence
OF the apiarist. Already find the fruit
growers ready to acknowledge that bees
are a requisite to their best success.
Thus California, more than any other
state in our country. needs, and must
have, bees. This fact will give added
glory to our pursuit.
The only two drawbacks to positive
sucress on the part of the cautious and
intelligent apiarist, as it seems to me,
are the two diseases. foul brood and
bee paralysis. These are no worse in
NJ
lieve we have intelligence among our
bee keepers that Is unsurpassed in any
region in the world, we need feel no &C.
rious apprehension or alarm because OF
these diseases. Disease finds its greatest
foes in culture and intelligence, and SO
these two microbe maladiee must suffer
a fit ul and precarious existence among
US. The third disease, "Nsw bee dis
ease" that invaded our apiaries last
season, destroying the brood, if it were
not caused by insufficient honey to feed
the brood. readily succumbsd to feeding.
and SO need give us no unessiness. We
msy then, brother beekeepsrs, heartily
felicitate each other on our location, no
Oless than in our business. We are also
to be congratulated in the fact that we
know in advance what our prospects for
the season are, and 80 plan that our
cloth and garment shall harmonic. The
present winter OF abundant rains in
sures crop this coming season. We
know that we shall have the nectar Sc
creting bloom, go that our supsrs will
fairly bulge with the rich harvests of
delicious honey. In the east no one can
prejudge the season, and so every bee
keeper must provide full equipment #
supplies, " hioh he may not need for one,
two and, in rare cases, even three years.
Last winter we knew from the scant
rainfall no harvest was to be gathered
We therefore lessened our embarrass-
ment by curtailing our expenses and re-
duced our loss to the minimum. We
rejoice then that we are in the region of
larger harvests and of fewer failures. and
where failures give long notice Of in
tended visits.
But there is one serious obstacle, but
hope not an irremsdial one, to the
best success in California agriculture.
The profits are so large, the required at
tention so slight, the necessary capita
and risks so insignificant. that many
people with little knowledge and no en-
thusiaam, secure bees, locate them in
some region of safe or other
bloom and give them no tention, ex-
cept for a brief season just in the time
OF the honey harvest. In many cases,
as positively know, bees are not even
visited for months. and in case of q
drouth like that OF last season, over a
year passes by without single exsmin-
alton being made. OF course such neg
leot breeds danger. Foul brood NAV
run riot. as it frequently does. and so
the entire bes industry of the region be-
come imperiled. Is this right or just?
L. not any beekeeper rightly denomi-
mated nuisance who giyss his bees no
care or attention except for a few days
each season? know of apiaries rotten
with foul brood that were left With no
care or examination all last season
juat the season for robbing and the
spread OF the malady. One owner sent
person OF no bee knowledge or expert
ence to eQuslize stores in ths autumn.
Combs nearly empty Of honey were re-
examined come OF these combs and
found them reeking with foul brood. A
most desirable reformation then in our
California apiculturs, as l believe. is
that the unqualified and indifferent bee
keepers be weeded out OF the brother
hood, and that every apisry shall have
a bee master, as they call him in Eu-
rope. who shall DO constantly in commu-
nunication with his myriad of servants.
Doubtless this lie beyond tho pals OF
legislation, but sincerely wish we had
some law. moral or civil, that would
require every apiarist to live az OF near
IN. haa N,1 os,1 has hn Oh. -