The herald., 1897-09-02
Bee Culture in California


There is no doubt but that California
occupies first place In all the world as
q beekeeping state. In most parts of the
world it Is considered that 100 colonies
SOf bees are all that can possibly be kept
in one place at profit. If more are
kept the place is said to be overstocked.
In California 600 and even more are kept
in one apiary, and yet an average of
honey production is secured that would
be considered phenomenal even in small
tapiaries In the east or other sec
tions of the world. The past year and
two years ago there was secured in large
apiaries-apiaries of from 800 to 900 col
ories Of bees-an average of from one
to two hundred pounds of honey per COL
ony. Such yield in the east from an
apiary Of 100 colonies would be heralded
abroad as a tremendous success.
QUALITY OF HONEY
The early honey comes from fruit
blooms, especially the orange, and from
white and ball sage. The honey from
these sources is of very superior quail
ity. The honey from linden or bass
wood east, or from white clover, is no
whit better than the excellent sage hon.
ey. Indeed, there can be no better honey
than that secured in our own orchards,
on our own mesas or in our own car
yons. The buckwheat honey, secured
from wild buckwheat, is also of excel
lent flavor but not 80 light in color. 1t
Is amber and so must go as second
grade.
WHY THE LARGE CROP
suppose the amount of nectar in each
blossom in the sage is very great. The
same is true of the Eastwood bloom
east. But the real reason doubtless rests
with the fact of the long bloom of our
bee plants. Citrus trees are always in
bloom. The sages are in bloom for
months. while the wild buckwheat COM
mences to bloom in June or even in May
and is still attracting sweet-loving in
sects when the frosts come in December
and January.
THE ONE DRAWBACK
There is only one thing that can be
considered to discount California as
beekeeping state. There are certain
years of drouth when the rainfall is
below twelve or fifteen inches, that the
plants do not secure enough water to
yield nectar, and the beekeeper gets no
honey. at all. Indeed. if he were not
provident the year before, and kept not
an extra supply of honey and does not
feed, his bees will starve, as many do in
all the years of excessive drouth, like
1894 and 1896. These years. however i'll
the past, have only occurred about once
in three years on the average, and so
even with tllem California is still away
in the lead.
ALFALFA HONEY
Even in years OF drouth, in case alfalfa
is grown and irrigated there still may be
secured good crop of very excellent
honey. At Fresno, in the dry years Of
1894 and 1896, good crops of alfalfa honey
were secured In many other regions
bees could be moved to places where al
falfa was raised, and thus enough honey
secured at least to keep the bees from
starvation.
A WELCOME FACT
In the east no one can know that fail
ure Is to come in the honey crop until
1t comes. Thus all expense Of buying
supplies Is suffered and the beekeeper
can arrange no other business in ad-
vance. In California by early spring the
beekeeper will know whether the neces-
sary rainfall is here, and surely as to
honey prospects. Thus he may avoid
purchasing supplies and at the very
dawn Of the season will know that the
bee business will not require his time
and energies. and can provide other
means to occupy his time and gain a
livelihood. Thus, we reiterate, Califor-
mia is in the very lead of beekeeping
states. There is no other the world over
that is comparable with it.