Technical World Magazine

A SOU'JHKKX CALIFORNIA APIARV DURING THE WINTER MONTH-
This is thr seas-oii when vot'ctation is at its best.
A
WINTER RESORT FOR BEES
By
C. L. ED HOLM
order to escape the severe winters
of Utah, three carloads of bees were
INshipped to southern CaHfornia last
December to enjoy the mild climate
of San Bernardino. This orig'inal
ex]K'rimcnt was carried out by N. E.
^Filler and J. T. Hale, ;L^oiny^ on the
theory that the bees would not onl}- avoid
the severe weather of their native State,
but that the size of the traveling- apiary
would be doubled.
County Bee Inspector i\. W. I krron
reports as follows : "This end of the
deal has been a great success .so far, as
lilt-re is no place in the United States
that can beat it for early breeding of
bees."
The road u.sed for the purpose suffered
in a severe washout last winter and was
long in being placed in commission.
This was an nnforesec-n catastrophe
which (h'niini>lK'(l the ])rolils of the vcn-
ture, as after two carloads had been
sent through by the Salt Lake route the
third car was stranded in about two feet
of snow on the wrong side of the break
and consequently had to be sent around
by the L'nion Pacific at a cost of over
$500 for the car. B.esides this, the three
weeks' delay and the had \veather cit
route had resulted in the loss of many
bees, in s])ite of these drawbacks the
experiments may be called a success and
the enterj^rising apiarists are ])repare(l
to repeat the excursion every year.
Under ordinars' conditions the cost of
sliij)nient is about .$187 i)er carload of
four hundred stands, and by winteringin
California and returning in the spring
to the honey fields of Southern Utah
which are exceedingly productive in bee
feed, the expense will be more than covere(l.
"i'lnis the bees are kept busy the
war round.
S/S