260 



gleanijngs in bee culture. 



Al>R. 1. 



falfa; and wherever that is grown, we find the 

 thriving bee-keeper; and I am not sure but 

 some portions of Solano County already enjoy 

 the benefits derived from the growth of alfalfa. 

 The hoarse croak of the frog, and the high- 

 keyed note of the mosquito, must give way to 



" SANTA MAKIA ! DYNAMITO 1 " 



the more industrious civilized hum of the 

 honey-bee. It has been said, that the planting 

 of eucalyptus-trees will banish mosquitos from 

 a locality; but here we saw clouds of them 

 while passing through avenues of gum-trees. 

 Perhaps the avenues were not plentiful enough, 

 or enough trees in the avenues. This being 

 near the breeding-grounds of the insects it 

 would probably require a tree to every sciuare 

 rod; and in case they were EucalypUis lomji- 

 folia, here would be another source of honey 

 for the bees. 



Whether it was mosquitos behind our horses, 

 the untiring efl'ortsof Jack to circle around our 

 outfit, or our desire to get our mail, or a little 

 of all three, we made a long drive that day: 

 and in the early evening we dropped into the 

 city of Napa. We were directed to a fine camp- 

 ing-place in the shade of some trees, and in 

 that portion of the city known as Spanishtown. 

 We were congratulating ourselves upon the 

 shady situation, and had scarcely begun to 

 erect our tent, when a woman with a very 

 shady complexion, very large (I judge she 

 weighed 300 lbs.), fat and greasy (you know 

 these Spanish Mexicans are sometimes called 

 greasers) appeared. Her first salutation was, 

 " Why, what a pooty tent you have ! Ble've 

 I'll come and sleep in it to-night." Bro. Wilder 

 dropped a tent-pin he was just going to drive, 

 and I dropped a corner of the tent I was hold- 

 ing. Bro. Wilder recovered in a minute, and 

 whacked away at the tent-pins again; and, not 

 knowing what else to do, I took out my Water- 



bury watch and commenced to wind, wind, 

 wind. The shady fat woman had a look of curi- 

 osity at first; but wind, wind, wind; then a 

 troubled expression of her swarthy features. 

 Wind, wind, wind, and a step toward her, and 

 she took alarm and shouted, "Santa Maria I 

 dynamite I" and fled. No, she was loo fat to 

 flee; she got to her little cabin. She evidently 

 thought I was fixing an infernal machine to 

 throw at her. 



We were soon after accosted by another Span- 

 ish woman, from another cabin. She was quite 

 voluble of speech, and invited us to " beber vi- 

 no" (drink wine) with her. 



" No, sefiora," said I. " No necesitamos vino. 

 Bebemos agua " (no. marm, we don't need wine; 

 we drink water). We were thankful at last to 

 be left in peaceful possession of our camp. We 

 tied Jack in front of the tent, and, with my 

 good Waterbury watch close at hand, we felt 

 perfectly safe among the shady greasers. 



We found in the morning, however, that 

 these people were not all greasers. We could 

 find no wood in the morning with which to pre- 

 pare our breakfast. I entered one of the cab- 

 ins to purchase a few sticks. The head of the 

 house said I could have some; and after select- 

 ing four or five billets I asked him how much. 



"don't you know I AM A MISSOUKIAN?" 



"Oh ! go along," said he. "We are Missou- 

 rians; and don't yer know that, wherever you 

 find a Missourian's home, you must walk right 

 into the house and help yourself?" 



