1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



445 



Jack, our dog, espied her too. 



And then commenced the row. 

 Upon her neck a bell was tied 



With heavy leathern thong; 

 And how till' bell did jingle, whingle. 



While she sped fast along. 

 Dog and sow, with headlong le;ips. 



Kicked up a blinding dust; 

 She, intent upon her sty. 



She meant to reach or bust. 

 It was no use for Wilder 'n' I 



To swing our arras and yell; 

 In sad confusion, out of sight 



Went sow, dog, dust, yelps, grunts. 

 And jangling bell. 



In the northern portion of Mendocino Co. our 

 surroundings began to change. We left the 

 railroad away back in Ukiah, and the only 

 route now to follow is the stage-road into Hum- 

 boldt Co. About every 35 miles are located 

 stations, and now and then a small town. The 

 intervening space is an unbroken wilderness. 

 The trees that had been familiar to us began to 

 disappear, and the redwood, the northern fir, 

 the madrone, and the beautiful California bay- 

 tree, or laurel, were abundant. The latter is a 

 rich honey-producer in its season of bloom. 



Our roads, instead of following up one canyon 

 and down another, now sought the highest 

 ridge, and we followed its contour for several 

 days. The highest point to which our road 

 conducted us was at the Bell Springs ranch, 

 about 4000 feet above sea-level. We had a 

 splendid atmosphere which visibly affected our 

 spirits for happy effects. Grand panoramas of 

 mountain beyond mountain, away to the north; 

 black volumes of smoke rising from forest-fires; 

 now the scene shifts, and we plunge through a 

 narrow wooded defile; now out upon a mere 

 niche for a road upon the mountain-side. Here 

 were evidences that the road had been taken 

 out by a slide, and dumped into the gorge be- 

 low. The road, now mended with logs, was 

 liable to go out again during the rainy season. 

 It was in this region that we could indulge, 

 under the inspiration of Mr. Pryal, in those big 

 camp-fires; two or three fair-sized logs, then 

 smaller limbs, sent the flames and the sparks 

 heavenward in a grand pyrotechnic display. 

 Cornfields were not abundant; but when we 

 did find one it had to pay tribute in roasting- 

 ears; and here we were delighted to initiate 

 our city friend into the beautiful rural practice 

 of roasting and then eating the delicious green 

 corn. With a rise in oitr spirits, etc., there was 

 also a rise in the price of provisions. Bread, 2.5 

 cts. per loaf; hay, 35 cts. per sack. As we had 

 to buy hay for long distances, it was necessary 

 to load several sacks. Susan B. and the cart 

 were loaded to their full capacity, and Mr. 

 Pryal's attitude at such times was so striking 

 that I greatly feared for his decorous bachelor 

 appearance. Wilder took turns with him, how- 

 ever, in hugging the delusion. See sketch. 



At Bell's Springs we were directed to a good 



camping-place a few miles ahead, where there 

 was plenty of water; but by some hook or 

 crook the signs were not strong enough, and we 

 missed it. We made a long drive in a vain en- 

 deavor to find water, and finally darkness 

 compelled us to camp. Having a merciful feel- 

 ing for our horses and dog, we broke camp al- 

 most before the gray of dawn appeared, and 

 resolved to find water, even before we ate our 

 breakfast. We were now in an abundant deer 

 country; and as this was the hour for them to 

 feed, our guns were loaded, and Wilder sat with 

 rifle in hand, and expectant eye. His face 

 would have a sort of lemonade-withoutsugar 

 appearance whenever Susan B.'s whinnies 

 would reverberate through the forest; but in 

 spite of the noise, when we made a sudden turn 

 through a wooded gorge, hurrah! three deer- 

 noble deer, with antlers long, and nimble feet, 

 went bounding one after the other across the 

 road and into the bushes. I brought the horses 

 to a sudden stop, and crack! went the rifle. 

 "Whoa, Reina! whoa, Keno!" The rifle went 

 into the bushes with Wilder behind it. Soon 

 another shot, and ive had the deer. Pryal and 

 Susan B. came up, and we all lugged the deer 

 into the road and upon the cart, and again 

 proceeded upon our journey. We could have 

 shot every deer, but we wanted only one for our 

 daily needs, and^a shooting of more would be 

 merely wanton sport. We soon found a resi- 

 dence and a spring, where lived our friend the 

 blacksmith. We dressed our deer, watered our 

 animals, cooked our breakfast, and, without 

 further rest, prepared for the continuation of 

 our journey. 



ANSWERS TO 



Seasonable QiJESTittl 



B Y G. M.DOOLITTLE.BORODINO.N.Y. 



■■''"" iinriiiiuo.iPnyiiiiiiMMiin'iiii i ^ 



HIVING SWARMS IN HIVES HAVING PART 



FRAMES WITH STARTERS AND PART FRAMES 



FILLED AVITII COMBS OF BROOD, 



HONEY, AND POLLEN. 



Question. — In hiving swarms on frames con- 

 taining narrow starters, how would it work, by 

 way of contracting the brood-chamber, so to 

 speak, to put in two or three frames of honey, 

 bee-bread, and sealed brood, placing such 

 frames on the sides of the hive, instead of using 

 division-boards? This would save the trouble 

 of looking over the hives and taking out the 

 division-boards later on, and give the bees a 

 start at housekeeping. 



Answer.— There are three things against 

 such a mode of procedure, the first of which is, 

 that the bees would be likely.to fill those combs 

 with honey as soon as the brood hatched out, 

 thus giving the three combs'solid with honey, 

 instead of having that muchahoney in the sec- 

 tions, this thwarting the only purpose of con- 

 traction, which is to secure the first and best 



