1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE. 



55 



BBE-HUWTIN'G- IN THE SIERRA NEVA- 

 DA MOUNTAINS. 



A BEE-HPKT— CONCLUDED FROM LAST ISSUE. 



After dinner we started out again, bee-huntingr. 

 J had gone but a short distance when my attention 

 was attracted by some bees worliing on a singular- 

 ly beautiful flower of a deep flery-red color. I learn- 

 ed that this plant is what is known as a snow-plant, 

 a flower of surpassing and wondrous beauty. It 

 grows along the snow-line of the Sierra Nevada 

 Mountains, at an elevation of 6000 feet and upward, 

 where snow usually falls to a depth of from four to 

 six feet. The botanical name of this plant is Sarco- 

 des Sangui Ilea. 



After wending my way up Silver Fork Canyon, a 

 steep and precipitous water-course, I came across 

 several bees working on various wild flowers that I 

 was not acquainted with. After hunting quite a 

 while for the tree, and not flnding it, I returned to 

 camp. I found that the others had been unsuccess- 

 ful too, not flnding a single tree. 



The next morning we started out again, intend- 

 ing to go up to the head of the canyon. The scene- 

 ry along the canyon was grand beyond description. 

 The north sides were covered with a dense growth 

 of tall arrowy firs, sprucas, and tamaracks, their 

 countless spires rising one above the other in all 

 directions, while on the south side the country 

 was more open, being occupied with a growth of 

 flowery chaparal, manzanita, deerbrush, etc., 

 with here and there occasionally a sugar or yellow 

 pine. On the south side of the ridge we came upon 

 a large open tract of country, covered with the fra- 

 grant white-flowered folocio. Thousands of bees 

 were at work gathering honey and pollen, their 

 happy hum imparting cheerfulness to the wild 

 scene. This folocio grows in patches by the hun- 

 dreds of acres, forming a dense green carpet under 

 the yellow and sugar pines. We had no difficulty 

 in flnding several bee-courses. We found one hive 

 in a sugar pine, and another in a cedar. Being 

 satisfied with our afternoon's work we started for 

 camp. At the base of the mountain we came across 

 one of the old apiaries of R. Miles, who used to 

 keep 135 colonies in three dlfl:'erent apiaries. The 

 present owner does not know any thing about bees, 

 only about 30 colonies being left. The old empty 

 hives are scattered in all directions; some of the 

 benches are broken down and rotted off, tumbling 

 the bees to the ground. The present owner never 

 comes near, unless to take off some surplus honey. 

 None of the hives are protected from the weather. 

 Some, the tops are partly off; others, the sides 

 are warped out of shape, making a place for wind 

 and rain to beat in. At one time this was a well- 

 kept apiary, the hives standing on benches 60 or 70 

 yards in length. The hives were painted various 

 colors— red, blue, green, white, etc. The hives he 

 used were the Harbison and Quinby. Mr. R. Miles, 

 the bee-man, came to an untimely death. He got 

 lost in the snow, and was not found until two 

 months afterward. 



Arriving at the camp we made our usual arrange- 

 ments for passing the night. We kept up a large 

 Are, the mountain air being pretty cool. The scene 

 from our camps after night, was grand. On the op- 

 posite ridge the gigantic forest-trees stood out in 

 bold outline, and seemed to pierce the sky, while a 

 dripping spring below us made pleasant music 

 over the moss-covered rocks. Deep silence brood- 



ed over the mountains, broken occasionally by the 

 cry of some night-bird, and the night wind rustling 

 through the tall pines overhead. Presently a silver 

 arch rose over the horizon of the distant moun- 

 tains, and the moon in all her majesty rose in the 

 heavens, flooding the landscape with its silvery 

 light, and fringing the tops of the pines with a 

 frost-like drapery. At length we all dropped off to 

 sleep, and slept soundly until morning. Getting up 

 at our usual time, we soon had breakfast. After 

 breakfast we concluded we would cut all the bee- 

 trees we had found, instead of hunting any more, 

 as we did not have the necessary utensils for hold- 

 ing the honey. We spent three days in cutting the 

 trees. They averaged over 100 lbs. to the tree. 



The following week I returned and transferred 

 all the bees from the logs to frame hives. I man- 

 aged to save all but one colony— the queen being 

 killed, I suppose, by the fall of the tree. I moved 

 the bees to my mountain apiaries; and they all did 

 well. Bee-hunting is truly a fascinating pastime. 

 A well-known bee-writer has said, " It is the pas- 

 time of the few and the mystery of the many." In 

 bee-hunting you are continually learning some- 

 thing new. Truly the study of God's works is a 

 noble one. S. L. Watkins. 



Placerville, Cal., Dec. 27, 1889. 



CHRISTIAN SCIENCE, FAITH CURE, 

 ETC. 



SOME KIND WORDS IN REGARD TO IT. 



Friend Root:— I want to object, in a friendly 

 way, to your article in regard to " faith cure." I 

 have no doubt others will write you as I do, that 

 for once you have got matters decidedly mixed by 

 confounding Christian Science (so called) and heal- 

 ing in answer to the prayer of faith. I have no 

 more sympathy with the former than you have; 

 and if you meant to refer to that, your language is 

 mild enough; but don't confound the two. Be- 

 cause Warner's Safe Cure doesn't benefit you, don't 

 condemn all medicine, even if the family physician 

 prescribes it. 



It seems from your writing, that you must be- 

 lieve in an answer to the prayer of faith for heal- 

 ing. You speak of asking friends to pray for you, 

 if under great affliction. What is the use of pray- 

 ing, if favorable answer is impossible? But, to ans- 

 wer you in regard to the prayer of faith for heal- 

 ing: It is scriptural. See Mark 16: 17 and 18— " And 



these signs shall follow them that believe 



They shall lay their hands on the sick, and they 

 shall recover ; " also James .5: 1.5— "And the prayer 

 of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise 

 him up." Please note, there is no limitation of 

 time in regard to this; and these assurances are as 

 good as they were the day they were written. 



Again, there are to-day hundreds of people living 

 who have been cured in this way, but I have never 

 heard before of any pay being received. The most 

 noted advocate of "faith cure" in its right sense 

 in New England is Dr. Cullls, of Boston, who has 

 been the means in God's hands of doing untold 

 good in other ways. Dr. C. is a practicing physi- 

 cian, making a specialty of lung diseases, and able 

 to command a good large sum for his services; and 

 yet when a person wishes to claim, by faith, heal- 

 ing of disease, he always finds Dr. C. ready to claim 

 God's projnises; and while man j' have been curedi 



