1902 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



643 



NOTES OF TRAVEL 



More Snap Shots at the Rambler ; J. H. Martin at 

 Home ; Something about the Possibilities of Rais° 

 ing Wheat in California ; the Enormous Fertility of 

 the Soil for Growing Alfalfa ; Wheat-raising of 

 the East Compared with that of the West ; a few 

 Figures. 



BY E. K. ROOT. 



In our last issue I omitted to give you a 

 view of that beautiful tig--tree under which 

 was placed Rambler's diuing--table, and 

 where we ate the Rambler flapjacks. A 

 neig-hbor's boy happened to come along-, 

 and at my request he pressed the button on 

 my little camera while we sat eating. 



J. C. McCubbin appears in the rear with 

 a tin cup which he is putting to his mouth. 

 The redoubtable Rambler sits on a hive-su- 

 per having perforated zinc tacked on the 



ture of himself. It was all right for him to 

 go around and snap his camera at other 

 people; but when another "kodak fiend" 

 put in an appearance to shoot him, it was 

 another matter. 



The next three views show him as I was 

 able to catch him. The large figure repre- 

 sents him just as he was coming out of his 

 extracting- house, for I stood off at one side 

 with my "gun," and waited to see him 

 come out in order that I might shoot before 

 he could stop me. The next view shows 

 him just as I came up to him from behind; 

 and, knowing that the "fiend" was close 

 on his track, he quickly whirled and put 

 his hands up to his face, remarking, "Oh! 

 no, you don't." But I did. 



The last shot shows him in his character- 

 istic attitude humped over his bicycle. Mr. 

 McCubbin, myself, and the two boys were 

 following after with the family horse. I 



rambler's dining-room and work-shop. 



bottom. Your humble servant was given 

 the seat of honor in the form of a rocking- 

 chair with a cushion. Just beyond my 

 right sit the two little McCubbin boys. It 

 was a gloriously hot day, and the friendly 

 shade of the magnificent tree was most 

 grateful; and I did not at all wonder that 

 the Rambler found it agreeable to put his 

 dining-table under its benign protection. 



Then back of us stands an ordinary 

 work-bench. On it are edged tools of va- 

 rious kinds. During this time of the year 

 it is never necessary to put such things un- 

 der cover, as it does not rain; so the Ram- 

 bler could eat his meals and make up many 

 a little fixing or convenience for the apiary 

 right outdoors, but under the shade of this 

 beautiful tree. 



I have already stated that the Rambler 

 made some protest about my taking a pic- 



quietly suggested to Mr. McCubbin that he 

 " whip up " and let me g^et along in range 

 so that I could snap the kodak on the Ram- 

 bler on one of his genuine rambles, and the 

 result is before you. 



Like all instantaneous pictures these 

 views are not sharp and clear ; but they 

 will give an idea of how our Rambler lives 

 and goes about the country, for he is indeed 

 a veritable rambler. He comes by the name 

 honestly. But little did he dream, when he 

 first began to write under the «t';« dc plume 

 of "Rambler" that that series of articles 

 was to continue for over a dozen years, and 

 that he would cover during that time fifteen 

 or twenty thousand miles in order that the 

 readers of Gleanings might see the world, 

 and understand bee-keeping as it exists in 

 this great and beautiful country of ours. 

 But not content to keep himself within the 



