THE BEE-PASTURES 361 



glacial erosion of most of the Shasta lavas pro 

 duces detritus, composed of rough, sub-angular 

 boulders of moderate size and of porous gravel and 

 sand, which yields freely to the transporting power 

 of running water. Magnificent floods from the 

 ample fountains of ice and snow working with 

 sublime energy upon this prepared glacial detritus, 

 sorted it out and carried down immense quantities 

 from the higher slopes, and reformed it in smooth, 

 delta-like beds around the base; and it is these 

 flood-beds joined together that now form the main 

 honey-zone of the old volcano. 



Thus, by forces seemingly antagonistic and de 

 structive, has Mother Nature accomplished her 

 beneficent designs now a flood of fire, now a flood 

 of ice, now a flood of water ; and at length an out 

 burst of organic life, a milky way of snowy petals 

 and wings, girdling the rugged mountain like a 

 cloud, as if the vivifying sunbeams beating against 

 its sides had broken into a foam of plant-bloom 

 and bees, as sea-waves break and bloom on a 

 rock shore. 



In this flowery wilderness the bees rove and revel, 

 rejoicing in the bounty of the sun, clambering eag 

 erly through bramble and hucklebloom, ringing the 

 myriad bells of the manzanita, now humming aloft 

 among polleny willows and firs, now down on the 

 ashy ground among gilias and buttercups, and anon 

 plunging deep into snowy banks of cherry and 

 buckthorn. They consider the lilies and roll into 

 them, and, like lilies, they toil not, for they are 

 impelled by sun-power, as water-wheels by water- 

 power ; and when the one has plenty of high-pres- 



