AUGUST 15, 1912 



Camp outfit, standing by a mammoth Llackberry bush, \\'illamette Valley, Oregon. 



A " PROSPECTING " TRIP THROUGH OREGON 



BY E. r. ATWATER 



Early in October, 1909, our bees being 

 ready for winter, and the greater part of 

 our crop marketed, the writer and Mr. 

 Earle Dilatush took the train to The Dalles, 

 Oregon, and from there to Portland by 

 steamer on the Columbia River, one of the 

 most beautiful scenic trips in the West. 



At Portland we jjurchased a camp wagon 

 and a team, and, outfitting with a liberal 

 supply of fruits and nuts, and other "raw 

 foods," we started south through the won- 

 derfully beautiful AVillamette Valley. 



With two cameras and hundreds of 

 plates we expected to have an interesting 



A shed apiary, typical of those found in the Willamette Valley, Oregon 



pictorial record of our trip, with a special 

 eye to any tiling connected with bees and 

 beekeeping. 



Perhaps the season had been unusually 

 unfavorable tlu'ough the Willamette Val- 

 ley; but the honey that we purchased or 

 tasted along the way was probably the vil- 

 est concoction that a bee was ever forced 

 by dire necessity to store in waxen cells. 

 Through the whole length of that beautiful 

 valley, not one apiary, of any considerable 

 size, was seen or heard of, though at one 

 place we found the young lady of the 

 house quite up to date, and purchased two 

 sections of so-called "maple honey," of 

 light greenish color and delicious aroma; 

 but, alas! to my taste at least, it was of 

 very inferior flavor. 



The little shed apiaiy 

 here illusti'ated is, per- 

 haps, a typical Willam- 

 e* te Valley beeyard. 

 The sheds roofed with 

 old split cedar shakes 

 serve to protect the 

 hives from the exces- 

 sive winter rainfall. 



The hives are about 

 like an eight - frame 

 Jumbo of extra depth, 

 taking the r e g u 1 a r 

 eight - frame s u p e r, 

 while their occupants 

 are usually of the large 

 brown German type, or 

 liy])rids. At Woodburn, 

 inquiry for C. T. Bon- 



