52 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 1.>. 



CALIFORNIA ECHOES. 



BY KAMBI,ER. 



We seldom see a bee-tent in a California api- 

 ary. The reason in many cases is, that what 

 work can not be done during the busy season is 

 not done at all. therefore there is no use for a 

 tent. Mr. Arthur Hansen, of National City, 

 however, has a tent of great utility. When not 

 in use as a bee-tent, an extra covering of heavy 

 cloth is pulled over it, and it makes a tent to 

 live in. Other California bee-keepers can take 

 the hint, and have just as convenient a tent as 

 Mr. Hansen. 



What is the matter with those New York bee- 

 keepers ? One who raises his honey by the doz- 

 en tons writes to us about coming to California. 

 Well, we suppose there is room enough for him 

 here; but we advise him to stay where he is. 

 If his lungs or his heart is out of kilter, the ad- 

 vice would be different. This climate heals the 

 sick. It also heals the lacerating wounds of 

 those who have met with heavy winter losses. 

 Perhaps that is why the New-Yorkers wish to 

 come here. 



Speaking of heart trouble reminds me of a 

 letter I received from a young man who said 

 that his best girl had gone back on him, and he 

 wants to know if there is any solace for a bro- 

 ken heart in the wilds of California. Why, my 

 dear young friend, of course. When you have 

 lived a year in a bee-rancher's cabin, and listen- 

 ed nightly to the musical notes of the festive 

 coyote, you will forget that you have a heart at 

 all at all. By all means, come to California. 



And now we see that the ^1. B. J. suggests 

 Bro. Larrabee's name for that Vermont experi- 

 ment station. It is our opinion, that, if Bro. 

 Larrabee, after swinging himself around in the 

 great State of Michigan, goes back to Vermont, 

 we shall expect to liear that he has stepped off 

 into Lake Champlain. or stumbled over into 

 New HampshiR^. Whyl we don't believe Ver- 

 mont is big enough to hold him. Say, Bro. 

 Larrabee. make a break and come to California; 

 there's room enough for you and three of the 

 New England States right here in this one San 

 Bernardino Co. If your brother Walter is 

 bound to stay by the old hopvine and apple-tree, 

 put the experiment station with him. But, 

 .Johnnie dear, we want you in the glorious sun- 

 set country. 



"You press the button and we will do the 

 rest," is about the way the Rambler and the 

 artists have it in those cartoons in Gr.KANiNGs: 

 but sometimes the artists do too much. Now, 

 on page 937 they have cut the fields up with 

 rail fences. Why, bless yon, Mr. Artist, we 

 have not seen a rail fence since we came to 

 California. We are not grieved over it, how- 

 ever; but every Californian will stare at those 

 rails, and miss seeing that nice doxology hat of 

 the Rambmok. 



JAKE SMITH'S LETTERS. 



HINTS ON SPELLING. 



A. I. Oleeningsr 

 deer sir— Did you 

 hef to learn to- 

 spell when you 

 was little, or 

 when you was 

 a man? Ormeb- 

 bee you have so 

 many to work for you that you hire a hand to- 

 spell for you. Well. I don't think much of the 

 fashionable way of spellin, and I think my way 

 is a good deal better. When I want to spell a 

 word I believe in spellin it what it is, and not 

 puttin in a whole lot of letters that make it 

 spell something altogether different. If I write 

 the word reseat, I believe in spellin it that way 

 so any body can tell what it is, and not write it 

 any such fool way as receipt. And if I write 

 about Kernel Smith, I believe in spellin it Ker- 

 nel or Kurnel or Curnel, or some such way so 

 as to have it make the word Kernel. But the 

 fashion makes it spell Colonel. What an n- 

 foloiiel way of spellin that is, anyway! 



But my famaly — leastways the young folks — 

 got it into their heads that my spellin was not 

 up to the latest style, so Zed he's been teachin 

 me to spell. He made a blackboard, and then 

 he put on it words spelt the right way. and then 

 under each word he put the fashionable way of 

 spellin it, like this: 



tung throo wir fokes tizick 

 tongue through were folks phthisic 

 Then he told me to sit down and practice 

 writin them till it was easier that way than the 

 old way. I tell you it was harder work than I 

 ever dreamed of. Why. I'd a heap rather go 

 out and thrash with an old-fashioned flail all 

 day than to try to learn sich outlandish things. 

 But I kep at it, and I thought I was gettin on 

 pirty well. Then I thought I might as well be 

 learnin some more words to spell in the fashion, 

 and it would please Zed to think how I was git- 

 tin along. So I wrote, " In the yard were a cere 

 and a cat with white fere which did pere till 

 she got a bere in here fere." But afterward 

 Zed said it ought to be, "In the yard were a cur 

 and a cat with white fur which did purr till she 

 got a burr in her fur." 



Another verse I wrote was, "Through all the 

 night, tough lovers trough did silently wough." 

 But Zed said that ought to be, " Through alt 

 the night, two lovers true did silently woo." 



But the verse I laid myself out on most, try- 

 ing to git it up in real high style, was this: 

 "The man with the phthisic phthook phthwo- 

 phtheaspoonfuls of phthansy phthea." And, 

 if you'll believe it. Zed said that must be, 

 "The man with the phthisic took two teaspoon- 

 fuls of tansy tea." Do you wonder I felt a little 

 discurridgiMi ? 



