1894 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



SOU 



pany. The fine grounds are plainly visible to 

 travelers in passing through Castalia on either 

 of their two railroads— Cleveland. Cincinnati, 

 •Chicago tt St. Louis, or the Lake Erie & 

 Western. The water is deliciously cool, and 

 one would almost call it pure soft water, judg- 

 ing by the taste. I am told, however, that it 

 contains some chemicals that prevent it from 

 making suds with soap; but it seems as if one 

 could scarcely ask for finer or colder drinking- 

 water. As this location is considerably above 

 the waters of Lake Erie, it has always been a 

 mystery as to where the water starts. A trav- 

 eling man told me. however, that on some very 

 high ground near Eellevue, ().. there was a 

 place where a considerable stream of water ran 

 into a hole in the ground and disappeared. 

 This, of course, is many miles away from Cas- 

 talia. If this is the same water, nature has 

 managed to filter and purify it. and cool it. in a 

 way that man might be glad to imitate if 

 money could be made to do it. 



The Castalian springs were pretty well looked 

 over before dark, on the day I left home. Next 

 day friend Barrell kindly took me with his 

 buggy to the borders of Lake Erie, about four 

 miles from Castalia, on to a piece of rising 

 :ground which has been called, for inany vears. 

 Mu«tcash. A grape-grower by the name of 

 C. Q. Martin has established a beautiful peach- 

 orchard and vineyard on this hill. An opening 

 near where his home stands enabled him to 

 discover crevices in the rocks, whereby he 

 could go down about thirty or forty feet. At 

 this depth he discovered water having the 

 same crystalline transparency as the Castalian 

 waters, and, besides that, being almost perfect- 

 ly pure. This water will form a suds, and wash 

 beautifully. The tempi'rature is 44 degrees — 

 about 6 degrees lower than the water of any 

 Avells or springs to be found elsewhere in the 

 United States. The water stands at a uniform 

 •depth all through the hill. If it could be pump- 

 ed out. there would probably be more caverns 

 to explore. The waters have obtained such a 

 reputation, that, two or three years ago. a com- 

 pany was formed, and a large shaft was sunk 

 from the top of the hill clear down to the water. 

 A beautiful engine, 40 H. P.. is placed at the bot- 

 tom of this shaft; and the steam-pump sends a 

 ■constant stream of water through a six-inch 

 pipe to the city of Sandusky, about seven miles 

 away. The water is then carried about the 

 •streets of Sandusky dally, and sold fnrdrinking- 

 purposes, at two cents a gallon. Oh that we 

 could have such water as this in every home in 

 •our land I I honestly believe it would do more 

 to save doctors' bills than almost any other one 

 thing in the world. 



I had a great curiosity to explore these cav- 

 erns, and to figure out. at least to my own sat- 

 isfaction, what caused them. I do not know 

 what scientific men have done in this direc- 

 tion; but my conviction is. that earthquake or 

 volcanic action ha** at some time in the past 

 made an upheaval, forming the rocky hills 

 along the shores of Lake Erie. This upheaval 

 ip this locality probably dropped back a little: 

 but in dropping back, the stones and rocks that 

 were rent did not exactly come ba'M\ in place, 

 leaving these broken openings. The caverns 

 are entirely different from those of the Mam- 

 moth Cave, for the latter were cutout by water; 

 but the water seems to have little or no effect 

 •on the rocks in these caverns; in fact, the 

 stones above the water-line are so dry that I 

 squeezed through openings upon my hands and 

 knees, all about among them, and scarcely 

 •soiled my clothing. In fact, this wonderful 

 spring seems to be entirely sheltered, even from 

 the rain water. As everybody goes in and out 

 as they choose, all of the best specimens of rock 



crystal have been chipped out with hammer 

 and chisel. Almost every one suggests that the 

 waters come from Lake Erie. But, hold on, 

 friend. They are up perhaps twenty or thirty 

 feet liujhcr than Lake Erie. At one place at 

 the side of the hill there is a running spring; 

 and friend Martin tells me that one day he was 

 greatly astonished to find the water in a shal- 

 low well had suddenly risen two or three feet. 

 Investigation showed that the waters in the 

 cavern had risen correspondingly. After he 

 had wondered what convulsion of nature had 

 suddenly changed the dead level that had been 

 so constant for so many years, he found that 

 his neighbor, who owned the spring, had made 

 a dam at the outlet, so as to make the water 

 deep enough to wash his sheep. This caused a 

 sudden rise all over the locality. Well, now, one 

 would think that this six-inch pipe, operated 

 by a powerful engine, with its constant pull, 

 would lower the water in the caverns; but so 

 far it has not done so, even to the extent of the 

 fraction of an inch. Its depth is said to be 

 unknown, " as soundings to 200 and 300 feet have 

 in some places failed to reveal it." When you 

 go to Sandusky, be sure you get a taste of the 

 famous Crystal Rock spring water— that is, if 

 you never tasted it. 



In closing, permit me to say a word about 

 grape-growing along the lakes. Friend Martin 

 tells me that his finest grapes grow on his poor- 

 est soil, without the application of a particle of 

 manure. In fact, the most beautiful crop of 

 grapes I ever saw in my life — grapes of all va- 

 rieties—are on just such soil. All he is doing 

 or all he has done for years past is lo kill the 

 weeds, trim the vines, and gather the grapes. 

 He says they are very much more free from dis- 

 ease, and the quality is much finer, where there 

 is no sort of fertilizing done. Friend lioardman 

 told me that it was exactly his experience, and 

 he is somewhat of a grape-grower. 



IRRIGATION FOR PEACH-TREES. 



While at the Castalia caverns, I noticed such 

 beautiful peaches on the grounds of friend Mar- 

 tin that I purchased a dozen baskets, and had 

 them sent home. Afterward, however. I found 

 some much finer near the shaft that goes down 

 into the caverns. Friend Martin told me, how- 

 ever, that these were not yet ripe. He said 

 they were irrigated with the spring water; and 

 it not only had the effect of making them 

 much larger, but of making them later. The 

 trees were a wonderful sight in the way of lux- 

 uriance, and the peaches the largest and. finest 

 lever saw anywhere. The difference in size 

 between them and those I had already pur- 

 chased was doubtless owing entirely to irriga- 

 tion, as they were of the same variety. And 

 here is one straight piece of evidence that it 

 will pay to irrigate peaches during a dry season 

 where water is handy. I engaged a dozen bas- 

 kets of these at .50 cts. per peck basket. They 

 are the largest and finest peaches I ever saw 

 this side of California. 



HOW BASKETS, ETC., ARE MADE. 



When I called at friend Boardman's on my 

 return home he was just ready to "'go fishing," 

 and urged me to go along; and when he declar- 

 ed he would go out on Lake Erie, and fish for 

 rock bass all by himself, if nobody would go 

 with him. it was more than I could stand. I 

 can not stop to tell you of the pleasant time 

 we had, but will mention that, on our way 

 home, we visited the Berlin Heights fruit box 

 manufactory. They are well known to many 

 of our readers as manufacturers of bee-supplies 

 also. Just at the time of my call, however, all 

 hands were busy at work on baskets for peaches 

 and grapes. Did you ever wonder how it is 

 possible to make a nice, neat, light, handy half- 

 bushel basket so it could be sold for a nickel. 



