976 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 



to secure the bargain, have abandoned their 

 X'laims and lost all they put in. 



On the public square at San Diego 1 saw 

 a species of banana-plant with leaves at 

 least 1- feet long. It grew right out of the 

 native soil, without any manure or fertilizer. 

 Xov. .',^— Opposite my brother's is a fruit- 

 orchard of 10 acres. It is principally or- 

 ange-trees in full bearing, and for this 10 

 acies the OAvner recently refused S2.5,000. 

 We are about midway between San Diego 

 and National City, perhaps '2 miles from each 

 pbice. but the motor cars go close by us, and 

 water is found in plenty, only about 1-5 or 20 

 feet deep, so that windmills raise plenty of 

 water for irrigation. Two 10-foot mills on 

 the 10 acres mentioned supply the water. 

 ( )ne of the wells is 2S feet deep and 16 feet 

 square. This well has never failed. Iron 

 pipe carries the Avater below the surface 

 (low enough to avoid the plow), to hydrants, 

 frequent enough so that a hose will reach 

 every tree. Orange-trees not only require 

 water once a month, but they must have the 

 ground stirred often. The little circular 

 dams around the trees are n(jt made until 

 May or June ; but after these are made, the 

 harrow is run constantly clear up to the 

 dams. These dams are from 5 to S feet 

 away from the body of the tree, according to 

 the size. The hose used for irrigating is .50 

 feet long, so that the hydrants are about 100 

 feet. I saw boys moving the hose and fill- 

 ing the dams "around the trees, and they 

 seemed to rather enjoy the work. Land 

 suitable for orange-growing costs about $.500 

 per acre. A few oranges may be gathered 

 in two or three years, but it will take 10 or 1.5 

 years" growth to get a full crop. Oranges 

 retail at about the same here they do in 

 (Jhio ; viz., 1-5 to 20 cts. a dozen for small 

 ones, and 30, 40, and .50 cts. a dozen for large 

 ones— not less than -50 cts. for choice. With 

 the thousands of acres of orange-orchards, 

 tiie demand still keeps up with the supply. 



.\ cross the street from my brother's is a 

 pretty garden where all kinds of fruit and 

 Howers are seen, and yet the family live in 

 a tent, and lived there all last winter. They 

 propose to use it again this winter. In this 

 garden are what they call here strawberry 

 guavas. They are the size of a plum, with 

 color and taste much like a strawberry. 

 They grow on a shrub about like a toma- 

 to-vine, but are hard wood. I am told gua- 

 vas succeed well only on limited areas. The 

 fruit is delicious, and brings 15 cts. a pound, 

 same price as strawberries. 



Although we have here a perpetual spring, 

 and can plant croi)S and make gardens every 

 month in the year, every thing brings good 

 prices, and it is in many respects an expens- 

 ive place to live. Coal" is sold in sacks at 

 the groceries, for 75 cts. per 100 ; kerosene, 

 10 cts. per gallon; milk, 10 cts. per (|uart. 

 One is tempted to start a grocery store, and, 

 ill fact, any kind of a store, until he inquires 

 the pri(^e of rent. .\ little room, with, say, 

 1(» I'eet front, and running back only 12 or 15 

 feet, on a business street, costs $40.00 per 

 month. If you try to buy a location on 

 which to build a store, the price will scare 

 you. Then why not start a grocery store in 

 the suburbs ? There are already hundreds 



of them, and often clear away from any 

 houses. To get trade, they go around daily 

 and solicit orders; and thus it is that yoii 

 can get every thing at your door, no matter 

 where you live. 



At present there is not the activity in San 

 Diego of an eastern city of the same size. 

 The greater part of the people are apparent- 

 ly standing around, waiting for some chance 

 to trade and dicker. Very few are seen 

 hard at work, and I do believe the climate 

 has something to do with it. It needs the 

 frost and snow to make one feel like mak- 

 ing things fly. 



Water for irrigating is the gi-eat topic of 

 business. Nothing is said about manure or 

 fertilizers of any kind, and, in fact, they 

 nearly all claim that it is not wanted ; but 

 immense works are being put up to store up 

 the water. Near my eldest brother's farm 

 is what is called Sweet Water Dam, a piece 

 of masonry between two moimtains, 40 feet 

 at the base, 20 feet at the top, and 90 feet 

 high. This dam forms a beautiful lake of 

 clear pure water. An immense aqueduct, 

 large enough for a man to go inside, carries 

 water to National ( 'ity and irrigates miles of 

 gardens. Scientific rnen had a theory that, 

 under the dry gravel bed of Sweet' Water 

 River, there flowed on the surface of the 

 rock a subterranean stream, and that, if a 

 dam were made of water-proof cement, laid 

 right on the rock, it would fill up with wa- 

 ter. Many were the jeers from the opposers, 

 when the dam was started; but the beauti- 

 ful lake attests the success of it. The ce- 

 ment alone, used in thebinldingof the dam, 

 cost .5100,000, and the structure is a credit to 

 the age in which we live. If vast corpora- 

 tions, and even great trust companies, are 

 needed for such great enterprises, for the 

 development of the resources of our nation, 

 may God be praised for these corporations! 



I went with my brother on a buggy-ride of 

 about 15 miles into the mountains, to a place 

 called El Cajon (pronounced EJ (Jahoan\. 

 and saw an immense flume, or canal, con- 

 structed of plank, to carry water to San Di- 

 ego. This flume runs along the side of the 

 mountain, so as to keep on a level, with a 

 slight descent, for over .'/O miles. The pure 

 spring water, as it winds like a babbling 

 brook in its box of boards around the hills, 

 and across an occasional span on trestle- 

 work, is one of the prettiest and grandest 

 sights I have ever seen. At intervals the 

 water pours down a foot or two over a board 

 set across the flume, to stop the sediment, 

 and to keep the water clear from sand and 

 settlings. At El Cajon we got an excellent 

 dinner for 25 cts. We had nice soup, three 

 large slices of roast beef, with all kinds of 

 vegetables, and a generous slice of mince 

 pie to finish off with. The mince pie was 

 sopping with strong brandy— too strong for 

 me to eat. 1 am told 25 cts. is the usual 

 price per meal, except at the railroad eating- 

 hours. I for one protest against charging 

 75 cts. for a meal of victuals. I feel guilty 

 whenever I pay it. The regular price for 

 feeding a horse is -50 cts., and yet horse feed 

 grows in great plenty every month in the 

 year. House-flies are extremely plentiful 

 here, especially in the winter ; but I havf- 



