is<i-j 



(iKKANINdS IX UKH (ri>TLlKE. 



101 



vf imrchandixi-: uiid to Aiistiin. HiiiiRiii\. I'niiicc. 

 <iiMiii:ii)y. Cifi'i-i". l.ii.\('int)iiiMr. tlio Ni'llici'ljitids 

 aiui Nellicrlaiuls (iuiann, Ni>i\va.\ and Sweden, pio- 

 vided piistaKe I hereon is Ai//;?/ prepaid al I he letter 

 rate: vi/... 5 i-enl> per 'i o/- oi fraelionof i o/.. 



No provision has been made for tlie exchange 1)\ 

 mail of samples like those above referred to. witli 

 any foreijrn eounlries .ir/ic/- ///km thiiKi- herein iiamid. 



Italies afe oiii-s: and, as we tiiulerstandil.il 

 makes it unlawful lu send (|iii'ens at sainple 

 rates to New Zealand atid Aiisii-alia. The Post- 

 al IJiiide says fiirtiiof. page '.lOti: 



It is for-hidden to send b) miil: Articles other 

 than letters whieli are not piepaid at least partiv. 

 or which do not fitltilt Uir coitdil i<in:i miiiirni in I'n- 

 der to enjoy the reduced rate. Paeki^ts of samples 

 of merchandise not fullj- prepaid at letter rates, 

 which have a salable value, etc. 



SiiK'o llie two couiurjes iu (iiieslioii aie not, 

 nn'iitioiH'd in the list of ontmities to whicli we 

 mail send qiiiMMis bv mail, tliev slioitld go al 

 letter fates, if at all. 



We quite agfi-e with you. that W(> have no 

 difeot perniissiou to send nueeiis to Austfalia. 

 and it might be coiisidei-ed uiilawfiil. We will 

 see what can be done in the way of liavitig 

 Austi-alia and New Zealand iiK-rtided in ihe 

 countries named.] 



RAMBLE NO. 54. 



IN TUE GOLDIO-V .STATI-:. 



In tin' Sdi-ratnciito VitUcy. — After leaving 

 Utah and the e.\tensiv(> white salt plains noitii 

 of Salt Lake City, we encounter nitich the same 

 kind of barren plaitis we found on Ihe east of 

 Utah, except that here is a stunted growth of 

 sage bushe*, and the soil is whit" with alkali. 

 It was a hot day, and a little air from an o])en 

 window would have beeti refreshing: but any 

 one having the temerity to rais(i a window tlie 

 least would soon feel the etTectsof the tire pun- 

 gent dust. All night and half a day in dust 

 was enough to endure, and it was with pleasure 

 we noticed more thriving towns, and thernsh- 

 ing waters again brought vigor to vegetation. 

 We follow the course of the Truckee Kiver for 

 a lotig distance, climbing u[) the Siei'ras, pass- 

 ing the noted Donner Lake, surrounded by lofty 

 mountains, and looking v<'ry pictures(iue as we 

 look down upon it from the mountain-side. Tt 

 is in this region that we |)ass through 40 miles 

 of snow-sheds, and at last night closes down 



^3 





I'oCKFCT-r I.KANKKS. 



tipon US jtist as we reach tht; very stimmit of 

 the Sierras. At two o'clock in the morning we 

 were arotised atiil told that our long journey 



was at ill! end.iind that wf were iti Sticramenbt. 

 The rest of the night, and until a late hour iti 

 the tuortiitig. we rested sweetly iu the Western 

 Ibdel. They lieic expect iOastcrti I ra\'e|ers will 

 come, dust -coveted atid weary. an<l are amply 

 proviiied with ablution coiivetiiences for cleuu- 

 itig and polishing a fellow from hejid to shoes. 

 There is even ail effectiNe pocket-cleaner in a 

 back rootu, ciilled a faro batil<: and from all 

 ai-c(nints many ()aironi/.e it. The i.'aiiil)lef put 

 himself throtigh all of till' ch^aners (>.\cept the 

 pocket-cleaiief. preferring to have; liis pock<;ts 

 liltbv with w hat little lucre he had left. 



Jt.VMHI.KK I1KI,1'IXG TO GATin;ii (A NTAI.Oll'E.S 

 IN CAMFOKNIA. 



Having a kinsman in the city, at the head of 

 the l*ioneer Box Co.. we were soon installed 

 into his household, and were also .soon busy at 

 work in the factory running a band-saw, and 

 making 5-lb. grape-baskets. This occupation 

 continued about three months. The Rambler 

 was then turned loose among the California 

 bee-keepers. 



And now, my friends, I wish to say to you 

 who have followed our wanderings in the past, 

 that, when these Rambles comtuenced. we had 

 not the lemotest idea of ever seeing far-away 

 Califortiia: and now being in the (Jolden State 

 we shall not try to predict where next our feet 

 shall wander. 



California bee culture has beeti mtich written 

 about: but as we hav<' bei'ii into the highways 

 and byways of California, into some of its Can- 

 yons and tipon its rugged motiutains, and lived 

 for a time in the lonely htit, perliaps we have 

 leceived some impressiotis that aie new, even 

 to the readers of (li.EAMNGs: atid if. with (nil- 

 photos, an occasional cartoon is thrown in, we 

 trust the staid readers will grant their pardon. 

 It is a sort of chronic habit we iTave. If any 

 one is thinking of coming to this State to en- 

 uage in bee culture these rambles will try to 

 set the bee-keeping of California forth just as 

 it is. and then yon can take your choice. 



The bees lirst shipped to Califoi'tiia were lo- 

 cated in the Sacramento Valley. It was here 

 that Harbison won a good share of his fame as 

 a bee-keeper. But now the Eastern man is 

 surprised to tind but few largti apiaries in this 

 portion of the State. In Sacramento City theie 

 are a few small apiaries: and Mr. Lewis, living 

 in the city, has an apiary of over 100 colonies 

 out in the country. The most extensive bee- 

 keeper in the county is 'Sir. Adam Warner,!:.' 

 miles down the river: and learning that he had 

 over :.'()0 colonies, and was (piite a successful 



