508 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1. 



ry. He was to care for the horse, and shoo 

 away any bears, girls, or grass widows that 

 might be prowling around. 

 DWe jogged along for miles in a very numerous 

 dust which arose in clouds all around us. As 

 soon as we entered the canyon, however, we 

 left the disagreeable behind us. The Ventura 

 River takes its rise away up somewhere in these 

 mountain fastnesses, and comes whirling down 

 witla many a crook and turn to encounter. 

 When we enter the canyon we circle around a 

 point of jagged rocks that almost overhang our 

 heads. For over five miles we follow the ever- 

 shifting scenes; much of the way we follow the 

 winding way of the river-bed. and cross it 14 

 times. At the little hamlet of Matilija is a hot 

 sulphur-spring, where the editor bathed so 

 gloriously; but there is a much better, hotter, 

 more solvent, and more sulphurous spring a 

 couple of miles further up the canyon. This 

 spring is so hot the hand can not be held in it. 



to work the apiary: but a rifle settled the ques- 

 tion of proprietorship. Mr. R. had not been to 

 the apiary for several weeks. His work now 

 was to move back several colonies from the 

 river-bank, where there was danger of a wash- 

 out. Then the hives were closed up to small 

 entrances; the covers were evenly adjusted, 

 and heavy stones were placed on the covers. 

 A few swarms were united, and the apiary 

 would not be visited again for three or four 

 months. Owing to tlie road following the bed 

 of the river there are several weeks du>'ing a 

 season of heavy rains when the upper portion 

 of the canyon is impassable; and people resid- 

 ing far up have to lay in an extra supply of pro- 

 visions or move out. The move-out plan is 

 usually adopted. 



On the afternoon of the second day our work 

 with the bees was finished. Mr. R. had an idea 

 of dividing his apiary and starting another 

 three miles further up; and he proposed that 



J. J. RAI'P'S BI.ACK-BEAK APIARY, M.VTILLJA CANYON. CAI.IFOHXI.V. 



I suppose this extra high temperature is owing 

 to its proximity to the Devil's Slide. This his- 

 toric slide is a very jagged seam of rock, set at 

 an acute angle, and hundreds of feet down the 

 side of the mountain. It is evidiMit that, if Old 

 Nick ever did slide down that rough place, the 

 seat of his pants must have suffered exceeding- 

 ly. Several times in going up the canyon we 

 approached a blank wall of rock which seemed 

 to bar our further progress; but a way of escape 

 and progress was opened by a short turn to the 

 right or the left. Near such a place we made a 

 sharp turn and came suddenly upon the busy 

 city of be(>s, located upon a littlC level of land 

 with prodigious mountains all around it. In 

 addition to hives, stones, etc., there is a little 

 cabin, and here Mr. Rapp, his wife, baby, and 

 a helper, stay through the busy season. This 

 apiary numbers 37.5 colonies, and it is a piece of 

 property that has changed hands several times. 

 A previous owner had trouble from bears trying 



we settle our dinners by riding that distance 

 further into the canyon. The road was exceed- 

 ingly well adapted to the purpose, and it re- 

 quired much skill witli the reins to avoid the 

 stones. Mr. R. was an adept at missing them 

 on liis side of the cart, but was sure to bounce 

 the Rambler over every big boulder that was 

 on his side. Every time I came down witli an 

 exclamation he would say: 

 '• We'll get there soon; no harm done." 

 "Oh, no!" says I; "no harm done." 

 We forded the river again, and his side of the 

 cart got a bounce; and as we went up the bank 

 at an angle of 45 degrees, says I, " We're getting 

 there; no harm done." 

 "Oh, no!" says he; "no harm done." 

 We agreed jiist beautifully. Right here on 

 the bank of the river is the residence of an old 

 Spaniard, and the last house in the canyon, and 

 the end of the road for wagons. A trail can be 

 followed still farther up. The horse was secur- 



