804 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



pony and colt needed a master, and all of our 

 apiaries needed a little looking to. Then there 

 were bands and bands of quail that needed to 

 be put on toast. I knew the two weeks could 

 be well put in, and was not at all lonesome 

 when I saw the big covered wagon drawn by 

 three horses depart with camping and gastro- 

 nomic outfit, and, with them, four of the young 

 men and maidens from Bloomington. My ani- 

 mate companions were 170 swarms of bees. 100 

 hens, a cow, heifer, a spotted yearling: Ben, 

 the white dog. a trio of cats, and a double- 

 barreled shotgun, the latter to aid in preparing 

 the quail for market. 



rambler's experience ox the kaxch. 



As to how I enjoyed myself and kept dull 

 care away will be better understood by giving 

 you a letter I sent to Mr. Clark after I had 

 managed things for a week: 



Mr. W. E. CInrk — 



Mil Drar Sir;— Agreeably to promise I would in- 

 form you that I am still in the land of the living-, 

 and <iiU cllnffing- to your ranch. It is the same with 

 all of your domestic critters, fxccpt that old brown 

 hen with a lop-sided red peduncle on the t<ip of her 

 head. She was asphyxiated during- a sandstorm 

 that liowled around here; liut, don't mourn over the 

 old hen; tliere has been a large increase in the hen 

 family. Ten remarkal)ly liealtliy chickens havt> 

 been hatched, and are doing well. Since y<.u went 

 away I liave put seven heus in purgatoi'y on siioi-t 

 j'ations— they Wiinted to sit. 



The big tank of water lasted uutil Sunday, wlien 

 Mr. S. came over and 1 drew u\> 240 gallons. I knew 

 something would hapi)en, and, sure enough, one of 

 his horses kicked and broke a tug, and the vei-y 

 next day some animal rubbed aroutul the faucet 

 and let "off the whole 240 gallons. I laid it to the 

 dog, and got the shotgun to execute him; but evi- 

 dence being wholly circumstaiUial, and the water 

 having been placed there in violation of the moial 

 law, I submitted to Providence and reprieved the 

 dog. I irrigated the cattle for three days by lead- 

 ing them to the spring. It takes 15 gallons of watei 



to irrigate one full-grown cow fcjr one hot day. The 

 weather is a trifle hot— 98° in the shade. 



Mr. Clark, I don't know that you know it, but that 

 spotted yearling of yours is afflicted with the 

 jamborees. It jamboreed me across your cornfield 

 head first, scooped a peck of dirt down my back, 

 and lost my Waterbury watcli. I now lead the cat- 

 tle with a long rope; have blood in my eye, and the 

 shotgun in hand. 



Tlie bees are gathering a great amount of water 

 on these hot days. They rob out half a barrel of it 

 regularly. 



Wilder's gentle pony also served me a diry trick. 

 I tried riding her to the picket rope without a hal- 

 ter. She ran and bucked and rebucked, and bucked 

 again, giving a fellow a flj-ing-all-to-pieces sensation. 

 1 alighted quick, and sat down in the 

 sand to collect my physiology. I now 

 use a bridle. 



I liope this will find you improving 

 in health. Don't hurry home on my 

 account. Everything is lovely, and I'll 

 stick to the ranch if it busts. I found 

 my Waterbury. Yours, etc., 



Ramblek. 

 P. S.— I haven't made any butter yet; 

 couldn't find the skimmer. Send me 

 word where it is. R. 



P. S. No. 2.— l,((^'r.— Never mind the 

 skimmer. The dog lan off with the 

 churn-dasher. Dog and I will take care 

 of the cream. Don't hurry home. R. 



Along with my other entertain- 

 ments I would have an occasional 

 caller, a wayfarer who had. perhaps, 

 lost his way on what he would call 

 a desert. One sturdy Dutchman, 

 with a donkey, strengthened the 

 word "desert" by prefixing "mill- 

 dam ■' without the '" mill." 



My neighbor S., who kept my 

 water-tank replenished, found a stone 

 one day which he called silver ore. 

 and in a few days he came over 

 again with a divining- instrument 

 to locate the vein. Fortune-tellers 

 and spiritualists had told him that 

 he was going to strike a rich mine, 

 and he was full of faith. The instru- 

 ment was an ounce bottle filled near- 

 _y full of biick-red substance, the 

 main ingredient being quicksilver. 

 After climbing to the vicinity of the 

 supposed vein. Mr. S., nearly out of 

 breath, remarked: "Say! it tires a 

 feller right smart to climb up hyar." 

 A tripod was made by tying the ends 

 of th'-ee laths togethei'. The bottle 

 was suspended like a plummet. After 

 bringing it to a dead rest it soon began to 

 swing to and fro. The philosophy of the thing 



DIVINIXG FOR SILVER. 



is, that, as it swings, if there is mineral near it 

 will swing out further that way. As the bottle 

 swayed more and more. Mr. S. loudly e.vclaimed. 

 "Thar she draws! she draws that way. There's 



