I8y9 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



833 



than one miner in a thousand is doing. Now 

 that you are so very much interested in gold- 

 mining, suppose we meander down the canyon 

 and prospect a little. I'll take the shovel and 

 you take thepick; and, by the way, Brodbeck, 

 have you noticed how liberally this country is 

 sprinkled with honey-dew? " 



" COME HERE ! QUICK ! " 



"Yes, I noticed it yesterday, when driving 

 through the dense growth of alders; and, see 

 here ! the stones are wet with it, and there are 

 but few bees at work here, which shows that 

 there are but few wild bees here." 



" Now, Brodbeck, this is a good 

 chance for us to make an observa- 

 tion as to the origin of this honey- 

 dew. You know there is quite a 

 little controversy in the journals 

 about the matter. " . . 



" Well, Rambler, here is a leaf. 

 The upper surface is glossy and 

 sticky with it, and here on the 

 under side are a few of the ver- 

 itable aphides. They are little 

 fellows, but there are enough to 

 show the origin of the dew. You 

 see they bite the leaf, and the dew 

 exudes." 



" That is where I do not see as 

 you do, and it is where you are 

 mistaken. The aphis does not eat 

 the leaf to any extent ; and if it 

 does, the exudation comes from 

 the aphis." 



"Pshaw, Rambler! just see 

 here ; that leaf has been rough- 

 ened up, and anybody with half 

 an eye can see that's where the dew comes 

 from." 



"He can, hey? Well, now, you see here 

 too; anybody with the least gumption can see 

 that it comes from the bug, else why is it call- 

 ed bug-juice?" 



" Why, Rambler, a goose would know bet- 

 ter than that. A little bug like — hold, there 

 don't you dare kick my dog; and don't you 

 hit me with that shovel." 



"Brodbeck, put down your pick; although 

 I ought to swipe you I will desist. I have lis- 

 tened to a voice that came to me from the dis- 

 tant past. When I was a boy I learned from 

 a Sunday-school book to count one hundred 

 before swiping a person. I have counted, and 

 will not swipe; but if you dare say goose to 

 me again I will not be responsible for what 

 will happen. Now, don't you think you had 

 better go down on the other side of the wash 

 while I take this ? It will be for our health, 

 probably, to continue our mineral studies." 



Of course, the readers of GLEANINGS know 

 that bug-juice all comes from the bug; but 

 there was no use for me to convince my con- 

 trary partner. 



For some little time we kept to our respect- 

 tive sides of the wash ; but man is a sociable 

 animal; and if he sees any thing new or novel 

 he desires to talk it over and compare notes 

 with his fellow-man ; and it so happened 

 that, when I came into the highway, which 

 was quite sandy in this place, I saw several 

 tracks along the road. " Now," thought I, 

 " here is a chance for me to get even with that 

 fellow." 



' ' Hello, Brodbeck ! hello ! see here ! come 

 quick ! " 



" Hello ! " came from the other side of the 

 wash; " what you found ? " 



" Why, here are fresh bare tracks, and right 

 in the direction of our camp." 



"Bear tracks? goodness! didn't think we 

 were in a bear county." 



"Well, here they are sure — see? What 

 about the horse? " 





"do you TAKE EODGERS?" 



"Why, Prince will tear himself " — but when 

 my partner saw the tracks his demeanor in- 

 stantly changed. "Humph! you're — might 

 have known — here, Juno, s-s- see — ." 



"Stop, Brodbeck! call off your dog! put 

 down your pick ! count a hundred ! then you 



