Junk, 1921 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



365 



ing trees — the pink Howeriug acacia, the 

 catsclaw; that wonderful honey plant, the 

 mesquite; some which I shall not attempt 

 to spell, and many more which I have for- 

 gotten. The mesquite is beautiful, its fol- 

 iage much like the pepper tree of Califor- 

 nia, and the dark-green mistletoe, which 

 frequently clings to it, contrasts beauti- 

 fully with its light-green leaves. 



I was much interested in a low-growing 

 purple flower which seems abundant in 

 every part of Texas, even on the desert. 

 From its clusters and general habit of 

 growth I was sure it was a cousin of the 

 garden verbena, and Mr. Parks told me I 

 was right. A pretty variety of dwarf phlox 

 also grows wild in Texas. 



MEDINA LAKE lies way back in the 

 hills; and, as the road climbed high- 

 er, different varieties of flowers ap- 

 peared, and the contrasting shades of the 

 evergreen and various deciduous shrubs on 

 the hillsides were beautiful. A mammoth 

 irrigation project with immense dam has 

 greatly enlarged the lake until it is now 

 some 25 miles long, winding among the hills. 

 The view of the lake and gorge from the 

 top of the great dam was wonderful, altho 

 Mr. Solomon was much disappointed be- 

 cause the approaching storm, which covered 

 the sky with gray clouds, prevented me 

 from seeing the lake in sunshine, when it 

 is as blue as the Caribbean sea. My p. c. 

 saw the water at its bluest last fall, and 

 had conspired with Mr. Solomon to give 

 me the ti«eat; but he never saw the "Thirty 

 Miles of Flowers" at their best, so I rather 

 think we are even. On the way back Mr. 

 Solomon obligingly stopped the machine at 

 various points and gathered specimens of 

 flowers until I had an armful of beauties, 

 and the heavy storm caught us. Ordinarily 

 I dislike to ride over macadam made slip- 

 jtery by rain, but a combination of chauf- 

 feur and roadster which can ford streams 

 is not likely to skid, and we returned to 

 my p. c. in good orde)'. 



AN equally delghtful drive, a few days 

 later, was thru Braekenridge Park of 

 San Antonio. The same little river 

 beautifies this park, and miles of cool drives 

 thru the trees make it an accessible play- 

 ground. San Antonio, like so many towns 

 thruout the West, by maintaining a public 

 camping ground, shows a charming spirit 

 of hospitality to motor tourists or home 

 seekers traveling by wagon. In Bracken- 

 ridge Park fuel, water, and lights are free 

 to campers in a section reserved for their 

 use. 



But the best part of the park is where 

 someone with a vision has transformed 

 what must have been an eyesore into a 

 beauty spot. We had been climbing rather 

 steep grades, and Mr. Solomon was craftily 

 calling my attention to various interesting 

 features on the right when I happened to 



turn my head to the left, and there, way 

 down below us, so far down it almost made 

 one dizzy, was a beautiful sunken garden 

 efl^ect, miniature lakes, islands, and arching 

 stone bridges, flowers, shrubbery, green 

 grass and vines, rough steps hewn out of 

 the rocky walls at the sides leading to 

 pavilions with roofs thatched with palm 

 leaves and supported by pillars of small 

 stones, a sort of Japanese garden with a 

 touch of the Spanish influence. It is charm- 

 ing now and with care will grow more 

 beautiful from year to year, and just a short 

 time ago it was nothing but an abandoned 

 stone quarry. 



When we were crossing the endless" miles 

 of desert country a few days before, I had 

 been impressed with the strange formation 

 of many of the hills. Loose, flat stones 

 were piled one above another in such a way 

 as to suggest towering retaining walls of 

 masonry. It was hard to believe that they 

 were not built by human hands. I'd love 

 to go over that route with a wise geologist 

 to explain the country, accompanied by my 

 own p. c. also, of course. 



To return to the park, much of the pic- 

 turesque effect was obtained by the use of 

 just such stones, used in a manner to sug- 

 gest the way they appeared in the desert. 

 For instance, the pillars which held the 

 lights in the park and sunken garden were 

 slender, pyramid-like columns of these 

 stones, and the electric lights were cleverly 

 hidden near the top. They were also used 

 to construct the pillars supporting the palm- 

 thatched roofs of the pavilions and in the 

 bridges and dams. 



And the flowers proved that the State 

 which has such wonderful wild flowers can 

 also grow most beautiful garden flowers. 

 There was a great profusion of dwarf phlox, 

 verbenas, and pansies in the greatest variety 

 of rich colors, and I imagine summer flowers 

 will be just as abundant later on. There 

 were aquatic plants in the little lakes and 

 fine shrubbery everywhere. 



A few adobe Mexican houses near by, de 

 luxe editions, you might say, gave one op- 

 portunity to buy pottery and curios and fur- 

 nished "local color."' Mr. Solomon bought 

 some tanuxles; but, in comparison with the 

 delicious dinner which Mrs. Solomon had 

 ready for us on our return, they seemed a 

 little tasteless. 



SOMEONE may wonder why I haven't 

 used the title ' ' My Texas ' ' after an 

 invitation to do so, which might be 

 called a hospitable threat. I did intend to, 

 and then it occurred to me it would be 

 rather presuming to adopt the whole im- 

 mense State when I have never stopped in 

 any town in it except San Antonio, and my 

 two visits there have been altogether too 

 brief. 



For several reasons the "Happy Hours" 

 title is likely to fit any travel articles which 

 come off my typewriter; I dearly love to 

 (Continued on page 382.) 



