Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-06-28
The ee.Fastures Of Mt, Shasta

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IN his second aud concluding illus
trated paper IN the July CENTURY on
"fhe liee'paslures Of California"
John Muir draws many delightful
pictures Of rural llfe IN the sierra val
leys, and describes the bees paradise
as follows
Shasta, as We have already sug'
gesicd, Is q dre-mountain, created by u
succession Of eruptlons Of ashes and
molten lava, which, flowing over the
lips Of iis several craters, grew up
ward like tho trunk Of u knotiy cyo-
genous tree. Then followed strange
contrast. The glacial winter came on,
loading tho cooling mountain with ice
which flowed slowly outward In every
direction, radiating from the summit In
tho form OF one vast conical glacier-a
down.crawling mantle Of leo upon q
fountain OF smoldering fire, crushing
aud grinding for centuries its brown
ainty lavas with inccssant activity,
and thus degrading and remodcling the
entire mountain. When, at length,
the glacial period began to draw near
is close. the icc-mantle was gradually
melted off around the, bottom, and, in
roccdng and breaking into its present
fragmentary condition, irregular rings
and heaps of moraine matter were
stored upon its nanks. The glacial
erosion of most of the Shasta layas
produced u dctritus, composed OF
rough, sub.angular powders Of moder-
atc size and porous gravel and sand,
which yields freely to the transporting
power of running water. Under Mt
turc's management, the next marked
geological event made to take place in
the history of Mount Shasta was Il
watcr.Aood of extraordinary magni-
tide, which acted with sublime energy
upon this prepared glacial dctritus,
sorting it out and carrying down inn
mcnsc quantities from the higher
slopes, and rcdepositing it in smooth,
delta.likc beds around the base I; and it
is these nood-beds of moraine soil, thus
suddenly and simultaneously laid down
and joined edge to edge. that now form
the main honey-zonc.
Thus, by forces seemingly antaso-
nistic and destructive, has Mother Ma
tare accomplished her bcnefcent de-
signs-now Il food Of fire, now flood
of ice, now flood of water; and then
an outburst of organic life, milky
way of snowy petals and wings, grid
ling the rugged mountain like n cloud,
as if the vivifying sunbeams beating
against its sides had broken into n
foam of plant-bloom and bees.
In this lovely wilderness the bees
rove and revel, rejoicing in the bounty
of the sun, clambering eagerly through
bramblc and hucklebloom, stirring the
clustered bells of the manzanita, now
humming aloft among polleny willows
and frs, now down on the ashy ground
among gilias and buttercups, and anon.
plunging deep into snowy banks of
cherry; and buckthorn. N II The
Shasta bees are perhaps better fed than
any others in the sierra. Their field
work is one perpetual feast; but, how
ever exhilarating the sunshine or
bountiful the supply of flowers, they
are always dainty feeders. Hpmming-
moths and humming-brds seldom set
foot upon flower, but poise on the
wing in front of it, and reach forward
as if they were sucking through straws.
But bees, though as dainty as they,
hug their favorite flowers with profound
cordiality, and push their blunt, pol
leny faces against them, like babies on
their mothers bosom.