was after me some time ago to go down and take some Cows and Horses to keep for another man, he offers half the increase and two thirds of the Butter & Cheese. If he could get the place for us he was to let us know immediately, and in that case we should move down when I go. I expect to spend the summer on the coast some where, in looking at the country and in fishing. While I have been laid up I have been helping to make some fish nets, to catch Salmon in. There is a plenty of people that is ready to furnish us with Salt and Barrels to put them in. It is said to be as good business as there is in Oregon.
It is our intention to go and get us a claim on, or near the salt water, if we can get prairia there, and I intend to look out enough for you, if you should want it when you come, (for we think you will,) Levi must not think there is no prairias in this country, for I have seen a very little, and Frances has been up the country to live, and returned about a week since, she says there is beautiful prairias up where she has been, yet the most of the country is covered with heavy timber, and there is many a man here, that has been here for years that has not more than 10 or 15 acres under cultivation, that is in the timber.
There is one thing that I have always wanted to mention, but it has alwais slip my mind, and if you ever come to Oregon you must not make any calculations on keeping Bees,[1] for they cannot be raised here, the winters are not cold enough to keep them in, they come out of the hive to fly about, and a little shower of rain will catch them and in that way the whole swarm will soon be distroyed.
About the rain in the summer, I cant say anything about the last part of the summer, but so far, we have had a dry spell for some 4 or 5 weeks until within the last week we have had a little shower every day or two, in the first place it did not rain enough for a number of days to lay the dust, but day befor yesterday we had a very fine shower, and when we got up this morning, it was raining very gently, without either thunder,
- ↑ John Davenport brought a hive of bees to Oregon in 1854; Oregon Statesman, August 1, 1854. For beginning of the bee industry in Oregon see "Bees in Oregon and Washington," by T. T. Eyre, in Oregon Farmer, August 1, 1858.
