Sept. S, 1901. 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



569 



and want but little, they are much more patient with a declin- 

 ing queeu than when everything is on the boom. Probably 

 linden would have no relation to the matter where there is 

 only a tree or two of linden — or no flow from a larger number 

 of trees. And also in a very bad year (I think we have 

 heard) queens live over, and supersessions come in a pile next 

 year. Page -iGT. 



didn't .select this home before sw.\rmino. 



Yes, Mr. Hobbs, the swarm that (lies seven miles, two 

 miles of it through timber containing numerous good homes, 

 and locates finally in a cavity not fit to winter in — they mani- 

 festly didn't select their home before swarming. Page 475. 



" MAKING " NATURAL .SW.\^RMS. 



The imitation of natural swarming given by Doolittle on 

 page 478 may be quite valuable. Very little things oft turn 

 the scale between failure and success, and the ji hour spent 

 homeless and clustered like a swarm may be one of them. 

 The crucial point, of course, is whether the bees in a body 

 actually do stay put, or whether a large fraction of them 

 return to the old stand. Not unwise to hold the thing as an 

 experiment until many brethren have had continued success 

 in making all the bees stay. 



^ The Home Circle. ^ 



Conducted bu Prof. ft. J. Cook, Glaremont, Calif. 



OUR SOCIAL LIFE. 



The Good Book is well named — The Bible — which means 

 " the book." It is //le book. The other name — the Gospel — 

 means "good news." And it is good news, indeed. It always 

 advises us rightly and so, of course, wisely. How good to 

 have a friend, ever close at our elbow, that will ever have the 

 wisdom and the interested sympathy always to advise us 

 aright. Many of us have been thus blessed in our life com- 

 panions. How well we have learned our good fortune and our 

 blessing. 



The dear, old Bible may be just such a treasured friend to 

 every one. It, like its author, is too wise to err, too good to 

 be unkind. This dear old volume says that he that neglects 

 those of his own household is worse than an infidel. It is sug- 

 gestive, as it puts action ahead of belief. I suppose for the 

 same reason that James, in his epistle, exhalts works. Our 

 actions bespeak the heart's status. Ever to ask aright means 

 ever to be right. I am glad that the precious old book exalts 

 the home love. The home at its best, where all the heart- 

 throbs are true, and all the life sympathies are quick and 

 responsive, where each truly holds other better than himself, 

 and is happiest in ministration — such a home is earth's dear- 

 est and best boon. It is one of the things most to be sought 

 after — and, when won. most to be prized. 



But the dear old book does not stop there. It urges us 

 not to forget to assemble ourselves together. It is our blessed 

 privilege, no less than our sacred duty, to give our first 

 thought and best love to home and its members. If that 

 home is what it should be, and rightly influences us, as it 

 ought and will, then it will never fence in our love to keep it 

 all to itself. It will so touch life with the spirit of sweet help- 

 fulness that all in the home will reach out to bless and help 

 those of other homes. 



It was my good fortune to be in Columbus, Ohio, when our 

 beloved and martyred president, James A. Garfield, was elected 

 to the United States Senate. I heard his speech as he 

 responded to the notification of his great, good fortune. He 

 said, in short, that it had given him pleasure, when he had 

 been so fortunate as to act in a way to meet the approval of 

 his countrymen the country over. It brought a deeper grati- 

 fication to know that he pleased the people of his own State — 

 Ohio. He was yet more pleased at the applause of those of 

 his own district; and the heart-beats were stirred more at the 

 plaudits of those of his own homo— his very neighbors. A 

 still keener relish greeted the approval of the dear ones of 

 his own home circle, and the best satisfaction of all canif 

 when he wholly pleased James A. Garfield. I suppose it is 

 the best satisfaction, when our own consciences say without 

 let or hindrance, " Well done." 



So in our ministrations. Our greatest duty is to ourselves. 

 We can never give to our bi-st friends so dear a gift as our 



own best manhood. Next we should reserve our most benefi- 

 cent thought and bestowraents for the home circle. No man 

 can give his best to his neighbors who has not already given 

 better thought and attention to his very own loved ones. 



Next, the arms of our love should encircle our neighbors. 

 The man who does not gild the pathways of his own town 

 with acts of thoughtful, unselfish love, which attracts all to 

 him, is not the truest patriot who will best serve his State and 

 nation. And may I not say that the best, truest lover of 

 country is one whose face brightens most as kind, true things 

 are said of his own beloved State. If the State love of the 

 South had been as wise as true, their patriotism would have 

 been broader, and the fearful havoc of war might have been 

 stayed. 



Our home circles, then, if sweetest and truest, will cast 

 about to brighten, refine and elevate all the neighboring 

 homes. This will surely react and every home circle will 

 sound a truer note of worth and virtue, because all the homes 

 are in unison. I suppose we must have different churches, 

 just as we are told that divorce was suffered because of hard- 

 ness of heart. But I have often thought wistfully of the 

 good time when we should have only one church, for all would 

 wish to be in one fold. How delightful when some one neigh- 

 borhood club, literary and social, takes all into its fond 

 embrace. Claremont has but one church. Claremont has a 

 literary club and a horticultural club, both of which take in 

 nearly all. .-ill are welcome to each. 



Michigan is forging ahead as few other sections in the 

 country are. Even her people in the rural regions are acting 

 together in a most wise and sensible way to secure the best 

 thTngs. Her hundreds of farmers' clubs, and other hundreds 

 of granges, explain the rapid advance. 



Southern California is holding up to the view of the world 

 an example of successful co-operation among her fruit-men 

 that must prove of immense value to us and to others, who 

 surely will soon hasten to follow our example. Southern 

 California has many successful, active clubs. These are 

 mainly horticultural or pomological. A few are more in the 

 trend of dairy interests. These clubs unite the people 

 socially, make them pull as one in business affairs : tend to 

 make the best work and methods of the community the com- 

 mon work and method ; insure wise effort to direct and influ- 

 ence. These clubs are wonderful promoters of co-operation. 

 Our Southern California Fruit Exchanges surely owe much of 

 their phenomenal growth and success to the work of these 

 clubs. They prepare the way. 



In our " Farmers' Institutes " of Southern California we 

 always aim to form a club, in case one is not already in exis- 

 tence, at each place, and we rarely fail to do so. These 

 become social as well as economic functions, and their power 

 for good in the community is tremendous. In some cases 

 these monthly club meetings, which are usually held at the 

 •homes of the members, are held in the daytime, and the host 

 furnishes a dinner for all. This, of course, involves some 

 expense and much work, yet if there are 24 members or fami- 

 lies in the club, this only comes once in two years, and. when 

 once over, two vears of sumptuous monthly dinners are a cer- 

 tain expectancy. These frequent visitations keep the place 

 fixed up, and are wonderful promoters of good fellowship in 

 the community. In some cases they have served to advance 

 the price of property, so valuable have been their work and 

 influence. They have come to stay, and will hasten the glad 

 time when farmers will no longer be handicapped by entire 

 lack of organization, but will, through such organization, be 

 as able to co-operate as are those of other crafts and business. 

 These frequent and pleasant meetings insure a united and 

 harmonious community, and will react to bring more of love 

 and accord, I am sure, in every home. 



There is just one impediment in the way of the success or 

 these organizations, and this is the great bar to the best frui- 

 tion in all enterprise and progress. This is selfishness. Our 

 work pushes. Business seems imperative in her demands, and 

 when club-dav comes, we often forget, even though we may be 

 on the program for the day, tliat our work is then at end for 

 the club, and our business is to be there : and we stay at 

 home. Very freiiuent mistakes of this kind will surely sap 

 the interest "in any club. Thus, for our own good, and for the 

 good of our club and community, we must all pledge our full 

 sympathy and support to the club. . ^ » 



These clubs have been so full of energy and so abundant 

 in good fruits in Southern C^lifo rnia, that they are becoming 

 substantial factors in our rural life, and promise much for the 

 future. Let it be a part of the good work of all our home 

 circles, to help to inaugurate, sustain and make successful in 

 all our communities such clubs. They promise much for our 

 homes, our neighborlioods, and for our country. Their pro- 

 motion will be among the best part of our work and duty. 



