Dec. 21, 1905 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



885 



invariably decrease, after a distance of a mile or more is 

 reached. 



"While yields of 7 and 8 bushels to the acre are not 

 uncommon in fields near the bees, we have yet to hear of 

 such turnouts of clover any considerable distance from the 

 apiaries. For 7 years our clover has yielded from 6 to 9 

 bushels to the acre ; our nearest neighbors have done about 

 the same. Others living 1 '2 miles and more from any bees, 

 have had in the same years from 2 to 5 bushels to the acre. 

 As the soil is practically the same in both cases, same 

 methods of culture practiced, etc., I am at a loss to explain 

 the difference, if the bees are left out of the question. These 

 statements will be vouched for by nine out of every ten 

 farmers growing alsike. In fact, I could name men who 10 

 years ago would laugh at the idea of the bee as something 

 necessary in alsike-growing, who to-day are the most anx- 

 ious to have bees near their clover-fields. One in particular 

 comes to my mind, who, 2 years ago, offered to haul an api- 

 ary from 15 miles away to his place, so that he could have 

 the benefit of them when his clover was in bloom. 



" Just a short time ago, while in conversation with that 

 well-known agriculturist, Mr. Simpson Rennie, of Toronto, 

 I remarked that the beet-sugar industry would not prove 

 very tempting to the farmers who are growing alsike. He 

 said, ' We can't all grow alsike; we haven't got the bees.' 

 He was very emphatic about the matter, and stated that 

 neighbors of his had tried again and again to grow alsike 

 for seed, and had always failed. In the section referred to 

 there are probably not half a dozen colonies of bees in the 

 neighborhood. Surely, the testimony of such men should 

 bear some weight. 



" Last, but not least, the opinion of the large seed firms 

 should be considered. As they annually handle thousands 

 of bushels of the seed, they should know what they are talk- 

 ing about. I think, without exception, they will say they 

 get the most seed, and of the best quality, from growers 

 who are in close proximity to bees." 



(Dxxv'Siskv 



J 



Conducted by Emma M. Wilson, Marengo, 111. 



A Hearty Holiday Greeting- 



to all and singular of the cherished sisterhood. May your 

 Christmas turkey be just the right shade of brown, and may 

 your pies not run over in the oven. May your bees winter 

 successfully, and may you have a good time expecting a big 

 crop of honey next year — whether it comes or not. 



To the many who have helped during the past year, by 

 their contributions and by their kind words of encourage- 

 ment, sincere thanks are due, and are hereby given. Closely 

 coupled with the feeling of thankfulness for the favors of 

 the past is the Oliver Twist feeling of a desire for " more." 

 Perhaps the most interesting hour of the day, "in this 

 locality," is about 9 o'clock in the morning, at which hour 

 the rural delivery man comes along, and when the day's 

 budget is brought into the house the first question always 

 asked by a certain person is, " Anything for me from the 

 sisters ?" If any of the sisters are at all solictous for the 

 happiness of that " certain person," they can make sure to 

 increase it by letting her hear from them often. 



Don't wait for .-some great thing to tell ; tell us about 

 the little things. Tell us of your successes, and, equally, 

 tell us of your failures. If ycu haven't a pen handy, use a 

 pencil. Never mind if you don't know just where to put the 

 commas and other marks — they're good at that sort of thing 

 in Chicago. 



Postals and postscripts permitted. 



Success to all of you. Emma M. Wilson. 



For Our Consolation and Encourag-ement 



Dbar Miss Wilson :— I send a short poem written by 

 a dear friend of mine, whose life is a living epistle of the 

 love of Christ. She signs herself " Sister Ruth." (Not her 

 real name.) It seems to me that some of us bee-keepers 

 may be consoled by reading this poem. So many of us fail 



of the prosperity and success we had worked and hoped for. 

 As I see in the American Bee Journal, from time to time, 

 poems on other subjects than beekeeping, I would be 

 pleased if you would have this poem published in the Sis- 

 ters' corner. Sarah E. Wiley. 

 Poughkeepsie, N. Y. 



Blessed are Ye That Pail 



Sometimes I've wished we might these words enroll 



Upon the pages of God's Holy Book, 

 Then, kneeling down by each discouraged soul, 



Could simply point to them and whisper, '' Look! 

 • Blessed are ye that fail.' " 



For none fail unless they first have striven ; 



'Tis he who toils all night, and naught doth take. 

 Whose heart with dark despair is keenly riven ; 



And so I wish 'twas written for his sake — 

 " Blessed are ye that fail." 



Is it not written? Not these words we find, 

 But surely in God's Book we read the thought — 



He treasures up the motives of the mind, 

 And blesses as the will within us wrought, 

 Tho' outwardly we fall. 



Christ came to heal our brokenheartedness; 



And who so sore as he who toils in vain > 

 Whose best endeavors seldom meet success, 



E'en tho' he try, and try, and try again? 

 Then blessed ye that fail. 



Aye, blessed, for the very striving leads 



The zealous soul into the realm of loss, 

 Made holy by the One whose loving deeds 



Seemed to have ended on the cruel cross. 

 Aye, blessed ye that fail ! 



God is too wise to let us oft succeed, 

 For then we would not keep our lowly place, 



And so He lets us feel our constant need 

 Of His supplies of patience and of grace- 

 Thus blessing those who fail. 



Then, weary one, look not upon the main, 



And mourn the wreck of all your toil and care; 

 If yet upon some broken piece you gain 

 The haven safely, and are welcomed there, 

 Blessed are ye that fail. 



Sister Roth. 



Bee-Keeping' and Other Tliing-s at " Clovernook" 



Dbar Bee-Kkkping Sisters:— So our good Chieftain- 

 ess thinks you will be interested in hearing some more 

 about " Clovernook," in addition to the clipping she printed 

 recently from that fine magazine, Suburban Life. 



Well, we began business with some SO colonies, and a 

 fine outfit for extracted honey, and a nice, large, roomy bee- 

 house, all of which was on 

 the place, and later on we 

 bought from the proceeds of 

 our honey. 



At first the colonies 

 dwindled to 31, but by expe- 

 rience (rapidly acquired in a 

 fiery furnace of stings and 

 disappointments) I promptly 

 and speedily ran them up to 

 80 colonies, the present limit 

 of our pasturage, and we 

 work each year to keep the 

 apiary at about that average. 

 I have always believed our 

 bees were the very backbone 

 and sinew whereby Clover- 

 nook has succeeded in build- 

 ing up a lucrative plant, even 

 i/ through many difiBculties. 

 And I must confess that after having had considerable ex- 

 perience in ducks, chickens, turkeys and squabs, besides 

 fruit-raising, during the 10 years' work here, surely bees 

 are away and ahead my most satisfactory branch, from 

 every standpoint but one. 



