189G. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



13 



the next fiive or ten years will bring 

 in the way of pasturage.* 



Notwithstanding the fact that ray 

 bees have given no surplus for two 

 years, I'm putting thera into winter 

 quarters with a good bit of the same 

 hopefulness I had in years gone by 

 after a good season. I'll tell you a 

 little how it looks to me. If it's the 

 presence or lack of blossoms. I don't 

 see any reason why there may not be 

 many blossoms next year as there were 

 ten or fifteen years ago. My chief, 

 indeed ray almost sole source of sur- 

 plus is white clover. Sometimes plants 

 and blossoms are scarce, sometimes 

 bloom in abundant. I dout know 

 any great reason why next year may 

 not be one of their abundance. 



If it's electric or other conditions 

 that make the trouble, no one that I 

 know of can tell much about them, 

 and as the whole matter lies in the 

 region of uncertainty, why not ex- 

 pect good conditions as well as bad for 

 next year ? The weather with all its 

 appurtenances and belongings is pro- 

 verbial for its chaugeableness. We've 

 had changes for the worse, are we not 

 just as likely now to have "them for 

 the better? Two years of total fail- 

 ures is a somewhat remarkable thing. 

 It would be still more remarkable if 

 we should have three. 



Notwithstanding the many failures, 

 there were also successes. This year 

 is reported by some as the best year 

 ever known. May it not come our 

 turn next year ? I think I never 

 knew a better fall yield, iu my locali- 

 ty, than the present year. Although 

 it gave me no surplus, it was still val- 

 uable, for it saved feeding for winter. 

 Now if the bees took a fresh grip on 

 the fall harvest, why may they not 

 do it on the next white honey harvest? 



There is also a probability of in- 



creasing acreage of honey plants in 

 the future. Rape, alfalfa, crimson 

 clover, sweet clover and perhaps other 

 things are talked of as promising for- 

 age plants where they are now little 

 known. Who knows what possibili- 

 ties there may be in that direction ? 



On the whole, I think I'll not brim- 

 stone my bees just yet, 



Marengo, 111. 



THE NEW BIKTH. 



A BRIEF NEW YEAR SERMON BY DR. LYMAN 



ABBOTT PASTOR OF Pl.YMOTH 



CHITKCII, BROOKLYN. 



Christmas and New Year Day are, and 

 should be, times of introspection, of self- 

 examination, to ascertain whether achieve- 

 ments are not falling far short of ideals, and 

 whether tiie ideals themselves are not be- 

 comine; dim. Invariably it will be found 

 that this it true. Everybody needs a newer 

 and diviuer life than that of the days that 

 are gone. They need more spirituality. No 

 intellectual development, no culture, no 

 moral obedience to laws of conduct, can 

 take the place of spiritual life. It is 

 the absolute necessity of humanity. 

 No finger-drdling will enable a girl to see 

 the kingilom of music ; no Greek grammat- 

 ical grind will enable a student to see the 

 kingdom of literature. The artistic sense 

 mmt be born before art or literature are 

 even as much as seen. So no drill in creed 

 or ritual will ever open the windows of the 

 kingdom of God and let the soul look in. 

 The sense of spiritual realities must be born 

 within the soul. A new life must begin ; 

 and this life must be born from above. If 

 it be true that we miuit, it is true that we 

 may, become new creatures. We may bury 

 the past_,in the depths of the sea. It may 

 become as foreign to us as though it were a 

 pre-existent state. The moral and spiritual 

 nature may be re-formed. The very sub- 

 stratum of character may be changed. No 

 man Or woman need despair. No one has a 

 right to say in exculpation lo himself, "It 

 is my nature ; I was born so." He can ac- 

 quire a new nature; he can be born again, 

 born out of the dead p ist. The secret and 

 origin of this new and divine life is the love 

 of God, and this omnipotent love may be 

 obtained by meriting it, by setting Christian 

 ideals higli, and striving to live up to them, 

 not in the letter merely, but in the true spirit. 

 New Year's is an excellent day to begin to 

 live a spiritual and unseltish life ; and even 

 if the efforts are not wholly .successful at 

 first, they will result, nevertheless, iu lasting 

 good. — Fiom " Neiv Thoughts for the New 

 Year," in Demor cat's Magazine for January. 



