1898 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



473 



down the end folds (that were under the 

 clamps); lay the weight aside; lift the fold- 

 ing-plate off, and finally place the paper on a 

 board of the same size, laying other papers, 

 as you proceed, on top of this, until you have 

 a pile of trays ready for use, easily moved, or 

 readily covered up to protect them from dust, 

 if they are not wanted immediately. 

 Independence, Cal. 



RAMBLE NO. 147. 

 At Geo. W. Brodbeck's. 



BY RAMBI^ER. 



But midst the crowd, the hum, the shock of men, 

 To hear, to see. to feel, and to possess. 

 And roam along, the world's tired denizen. 

 With none to bless us, none whom we can bless ; 

 Minions of splendor shrinking from distress. 

 None that with kindred consciousness endued, 

 If we were not, would .seem to smile the less, 

 Of all that flattered, followed, sought, and sued, 

 This is to be alone : this, this is solitude. 



The writer of this has many times and in 

 many cities felt this same solitude. There is 

 a throng on the street, the rattle and anima- 

 tion of business ; still, to the stranger in a 

 strange city there come lonesome moments ; 



and if there has ever been a symptom of home- 

 sickness with me it has been over the memory 

 of the dear kind neighbors in the old home 

 beyond the mountains. The difference is this: 

 In the old home we have all grown up togeth- 

 er ; our joys and sorrows have been the same ; 

 we have been tried by a test of many years, 

 and there is confidence placed in our words 

 and acts according as those acts have been to 

 truth and sobriety. But in one of these far 

 western cities there is scarcely a person who 

 has grown to manhood in any of them . They 

 are gathered from the four quarters of the 

 earth — all nationalities, colors, creeds, and 

 dispositions. If there is a general selfishness 

 manifested by the inhabitants it is for self- 

 protection. We know not the antecedents of 

 our neighbor ; and we often suddenly find, af- 

 ter having given him otir confidence, that the 

 pleasing exterior hides an arrant scoundrel. 

 Under these circumstances many make new 

 acquaintances slowly, and but few of them. 

 In a two-years' residence, however, in one 

 place, an)' person will find many 

 kindred spirits ; and so in this 

 city I have found many good 

 people ; and one of my most val- 

 ued friends, and one who gave 

 the Rambler a cordial welcome 

 when he arrived in Southern Cal- 

 ifornia, is Mr. Geo. W. Brodbeck. 

 Mr. Brodbeck removed from 

 Indiana to California about elev- 

 en years ago. He was interest- 

 ed in bees in the East, and, 

 though he engaged in mercan- 

 tile business when he came to 

 this city, as with all enthusiastic 

 bee-men the hum of the insect 

 was constantly in his ears. Mr. 

 Brodbeck soon cultivated the ac- 

 quaintance of bee-keepers, and 

 was the leading spirit in the or- 

 ganization of the vSotithern Cali- 

 fornia Bee-keepers' Association. 

 It was a success as a local asso- 

 ciation, but there were quite a 

 number of bee - keepers who 

 thought it would have more in- 

 fltience if it could embrace the 

 whole State, and it was accord- 

 ingly changed to a State associa- 

 tion in 1892, and Mr. Brodbeck's 

 efforts have been untiring in the 

 interests of the organization. 

 Finding the confinement to btisi- 

 ness matters detrimental to 

 health he retired from mercan- 

 tile pursuits, and for the past 

 three or four years has devoted 

 himself almost entirely to bee- 

 keeping. 



It is an easy matter to pick up 

 colonies of bees in this city. The 

 hundred colonies, more or less, 

 that are in houses, will swarm, 

 and people will hive them in all sorts of boxes ; 

 and during the swarming season the}' can be 

 purchased very cheaply. When a score or 

 more are secured and transferred to good 

 hives they can be increased rapidly. With 



