274 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Aprii, 1. 



The farmer mingles with these choice products right 

 from God's own hand, and therefore is refined and 

 made tfiore Godlike. Is it not, then, most desirable 

 that we use every effort to bring farmers together to 

 create unity of action that they make use of the most 

 potent lever that has helped to raise all other classes 

 to the position of superior influence ? I am so sure of 

 this that I wish to lose no opportunity to urge all who 

 have influence to work for this end. And thus I wish 

 now to be-eech you to spare no opportunity in your 

 able and widely'read journal to push the importance 

 of this matter before the people. 



You probably know that California has marched to 

 the front in this matter of co-operation among the 

 producers. We believe that the Citrus Fruit Exchange, 

 which controls hardly more than one-third of the 

 p'-oducts of the State, has been the saving of the citrus 

 industry. We further believe that, when it becomes 

 the controlling power, as it bids fair to be soon, it will 

 be much more of a power for good. The Raisin Com- 

 bine, of Central California, has saved the raisin indus- 

 try ; has made a business that was fl^t on its back one 

 of the most desirable in the State ; has cleared mort- 

 gages from many a vineyard, and has made a dest ond- 

 ent people rejoice in thrift and the glad prospect of 

 still better things. The r'eciduous-fruit exchange, 

 though yet young, is rapidly bringing about a like 

 state o: things. We are now having a great combine 

 formed incluiling dried-fruit product'; nf the entire 

 S'ate. The aim is to secure control of 75 per cent of 

 the fruit of the State. It now looks as though the en- 

 terprise would succeed. If so. the prune industrv, 

 which is now languishing and almost breathless, will 

 be brought again into the prosperity that it deserves. 

 The Bee-keepers' Exchange ha« been unfortunate in 

 that, since its origin, we have had almo.st no honey 

 cop. With some good honey years we may hope 

 much from this organization, especially if it is rightly 

 managed. The rea.son why California comes to the 

 front in this great undertaking is that she has an ex- 

 ceptionally cultured farming class. Many of our 

 ranchers were large, successful business men of the 

 East who came here to our beautiful sunny southland 

 to regain lost health. That the gain might be more 

 rapid they became the owners of orchards ; and with 

 recovered health came the love for their work. I do 

 not believe the world can show so bright a community 

 of farmers of so much business tact and energvas are 

 to be found in our beautiful .southland of California. 

 Thus it was easier here to inaugurate the combination 

 movement. Men had experienced its benefits in other 

 lines of business, and were eager to repeat the expe- 

 rience in their orchard management. It has occurred 

 to me that the bee-keepers were exceptionally well in- 

 formed. Do they not almost all take the journals? If 

 they read generally, as I believe is true, then they 

 think and know what forces are moving the world. 

 Are they riot. then, men who can be easily induced to 

 come into this combination movement? If I can read 

 the signs of the times, public ownership of all our 

 public utilities is soon to bec^me a fact. I expect to 

 see the railroad*, street- ailways, express business, 

 telegraphs, and tflephones all iinder municipal or 

 government control. I hope, likewise, to see the agri- 

 culture of our country thoroughly co-oi)erative. I feel 

 sure that, with it will dawn a brighter day. not only 

 for our fanning class but for our whr le people ; for 

 with the prosperity of the farmer comes the prosperity 

 of every other class. 



Now, friend Root, will yon not give this matter ear- 

 nest heed, and urge all o'lr bee-keepers to take hold 

 of co-operation with a will ? 



You know, of course, what co-operation has done 

 for the laboring classes of England. We certainly 

 should not be behind our brothers of the island em- 

 pire. In my judgment, onlv a few things are necessa- 

 ry to bring about this desired consummation. One is 

 general enlightenment of the people. We need much 

 of social mingling and culture which will banish the 

 disposition to distrust now too common among our 

 farmine class. Secondlv. a few examples like those 

 referred to already, which shall show clearly that suc- 

 cess comes with sood management and will do much 

 to hasten the good time. Certainl}' we need to take 

 great pains that the business management in this co- 

 operation movement shall be especially wise, intelli- 

 gent, and honest. To get such management we must 

 pay for it. We must persuade the people of this ne- 

 cessity, which maj', perhaps, be one of the most diffi- 

 cult things of all. The railroads secure the very best 

 business ability to manage their business. They pay 

 well for this ability. We can do the 'ame thing, and 

 w^ill as s"ion as we have fully informed ourselves as to 

 what is for our best interest. 



I hope, my dear friend, that you will give this mat- 

 ter earnest consideration, and then I am sure you will 

 feel as enthusiastic in the matter as I do. You will 

 see the good that is sure to come from it, and you will 

 urge in season and out of season that all our people 

 wake up in this matter, and that all our industrial 

 classes shall unite in the fullest and wisest coopera- 

 tion. A. J. Cook. 



Claremont, Cal., Mar. 2. 



Dear friend Cook, I heartily thank yon for 

 your very kind words in regard to my poor 

 self ; and I am glad to say to the friends that I 

 have long felt just about what you outline in 

 a way mttch better than I could put it myself. 

 I am in position to know the power of many 

 minds working in harmony, backed by the 

 wealth of many persons. May God help us to 

 make this new method of doing things a bless- 

 ing to all humanity — as well to the poorest 

 and humblest as to the wealthy. Like every 

 thing else that is good, it must come througjti 

 Christ Jesus, the great Master and the great 

 Leader. May God help us to see that not 

 only is true Christianity, but all real success 

 and progress as well, dependent on harmony 

 between labor and capital. One of our great 

 troubles is laborers who are not loyal to the 

 firm or organization that pays them their 

 wages every Saturday night, and a like great 

 trouble is that the employer or organization is 

 not in a like manner loyal to those who do 

 the work with brain and muscle. Once more, 

 may God help us. 



TEMPERANCE AND TEMPERANCE I.EGISLATION 

 IN OHIO. 



Doubtless many of our readers know more 

 or less about the Clark bill that recently passed 

 the House of our State, but failed by just one 

 vote of passing the Senate. When the Anti- 

 saloon League was first started we had the 

 Haskell bill ; later we tried what was called 

 the Harris bill, making some progress each 

 time ; but the enemy managed, by means that 

 the Anti-saloon League could not use, to de- 

 feat us every time. All three of these had 

 one main object — to permit the voters of any 

 town, or precinct of a large city, to decide by 

 vote whetlier they want saloons in their town 

 or neighborhood or not. After the Clark bill 

 passed the House, the brewers and the Ohio 

 Whisky League became almost frantic in their 

 determination that the bill should not be 

 passed. The Wine and Spirit Nezvs came out 

 boldly in an appeal to the brewers and saloon- 

 keepers something like this: " Gentlemen, if 

 this bill is passed it will sweep out fully half 

 of the saloons in Ohio." And then it urged 

 and implored them to rally to the fight, and 

 defeat a bill so damaging to their interests, by 

 any sort of means, fair or foul. If yoti think 

 I am putting it too strongly, see copies of the 

 Wine and Spirit News. In fact, you can see 

 enough of it in almost any one copy. 



Let us now consider this thing a little. In 

 our land of liberty we expect the majority to 

 rule. The Liquor League says, however, that 

 the majority 7)iiist not be permitted to rule ; 

 for if it did, half the saloons in the State 

 would be wiped out, and the damage to their 

 industry would be tremendous. " No, sir, 'e. 



