42 



GLKANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



people of this country to strengthen the military 

 power of this republic is contrary to the spirit of 

 Christianity. What would Jesus do? Can we im- 

 agine him at this crisis in the world's history call- 

 ing on a nation to spend vast sums preparing itself 

 for war by creating a great army and navj- ? It is 

 not thinkable. We know what he would do. He 

 would call on the people of this country to give at 

 least a dollar apiece to preach and practice the 

 gospel of justice and brotherhood here at home, and 

 to take what battleships we have and load them 

 with the best of our sons and daughters and send 

 them around the world to evangelize the nation that 

 will be ready for it as never before, and put an 

 end to war by teaching and practicing the principles 

 of the Prince of Peace. 



Over against your program, we who differ with 

 you place this program of preparedness. It is more 

 practical than yours. It is the only program which 

 will in the end bring about the brotherhood of man. 



With voice and pen and all the influence I pos- 

 sess, I, as one American citizen, will oppose this 

 program of militarism to the full extent of my 

 power, for it represents not the spirit of the Master, 

 the Prince of Peace, but the spirit of the old-world 

 fear and distrust and hate which has kept alive 

 through all the centuries that which the United 

 States does not represent either by her traditions or 

 by her history. After all these centuries of Jesus 

 Christ, we should have learned the lesson which he 

 has been trying to teach us: "They that use the 

 sword shall perish by the sword." 



I am very respect fully yours, 



Charles M. Sheldon, 



Central Congregational Church, Topeka, Kan. 



At present I am ready to give a hearty 

 amen to every word of the above. 1 may 

 change my mind later, but I hardly think 

 I shall. 



HIGiH-PRESSURE GARDENING 



J 



OUR FLORIDA GARDEN. 



We reached our Florida home on Satur- 

 day, November 6, just before dinner time. 

 Wesley was on hand to welcome us, as 

 usual, but he had a sorry report to make 

 about the garden. I think I was out in 

 the garden before I even entered the house. 

 Everybody agi'eed it had been the hottest 

 and dryest summer that even the " oldest 

 inhabitant," etc., remembered. 



" Why, Wesley, you don't mean our val- 

 uable stuff is all dead ? " 



" Pretty much, or ready to die." 



Jaboticaba, avocado pears, feterita, dash- 

 een, our nice bed of strawberries, etc., and, 

 to top it all, the most of the nice lot of 

 young chickens I spent so much time in 

 raising last winter were stolen. It did look 

 dubious for a little while ; but I have learn- 

 ed from years of experience that it's never 

 best to be in haste to "imagine evil." There 

 were some things the dry summer didn't 

 seem to hurt much, and pre-eminently were 

 the gTeat weeds, higher than I could reach, 

 all over my nicely fertilized beds. I soon 

 found one jaboticaba was alive; and by get- 

 ting away the trash I found all three of 

 the avocadoes (that cost $2.00 each) had 

 started to sprout near the ground. The 

 feterita, that is so highly recommended to 

 stand drouth, seemed to be affected with 

 some kind of blight; and as the birds had 

 appropriated about all the gi'ain as fast as 

 it had ripened, it made the whole garden 

 look sorry. 



Sixty hens were back in their old places 

 and seemed very well pleased with the new 

 growth of plants all over their accustomed 

 runs. After we found they were being 

 stolen, they (the 60 remaining) were moved 

 over to neighbor Rood's, and Wesley 



brought them back the day before. The 

 first day I think we got 4 eggs, but with my 

 management they speedily came up to a 

 dozen or 15, and at 45 cents a dozen they 

 are now (November 23) paying their way 

 and a little more. 



In one spot where I left a little sickly 

 roselle plant, that I had no idea would 

 live, stood a great tree 10 feet high and 

 12 feet across, and loaded with " fruit." 



" Why, Wesley, do you mean to say that 

 tree is the little plant I tried so hard to 

 save?" 



" It is the very plant, Mr. Root, and we 

 have a lot more. Just look away down 

 tliere ! " 



I could hardly believe my eyes. When 

 almost everything else seemed sick and dis- 

 couraged my roselle was just booming. We 

 picked a panful and found them not only 

 as good as cranberries, but to my notion a 

 great deal better. The cranberries have a 

 tough skin that I have always thought in- 

 digestible, but nothing of the kind with the 

 roselle. We carried panfuls all around to 

 the neighbors, and they are selling at a 

 pretty good rate ujd town at 10 cts. per 

 quart. After having them in great plenty 

 at almost every meal for the last two weeks 

 I am thanking God every day for this most 

 luscious and healthful fruit.* Lest you may 

 think roselle is only another of my "freaks," 

 instead of a " great discovery " along the 



* When I said at dinner, " Sue, I do believe this 

 roselle makes the most delicious sauce I ever tast- 

 ed," she replied, " Now, don't you go and put that 

 in print, for you have said it so many times it will 

 sound ridiculous." 



Well, this is the day before Thanksgiving, and I 

 am sure it is the right and proper thing to thank 

 God for roselle ; and if it is true that I discover 

 some new thing to be thankful for almost every day 

 of my life, is it really a bad habit to get into ? 

 What do you, dear reader, think about it? 



