1878 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



403 



stint, are they so economicalV And do they 

 have that fierce energy that characterizes 

 them, when the yield tirst opens? 



Should we go into the shoi) of some me- 

 chanic after he is gone, we would have little 

 trouble in deciding wiiat kind of work lie 

 had been doing, by the sight of his chips and 

 tools ; and in the study of botany and ento- 

 mology, I have been lost in wonder, amaze- 

 ment, and reverence toward (jod, in contem- 

 plating the evidences all about, of the 

 changes now taking place. The flowers 

 show the rudiments of organs that evidently 

 once existed, but are now being lost. The 

 organs of the flowers are constantly chang- 

 ing; the Spanish needle on our roadside is 

 destitute of petals, but in the swamps, a few 

 miles away, the petals are so largely devel- 

 oped as to make a most beautiful flower. 

 Ilere nature has wrought the change. 

 Peach trees raised from the seed of the old, 

 common sorts have a large, beautiful liower, 

 but the varieties that have been so rapidly 

 disseminated by budding, by the nursery 

 men, have, in a few short years, lost their 

 petals, and lost their honey. I suggest that 

 it is because tlie seeds are not now used and 

 therefore the plant produces neither the 

 showy, conspicuous petals to draw the bees, 

 nor the delicate nectar. This has been 

 man's work, or the result of man's selection. 

 Jiut a few days ago, a friend brought some 

 lish without eyes from the Mammoth Cave ; 

 bugs are found with wings tliat are never 

 used for flight; snakes liave rudimentary 

 legs ; and all nature is strewn with eviden- 

 ces of these wonderful changes. The locust, 

 the pea, and clover have a leaf, flowers, and 

 seed so similar that I believe botanists have 

 classed them all in one family. After exam- 

 ining the three, and studying them over, it 

 looks reasonable to me, that the tree, the 

 vine, and tlie plant, all sprang from one 

 common parent, and liave taken their pres- 

 ent forms through ages of just such changes 

 as I have mentioned. I know that (Jod 

 wishes me to be ever busy and ever growing, 

 and I hope I am growing daily nearer to 

 Ilim. The thought that lie is in all the af- 

 fairs of this world of changes, ever busy with 

 us, and for us, is the happiest conception I 

 have ever had of Ilim, while studynig Him 

 and His works. Even if we think different- 

 ly, we unite in loving and reverencing Him, 

 do we not, my friend? 



A I^ETTER FKOIVI SIAM. 



BIJpK. A. I. ROOT, Dear Si/;-Throug-h the kind- 

 rjSlI ness of my friend of the lirm, Barnes & Co., 

 _ — ^^ I am receiving' your periodical on bee culture. 

 There are no bees or honey raisers in this land, and 

 I think it not possible to cultivate them; still, I like 

 to read your mag'azine. I like the spirit. I value 

 the varied information and g'ood practical hints on 

 various subjects which I And in it. I like your 

 frank, familiar way. It does one g-ood to read your 

 cheerful words. Above all, I like the moral tone, 

 and decided Christian spirit of your paper. In the 

 last No. (June), I read the criticism of J. D. W., who 

 advises you to leave t)ut the "reli{j:ious" part, and I 

 enjoyed your reply very much. You are rig-ht; I 

 am glad to see you have the Root of the matter in 

 you. 



If business men would carry their religion into 

 their every-day life, and make it a part of their 

 work, the men of the world would very sooji see the 

 value of true Christian life and practice founded on 

 the Bible. I doubt not that opposers of Christiani- 



ty would be fi-lad to see that subject dropped— see it 

 left out of all the affairs of life. They would gladly 

 ignore the whole subject, and desire not to have it 

 intruded on their notice in any way. They are like 

 the late King of Siam, who did not wish to hear of 

 death, and issued an order forbidding anyone about 

 the palace to speak of the subject. But ev^en this 

 did not exclude the stern messenger. Death came 

 at last. He was called at a time when he was quite 

 unwilling to go. 



But perhaps you may ask, as some others have 

 done, where is Siam? and what are the people likey 

 One or two words will describe their condition so- 

 cially and morally. They are heathen and idolaters. 

 I have been doing what I can for nearly 20 years to 

 teach them to worship the living and true God, and 

 put their trust in Jesus Christ; and I think I have 

 made some progress. A church of GO members; 

 schools numbering 1,50 children; H native preachers, 

 include part of the visible results of my efforts at 

 this station (Petehaburi), during that time. 



The Siamese are just waking from the sleep of 

 long ages. They are seeking knowledge. The King 

 has encouraged education in our schools here by a 

 generous gift of $1000.00 toward our new school 

 building. He is now planning for the education of 

 his people, bj' the organization of schools. He has 

 requested md to take charge of the educational 

 work of the countr.v, and we hope for great results. 

 But I must close. I wish you all success. 



Yours very truly, Sam'l G. McFadland. 



P. S.— I have profited by reading your directions 

 for putting a circular saw in order, tiling, &c. 1 

 think I have got many useful ideas from your pa- 

 per. I have one of Barnes' hand circular rip saws; 

 but we have difliculty in making it cut true. 

 Whether the trouble is in the gauge, or the set of 

 the saw, or the filing, I can nol find out. I set the 

 gauge so that the saw will cut true, and it does all 

 right till the saw needs filing. After filing, it is just 

 as before. I find, without changing the .set or the 

 gauge in the least, that the wood crowds on the saw 

 and lieciinies tight, or pulls away from the gauge. 

 Now what can the trouble be? Is it in the filingV or 

 does the gauge require to be moved to suit the saw 

 again? If the trouble is in the filing how can I 

 know it? and how can I rectify it? 



We are amateurs, like many of your pupils, and 

 must look to you for light. I am much pleased 

 with Barnes' machinery, but it takes us some time 

 to learn to use it. The mortiser is the most satis- 

 factory machine we have. It literally "astonishes 

 the natives." S. G. M. 



Bangkok, Siam, Asia, Sept. 3d, 1878. 



Thanks for your kind letter, my friend, 

 but I must tliink that wherever man can 

 live, there bees may thrive. Has bee cul- 

 ture ever been intelligently tried? You 

 surely have honey producing plants? 



Your illustration from tlie King is 

 one of the most powerful ones I have ever 

 met. I, too, used to shun funerals. I can 

 not tell you how I rejoice to hear of your 

 work, and that even the King has been in- 

 terested in it. 



Your trouble with your saw is in tlie 

 filing, and I tiiink practice will enable you 

 to remedy the trouble. File every other 

 tootii lirst, then turn your saw around in 

 your vice, and tile the remaining ones, and 

 you will perhaps overcome the trouble you 

 mention. Have you proper files? 



May God continue to bless and i)rosper 

 you, my brother, in your far away work. 



In our last number, the subscription clerk adver- 

 tised for Vol. V, when she meant to advertise for 

 Vol. III. The blunder has taught her a pretty se- 

 vere lesson, for she volunteered to send back all 

 that came, at her own expense. Luckily for her, 

 onlj' a few, comparatively, would sell their last 

 year's numbers, even when offeicd .50c more than 

 they paid for them, and many ot those who did send 

 them said they could hardly think of parting with 

 them, were it not so hard to get money. 



