16 



tested the matter thoroughly enough to know 

 what are the real facts; but we think we feel 

 better, generally, when using the fruit freely. 

 Many others think the same way. 



The pastor of our church here tells me that 

 he is troubled very much with dyspepsia, caus- 

 ing severe constipation. He has never yet 

 found any thing, either medicines or food, that 

 relieves his trouble as thoroughly as does the 

 eating of a pineapple; and it leaves no bad 

 effect whatever. His experience is almost 

 identical with your own, as given in June 1st 

 Gleanings, only his experience covers a year 

 or more, instead of only a few times, as yours 

 did. 



One of our neighbors manufactures in large 

 quantities a medicine which he calls " Pineap- 

 ple Digestor." The process is a secret; but it 

 contains considerable alcohol, and is, therefore, 

 very different from fresh juice. I have never 

 seen or tested the medicine. I don't believe 

 much in alcoholic preparations anyhow; butl 

 hear it well spoken of by some, while others 

 think differently, as is always the case with all 

 medicines. 



Unquestionably, pineapples or their juice 

 produces much better effect when used perfect- 

 ly fresh, without boiling, cooking, fermenting, 

 or in connection with anything else like salt 

 or sugar. Every departure from nature's sim- 

 plest way of using the fruit injures its good 

 effect. On the other hand, no other kind of 

 fruit is as injurious if eaten after it has com- 

 menced to decay ever so slightly. All portions 

 of a pineapple need to be thoroughly cut out 

 that show the least signs of decay. I can not 

 emphasize this point too strongly. 



We have but few unsalable pineapples to 

 work up into juice, the proportion of culls and 

 poor fruit being much less than with oranges. 

 Of course, there is always some fruit not as 

 salable as the rest, and some juice could be ob- 

 tained from these. It should be used fresh, 

 unfermented, unboiled, and unsweetened; and 

 I do not know of any method of putting such 

 juice on the market at a low price. I know a 

 way of preserving the juice all right, but it is 

 more expensive than it ought to be, because it 

 has to be bottled the same as beer is, and ship- 

 ped in bottles from here. I am testing the 

 method in £t limited way this fall. If success- 

 ful I will experiment still more largely next 

 summer, with a possible view of putting fresh 

 juice on the market; but I am afraid its having 

 to be bottled will defeat its general use. A 

 neighbor within a few miles of here is putting 

 it up largely in barrels; but he preserves it by 

 the use of large quantities of sugar, which 

 materially injures its value for the use you 

 wish it for. I will try to keep you posted on 

 my success or faihin? in keeping it fresh, and 

 unmixed with sugar or any thing else. 

 Potsdam, Fla. 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. Jan. L 



NOTES OF BICYCLE TRAVEL. 



AT E. FRANCE'S. 



By E. R. Rout. 



Saturday night found me pushing my wheel 

 up through the streets of Platteville. after dark. 

 Not desiring to intrude myself unexpectedly on 

 the family of E. France, I made for the best 

 hotel. The next morning, Sunday, I inquired 

 what church of the place the France family 

 were in the habit of attending. I was told that 

 it was the Methodist, and that usually one or 

 more of them were there. 



In the meantime I brushed myself up, blacked 

 my shoes, and tried to make myself halfway 

 civilized in appearance, even if rigged in the 

 garb of a cycler, with clothes more or less soiled 

 by the dust of the road and perspiration of the 

 body. 



At the church 1 was surprised to meet as 

 ushers the hotel clerk and proprietor. They 

 gave me a seat, and told me that they would 

 inform me if the France people came in; but 

 they did not come, as I afterward learned, ow- 

 ing to sickness in the family. But I had the 

 pleasure of listening to an excellent sermon. 



Well, after Sabbath-school I went to the 

 hotel and wheeled thence to the France home^ 

 and was met at the door by the senior France. 

 On explaining my identity he seemed a little 

 surprised, and wanted to know why I did not 

 come on my first ari'ival. He rather thought I 

 ought to be "whipped" for going to a hotel; 

 but I told him I thought it was hardly the 

 thing for me to go unexpectedly into the homes 

 of bee-keepers at all hours of the day and night, 

 for. necessarily, a wheelman can not make any 

 regular appointments. 



As the senior France was not feeling very 

 well, his son, N. E.. and I took a stroll over the 

 place. Before I go further, let me introduce 

 you to him. 



The junior France, now aged 37 years, takes 

 care of the out-yards and manages the help gen- 

 erally, while his father, owing to his age (70), 

 confines himself to the work of the home yard. 

 Like him, the junior France is a man of intel- 

 ligence and forethought, and. as nearly as I 

 could judge, he is full of business and push. 

 During the fall and winter, when he can not 

 carry on active operations in the apiary and 

 fruit-farm, he teaches school; and thus. I im- 

 agine, he finds his time pretty well taken up 

 during nearly all of the year. He has taught 

 thus for ten years, and this is evidence enough 

 that his services are appreciated. He was three 

 years president of the Southwestern Bee-keep- 

 ers' Association — one that is really more active 

 in its general work than the State Association. 

 He was also president one year of the Platte- 

 ville Horticultural Society, and has served in 

 various capacities as secretary of these and 

 other organizations. Like another prominent 



