896 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Dec. 1. 



" Well, stranger, I calculate you must be 

 thirsty." 



I pointed to my wheel. The nickel plating 

 gleamed a little, even in the starlight. 



"OhI well, you are all right. So long as you 

 do your hard drinking with nothing but water 

 like that, I guess you are safe," continued he. 



I thought I would go just a little way in the 

 sand, to see what it was like; but common 

 sense and reason soon said that it was entirely 

 out of the question, to think of riding in such 

 darkne^s on a road that was well nigh impassi- 

 ble by daylight. I even imagined 1 heard my 

 good wife saying, in tones of expostulation, 

 '• Why. surely, husband, you are not so crazy as 

 to think of trying to getting home to-night?" 



I turned around and looked back at the electric 

 lights, but 1 did not enjoy the prospect that 

 way at all. I stood still and meditated. I 

 might push on till I got real tired, and then get 

 up and finish my trip by daybreak Sunday 

 morning. But conscience stood in the way. I 

 might possibly get home so early that few if 

 any of the good people of Medina would be up; 

 but it would be a new experience for me. since 

 I became a Christian, to try to keep out of 

 sight. I remember that once, years ago. I tried 

 to get home with a bag of hickorynuts I had 

 picked up on wSunday. I skulked along on the 

 back streets and alleys; but the very people I 

 did not want to see were sure to be in those 

 back streets and alleys just then. I do not 

 know but I said aloud, •' No, sir; 1 am not going 

 to do any thing, either in daylight or dark, that 

 I am ashamed ot. So long as I live, 1 expect to 

 be able to say with a clear conscience to every- 

 body I meet, ' I am A. I. Root — who are you? ' " * 



I think that, for about half a mile, I must 

 have made quite a "circus," as the small boys 

 would call it, wrestling with that sand. In a 

 little time, however, it began to occur to me 

 that I was learning by practice that it was pos- 

 sible to ride through sand, even in the dark. 

 The rubber tire of my vvheel began slowly to 

 become sensitive, like one's fingers' ends. I 

 could feel my way, and tell when I was in the 

 track or out of it; and as skill gave me enthu- 

 siasm, that wonderful second wind began to 

 come up as backing. Why. I thought I was 

 thoroughly tired out and used up when I ate 

 my supper; but now 1 was making fair speed 

 in spite of the sand. When I came into the 

 valleys, however, a new trouble met me. You 

 may remember the heavy fogs in the middle of 

 November. They became so dense that I could 

 hardly see the stars, and I thought I should 

 have to give it up. Pretty soon, however. I 

 found that, when opposite the telophone-poles 

 that hold a great mass of wires now running 

 from New York to Chicago, these poles were 

 visible. Judging from each pole as 1 passed it, 

 where I should probably tind the next one 

 through the fog, and also feeling my way, as I 

 said before, in a little time I was up to fair 

 speed again. With the tremendous exertion 

 required to ride in the dark, I began to get 

 thirsty, and then I made a discovery. This 

 heavy fog, so damp and wet that it was almost 

 dripping, proved to be most delicious— not to 



* Had it been necessary to ride my wheel on Sun- 

 day, to meet an appointment at a Sund;iy-school or 

 otlier place where I was wanted, I should liave had 

 no hesitation whatever; for, in fact, 1 do use my 

 wheel aluu)st every Sunday in that way But in 

 this case, by my own want of foretlioug-lit 1 liad 

 missed th ^ train ; and to be seen riding- twenty miles 

 on Sunday mornins', with every evidence to passers- 

 by that I did it simply to save time or to get liome, 

 was not an inviting- prospect liefore me. It' the 

 Christian peopl") of our land would do all they can 

 consistently, and within the bounds of reason, to 

 discourag-e Sunday travel of every sort, I am sure 

 we sliould be a better people than we now are. 



drink, but to breathe; and, to tell the truth, I 

 never enjoyed much more in my life any thing 

 than I did those great breaths of fog- laden air 

 while groping through darkness and fog for 

 each friendly telephone-pole. Talk about the 

 danger of "damp night air." Stuff and non- 

 sense! My strength seemed herculean. I never 

 before in my life thought it was possible to 

 climb over obstacles and plow through sand as 

 I did it that night. Yes, I had been praying 

 that God would help me in my efforts to "re- 

 member the Sabbath day, to keep it holy." 

 When I first undertook it, it seemed a tremen- 

 dously long and tiresome task; but to my great 

 surprise it gave me a degree of enjoyment that 

 I never before realized was possible for human- 

 ity. Within nine miles of home I passed an- 

 other watering-trough. I had it in mind, but I 

 passed it in the fog, and heard the gurgle of 

 the water only after I had got by. 1 left my 

 wheel standing in the road, and went back for 

 a drink. Oh what a delicious liquid beverage! 

 Did God indeed have in mind such enjoyment 

 for his people when he planned this universe? 

 I went back to the place where I left my wheel, 

 but it was nowhere to be — not seen, for I could 

 not see it a yard before me. Just as I began to 

 be troubled, my hands struck the fog-laden 

 nickel plating. Of course, I passed people on 

 the way. Some of the time they could see me 

 dimly, and some of the time they could not; 

 but I did not feel like evading nor avoiding- 

 anybody. I gave every passer by a pleasant 

 " good-evening," and received one in return. 



At half-past nine I was safe in my own home. 

 Was I worn out and used up next day? Not a 

 bit of it — quite the contrary. For three or four 

 days afterward I enjoyed an unusual appetite, 

 and more than ordinary vigor and energy for 

 work or play. After that I began to settle 

 down into my average health. Just this one 

 thing I noticed: I could not sleep as usual that 

 Saturday night. vSunday morning, however, 

 just before church time, I slept about as usual; 

 and the night after, I did some " tall " sleeping. 



Dear friends, I have gone at length to tell 

 you this experience, as it illustrates so vividly 

 that we oftentimes reap our richest blessings 

 when we undertake some fancied hardship in 

 order that we may obey God's holy commands. 



Prove me now herewith, saith tlie Lord of hosts, 

 if I will not . . . pour you out a blessing that 

 there shall not be room enougli to receive it. 



HIGH-PRESSURE GARDENING. 



BY A. I. ROOT. 



PRIZETAKER ONIONS IN ARKANSAS. 



I have grown Spanish King (Prizetaker) 

 onions for three years. They are the finest 

 ever grown here, and the most profitable. My 

 last crop was nearly one-third mixtures. Have 

 you any old seed that proved to be pui-e this 

 year? If so. at what price can you furnish it? 

 iDo you think it will do to sow this fall, and 

 transplant in February, wh(Mi we sow oats? 

 Our spring crop of onions ripening in June, or 

 early iu July, generally keeps only a month or 

 so before they rot. Can you tell me how to 

 prevent the rot? If planted the first of July 

 will they ripen and dry out so as to keep if the 

 fall weather is cold and wet? Nearly every 

 thing grown in spring rots during our long hot 

 summers. I think of preparing to irrigate, so 

 as to plant late and mature my crops after the 

 hot summer is past. I think of making a spe- 

 cialty of onions. Please tell me how to grow 

 onion seed from those Spanish onions. I plant- 



