470 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTUEE 



June 15. 



of something. Every man, when he goes to 

 the fields, has a hoe, when he does not have a 

 man-weight cultivator or any other sort, with 

 proper knives set at the proper angle to do the 

 job. I was talking with Mr. Wean about this 

 same thing, and asked him if he had tried the 

 Breed weeder on their onion- plants; and he 

 made a remark that I have been thinking of 

 for some time. 



"Mr. Root, the best onion-weeder that has 

 ever been invented is a boy.''* 



When I spoke about carrying water for the 

 ditches, with those big metal pa'ls. he told me 

 that the stout pails were a very plain, simple 

 piece of machinery. I noticed, by the way, 

 they were made so they could not very well get 

 out of order. The men carried them along 

 with them when they went to the fields, and 

 each man could go ahead with his work with 

 his pail, his feet, and his box of celery-plants. 

 Before I said a word about my cheap tin pans 

 he volunteered: 



" Those boxes appear heavy to you, no doubt; 

 but when they are soaked with water they 

 keep the plants in beautiful condition. Witl\ 

 the cheap light tin pans they would all be dried 

 out and injure d more or less." 



They work— at least, at this season of the 

 year, with celery-plants taken right from the 

 seed-beds, the beds being in the open air; and 

 with their system, especially with the enormous 

 extent of their grounds, their plan seems to be 

 very complete. By the way. friends, do you 

 notice how differently bee-U'eepers work in at- 

 taining the same result? The final result is, of 

 course, nice honey in one-pound sections; but 

 In order to get them, bee keepers have a sys- 

 tem, with hives, and methods of working, which 

 are as far apart as can well be imaorined. Each 

 man seems to do best according to thp plan he 

 has been working on. Of course, bee-keepers 

 profit by v;-'ti;i.i each othor and cnmparing 

 plans; but very often it is better for each to go 

 home and work alonsr pretty much in the same 

 groove he has been working in, and it is pretty 

 much the same with celery-growers. 



When I first came on to the grounds I was 

 astonished to see acre after acre of onions as 

 large as my thumb, and fully a foot in height— 

 and this, too, in the fore part nf June. Mr. 

 Wean told me there were ISO acres of the^e 

 onions. The stand was almost perfect, and yet 

 no thinning had been done. The rows were 

 almost as straight as they could be drawn with 

 a line, even though they extended away off 

 almost to the horizon, as it would seem. As 

 field after field was passed, all looking exactly 

 alike. I burst forth: 



"Why, Mr. Wean, one would almost think, 

 from the looks of things, that you had got your 

 onion-seed planted all in one day." 



I think he said it took him only a little more 

 than a week, and the drill was set so accurate- 

 ly no thinning was needed at all. One great 

 secret of their success is, they raise their own 

 onion-seed, and it is watched and cared for 



* Please do not understand from my remarks that 

 no wheel weeders and cultivators are used at all on 

 this great onion-farm. At ditt'erent points I saw 

 men (and women too) running wheel cultivators 

 through the rows; and I was a good deal surprised, 

 and perliaps pleased as well, to notice that they 

 used none of the machines so much advertised in 

 the catalogs and papers. As tliey use a great num- 

 ber of them, they are clieap liome-made affairs, 

 many of the wheels of the machines being only a 

 round piece of board, and the knife is a thin blade 

 of steel, something the shape of a letter U, but flat 

 on the bottom. By drawing the tool back and forth, 

 this steel knife cuts up the weeds and mellows the 

 soil, deep or shallow as the operator wishes, by 

 raising or lowering the handle. 



from the time the very best onions are selected 

 until the time the seed is ready to sow. When 

 I began to think there were no exceptions to 

 this wonderful thrift and perfect stand he 

 pointed out to me a field where their own seed 

 gave out and they were compelled to buy some. 

 Oh dear mel what a painful contrast! Now, I 

 have the promise, for another season, of a 

 limited quantity of this same onion-seed, and I 

 am going to offer it for sale. But, mind you, it 

 can not be sold at such prices as we have been 

 paying for a year or two past. And here we 

 found the best weeder in the world, for onions. 

 It was a group of boys, say from ten to fifteen. 

 I guess there were about forty of them in the 

 gang. As I was introduced to the foreman I 

 remarked: 



" Mr. Myers, you must be a good man. I 

 judge so from the looks and behavior of these 

 boys." 



Mr. Wean then added: 



"Mr. Root, you will be pleased to know there 

 is not a bit of swearing or bad talk in this whole 

 crowd." 



The boys nearest us heard the remark, and 

 looked up; and you could see by the smiles on 

 their faces that tney felt proud of the fact 

 which Mr. Wean had just told me. He says he 

 frequently stops with the boys a little while 

 and gives them a short talk. One day he asked 

 them if any one in the lot knew of a man who 

 was mean and low-lived. I can imagine how 

 the boys would exchange glances at such a 

 question. Probably every boy in the lot could 

 recall to mind such a man. 



" Well, boys, that man was a boy once him- 

 self. Without question he was a mean boy. 

 Probably he was a swearing boy— was dishon- 

 est and tricky, and quarreled. Now, you just 

 remember this: It is that sort of boy that 

 makes that sort of man when he grows up." 



Mr. Wean will excuse me. I am sure, for hav- 

 ing paraphrased his remarks a little after my 

 own fashion. But the boys did not forget his 

 short sermon. As we passed along I asked the 

 question : 



" Do you mean, Mr. Wean, that there are no 

 men in your various gangs who are swearing 

 men ? " 



"As a rule there is no swearing on our 

 grounds, although we have between 200 and 300 

 men. women, and children employed. Of 

 course, such men get in; but if they can not 

 mend their ways we have to get them out. I 

 first deal with them myself. I try them again 

 and again; but when th.ey will not give up such 

 habits we give them up. By the way, did you 

 notice one man all by himself, off in the middle 

 of the field, as you came in on to the grounds?" 



I told him I did. and wondered what it was 

 for. 



" Well, this man is one of the worst. He has 

 promised me to break off from the habit, but 

 he does not do it. The last time I talked with 

 him I sent him back to the gang; but he be- 

 haved so ill that a protest came from his fellow- 

 workman, and they asked to be excused from 

 having him in the crowd.* But I had faith In 

 him, and have faith in him yet, and so I set 

 him at work off there where you saw him. He 

 is not worth as much under the circumstances: 

 but, Mr. Root, men are of more value than 

 onions or celery." 



Oh, dear me! I suppose friend Wean did not 



*Look here, friends, how many establishments 

 are there with such a spiritual atmosphere pervad- 

 ing that the men unite mutually in petition to the 

 employer, that a profane man must stop his profan- 

 ity or be banished from the company? I do not 

 suppose this was any sort of "strike;" but such 

 striking as that— striking for righteousness— speaks 

 of better things In the future. 



