APRir,, 1918 



GLEANINGS IN BEK CULTURE 



243 



evil, we should soon see an end of the 

 wicked wai" that now involves the world. 



This Home jiaper is marked to come out 

 in Marcli, 1018 — that is, if I do not send 

 auylhins else to take its place; but I am 

 dicta! inii' it on this last day of October, 

 1917. When this comes before your eyes, 

 dear reader, T most earnestly hojie and ])ray 

 tliat no such " wicked war " as now op- 

 presses not only the United States but the 

 whole wide world will prevail. I do not ex- 

 actly understand what friend Lig'hty would 

 suJi'S'est; but he means, without cjuest'on. 

 that we sliould, each and all, strive for that 

 spiritual elevation Avhere we can honestlj' 

 follow the Master where he said, " Love 

 your enemies; do good to them that hate 

 3^ou; pray for them that despite fully use 

 you and peisecute you." Now, the above 

 works splendidly, as we all know, among' 

 friends and neighbors, and it ought to work 

 splendidly for the whole nation and for the 

 whole Avide world. But as it appears to me, 

 with the present state of aft'airs, taking 

 conditions as they are, we must have law 

 and Imvs; and if we have laws we must 

 have laiv enforcement; and just now we 

 have no other means at hand to enfoix^e 

 law than to ari-est criminals hy force. A 



policeman must have firearms in order 

 that he may stop criminals and arrest them; 

 and when polictsinen are overcome, as they 

 I'ave been several times lately in our great 

 cities, there must be a state militia backing 

 them. If this state militia fails in its ef- 

 forts to overcome thugs and criminals, then 

 federal troops must be called on. Wluit is 

 to become of our gi'eat republic, " the land 

 of the free and the home of tlie brave." if 

 tlie power's of darkness are not held in 

 chock? And 1 think that you, fi'iend 

 Lighty, will agree with me that the greatest 

 enemy— yes, the su^ireme enemy — of law 

 and order is the liquor business. When our 

 nation shall liave cut off its partnership 

 with this piece of iniquity, then will our 

 prayers be heard and answered, and God's 

 kingdom shall come and his will be done on 

 earth as it is in heaven. 



I have before suggested tliat that beau- 

 tiful little text, " If I cherish iniquity in 

 my heai't the Lord will not hear me," ap- 

 lilies to nations as well as individuals. May 

 (lod help us to learn the lesson that he is 

 striving to teach us, perhaps by letting this 

 wicked war go on until w^e are punished 

 for consent'ng to be yoked with iniquity. 



HIGH-PRESSURE GARDENING 



" WIIATSOEVER A MAX SOWETH, THAT ALSO, 

 SHALL HE REAP." 



These articles on " High Pressure Gar- 

 dening," during years past, have, no do'ibt, 

 been very helpful to many, as I have gather- 

 ed from abundant testimony; but I feel 

 sure T have something for yo.i, dear fr^'ends, 

 this morning, that may. thru a kind Provi- 

 dence, eclipse them all. 



I have been reading about the measures 

 our nation is now taking to have better seed 

 corn, the woild over, T hope and pray. Well, 

 it i-ejoices my heart to read about the tests 

 our " school children " (God bless them and 

 their teachers) are making — a kind of 

 " schooling " that to me seems far ahe'id 

 of Greek and Latin (to say nothing of 

 German, just now) . Well, what Hoover and 

 Garfield are doing to have a hill of coi'n 

 on every spot where a hill should he, T am 

 doing; and I am teaching how to have a hill 

 of potatoes on every spot of prejiared soil, 

 where a hill of potatoes was intended to be. 



Get your potatoes, a kind that has proved 

 a success in your locality, and cut tliem to 

 one eye, on the Terry plan. Leave two eyes 



as you c'roose; but I have had splendid 

 sprouts when I co'ild not discover any eye. 

 It is a very good ]ilan to have a prettv fair 

 sized piece of potato to each eye, but this 

 winter I have had some immense potato 

 spro its, and later, vines, from a piece of 

 potato not larger than a nickel, and not 

 juuch thicker than a potato paring. It all 

 depends on the soil in your hot-bed or cold- 

 frame. When this comes before your eyes, 

 you likely will not need any hot -bed or cold- 

 frame eithei-. Get a s^ot where you can get 

 as much sun as possible, and have it, at the 

 same time, sheltered fron nortli and west 

 winds. Have plenty of water neir by. A 

 sDot, a rod long and six feet wide, will do 

 for most of you, probably. Spade, hoe and 

 rake this ground until it is fine and mellow 

 for a foot deep, or more. Now comes the 

 most imjiortant ])art. iMake the ground 

 rich. Vse fine, old, well-rotted manure, 

 ]ilenty of it, or whatever you know of, that 

 gives crops in your locality. In our beds 

 liere, we use a pailful of fertilizer, esjiecially 

 for ]iotatoes, and another of poat or sheep 

 manure. Work it in verv thoroly. Shovel 



