182 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Mar. 



agent came to our place of business, and, 

 not finding me, she went over to the house 

 to see my wife. My friends told her that I 

 would not buy the book ; but she declared 

 that she was going to get me to look at it and 

 give it a recommendation. She said she 

 could sell a great many copies if she could 

 just get A. I. Root's name attached to a 

 recommendation of the book. Now, friends, 

 why should my name help sell the book? I 

 think she said she had the names of the 

 ministers, but several people would not in- 

 vest unless I also would recommend it. 

 Now, please do not think I am boasting. I 

 am only pointing a moral. The reason why 

 my opinion was wanted and valued was be- 

 cause I positively refuse to recommend 

 things in that way.* There are only a few 

 books and papers that we recommend in 

 Gleanings. Why? Because I know how 

 much you value my opinion ; and I feel as 

 if it were almost a sacred matter to tell you 

 what to buy. This good brother who spoke 

 about the perfume of the dollar bill said to 

 me, " Mr. Root, you can not sell me any of 

 your T supers or perforated zinc or bee-es- 

 capes, nor any of that sort of traps. There 

 has been too much of this sort of business 

 of advising us to buy this thing and that 

 thing ; and as soon as we have put in all our 

 hard earnings, then we are told to throw 

 away these traps we have just bought, and 

 buy the next thing, which is a good deal 

 better.'' 



There is a moral here. While I think he 

 put it too strongly, I am sure that we who 

 publish journals should be careful. It is a 

 serious matter to lumber our homes and our 

 apiaries with things that may, after a little 

 time, be discarded as useless for the pur- 

 pose for which they were recommended. 

 Let us strive to help our patrons and our 

 neighbors, and not disgust them with some- 

 thing that was devised thoughtlessly or with 

 too much haste. Our boys here are perhaps 

 somewhat like other boys, fond of new 

 things, and many times enthusiastic over 

 something that has just made its appear- 

 ance. I am trying, however, to induce 

 them to go slow, and to be careful in what 

 they recommend ; and they agree with me 

 in the spirit of the matter, for they too are 

 striving to follow in the footsteps of Christ 

 Jesus, who pleased not himself. And 

 please remember the thought that comes so 

 closely in line with that expressed in our 

 text, when he was suffering his death-ago- 

 nies on the cross; for at this time he was 

 only a poor weak human being like our- 

 selves—weak so far as physical suffering is 

 concerned, for he suffered just as would you 

 and I under such circumstances ; and then 

 those bitter wicked men, with their hearts 

 full of hatred, said to him. between his 

 groans of anguish, " Others he saved ; him- 

 self he can not save.'' And, dear friends, 

 in one sense it was true. He could not save 

 tiimself and come down from the cross, as 

 they challenged him to do, and be consistent 

 with the life of self-sacrifice he started out 



*Book-afrent8 often urge people to pay several 

 •dollars for a book when the money ought to be used 

 for debts long unpaid, for the very clothes they 

 nvear. 



to live, and finished so completely by his 

 death on the cross. He died for others ; 

 and, dear friends, if you wish to get a 

 glimpse of that happiness and peace, that 

 enjoyment, that rapture, that is beyond the 

 perfume of flowers, the charms of music, or 

 any thing else that this world of ours can 

 furnish, take up your cross and live for oth- 

 ers, even as he did. Love money, if you 

 choose ; work hard to get it ; but when it is 

 yours, and in your pocket, instead of using 

 it for the gratification of selfish appetites, 

 learn to use it right, oh I beg of you, and 

 beseech you ! for the good of others. Make 

 others happy, and you will find joy upon 

 earth, and, when life is finished, heaven be- 

 yond. 



Gleamikcs in Bee Cdltdre. 



Published Semi- Monthly. 



to* <0« 



-S-. I. TIOOT, 

 EDITOH AND PUBLISHEK, 



I«/EEIDI3iTJ»^, OHIO. 



TERMS: $1.00 PER YEAR, POSTPAID. 

 i—*-^ 



For Olnls'blng Bates, See First Fage of Seadisg Matter. 



2s/L:ElTDXl<TJi>^, n^vdZ^fl-I^- 1, 18SO. 



Lay not u|i for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth 

 and lUst doth corrupt, and where thieves break througli and 

 steal.— Matt. 6:19. 



MORE NAMES. 



Since our last issue we have received the follow- 

 ing additional names of those whose faces appear 

 in the picture of the Brantford Convention: 



15. Isaac Lundy; 47. Mr. Ballaeliiry; 73. B. Jackson. 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



This journal for 1890 celebrates the new year in a 

 new style of cover and make-up. One special fea- 

 ture, and one that will be appreciated by its read- 

 ers, is the department of Short Items, conducted by 

 E. L. Pratt, M. A. Kelley, Dr. Tinker, and others. 

 We congratulate friend Alley on the improvements. 



"nothing patented." 



In the last issue of the Canadian Bee Journal we 

 find the following from "Observer:" 



I read all the advertisements in the .iournals, and 

 I have noticed that the words " nothing patented" 

 are left out of the last ones inserted by our friend 

 A. I. Root. Is this to be taken as evidence that 

 A. I. is receding from the strong position he has al- 

 ways taken regarding patents? 



No, dear friends, A. I. Koot has not receded a 

 single inch. In view, however, of the fact that 

 some of the bee-friends have felt a little hurt be- 

 cause of my words, " nothing patented," I decided 

 to leave it off, on the principle that. " if meat mak- 

 eth my brother to offend, I will eat no meat," etc. 

 We have no patent on any thing we manufacture, 

 and probably never shall have. We are doing well 

 enough as it is. 



TWO BEE-PUBLICATIONS CONSOLIDATED. 



The Britiiih Be« Journal, a weekly, and the Bee- 

 Keepers' Record, a monthly, celebrate the new year 

 by consolidating with each other. The former is 

 jjublished as a 16-page weekly, the size of the pages 



