1890 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



385 



little else in the vegetable liae to be had. The seed 

 can be obtained from the leading- seedsmea, and 

 planted la a great part of the U. S. in May. In the 

 fall and early winter, the seeds, when mature, can 

 be gathered, and they are easily cleaned by putting 

 thetn into a vessel of water and rubbing them with 

 the hands, when the seeds will settle to the bottom, 

 and the hulls, etc., will come to the top, and can be 

 dipped or drained off, leaving the seed nice and 

 clean. Plant the eeeds in April or May, according 

 to climate, in rich mellow earth, about an inch 

 deep, with the seeds two or three inches apart in 

 the drill. Keep them well cultivated for one or 

 two years (two years give the best roots), when 

 they are to be reset in very rich land (unusually 

 well enriched), some time before resetting; the roots 

 are to be put out in trenches somewhat below the 

 general level, and a slight ridge, or bed, is to be 

 made over the roots, and these bed8,or ridges, must 

 be kept free from weeds and grass. The plants ought 

 not to bo cut or used the flr-st year, or the same 

 year that they are reset. Fertilize annually, and 

 the planting will last for a lifetime, or a good many 

 of them, doubtless. They ought to be reset in the 

 trenches or rows at least one yard apart. A table- 

 spoonful of seed will raise plants enough for a good- 

 sized family. It is a salt-water plant by nature, 

 hence light applications of salt promote the growth 

 of the plants, and also help to keep down weeds 

 and grass. B. Jones. 



Design, Va., April 38, 1890. 



Thank you, friend J. Oar experience is 

 rather limited in raising asparagus, but we 

 have found this true : There has never been 

 a surplus yet in our market. Last season 

 we cut continuously from the first of May 

 till the first of July, and some even later ; 

 but the plants seemed just as thrifty this 

 year as ever. Two years ago we ran our 

 little seed-drill twice the length of the held, 

 but sowed seed pretty thickly, for the plants 

 in some places were less than an inch apart. 

 Since then we have done nothing but run a 

 cultivator each side of the row, and hoed 

 them out two or three times ; and this 

 spring, from those two rows, we have sold 

 certainly .$2-3.00 worth of roots. It is almost 

 the only vegetable with which we have nev- 

 er yet succeeded in overstocking the market. 



0a^ psMEg. 



But the water that I shall give him shall be a well 

 of water springing up into everlasting life.— John 

 4: 14. 



Most of you know how much I love to 

 see springs of water. Hunting for springs 

 has been one of the hobbies of my busy life, 

 especially if the springs are perpetual, 

 bubbling forth their treasures winter and 

 summer, year in and year out. Where w^a- 

 ter is plentiful, we think little of its value. 

 I was greatly pleased in California, and 

 along the desert wastes, to see how much 

 value was set upon a living spring. Even 

 if the water that is poured forth is but 

 small in quantity, if the little stream keeps 

 running winter and summer, in the course 

 of time it amounts to a great deal ; and 

 there is something pleasant and fascinating 



to almost every one in seeing the water 

 spring forth, and keep running unceasingly 

 My friends laugh at me because I go up on 

 the hill so often to see the windmill raise 

 its treasures of water. When I am tired of 

 reading your letters, I look out of the win- 

 dow just as I am looking out of it now 

 while I dictate this, and see the beautiful 

 piece of machinery raise its burden of pure 

 water from the depths below. Although it 

 has pumped more than .300 barrels a day 

 there has never been any indication of the 

 well giving out, and the water has already 

 acquired the reputation of being the best 

 drinking-water iu the town. 



For a week back, our wood-working fac- 

 tory has been humming and buzzing 

 through the night time as well as through 

 the day. As we staited up suddenly, to try 

 to fill your orders by working both day and 

 night, we were obliged for a time to use 

 coal-oil lamps to light the workmen. The 

 question was asked whether I dared to take 

 the risk of getting our whole establishment 

 burned up, as was that of friend Lewis. I 

 replied that I had very little fear while the 

 sprinklers covered every foot of space right 

 over the work, and so long as the windmill 

 kept the great tank full of water ; for such 

 an abundant supply of water, springing 

 forth at the first stare of the fire, must nec- 

 essarily drown it out before it could make 

 any headway. Am I getting away from my 

 text ? I hope not, dear friends, for I have 

 been thinking that this perpetual spring of 

 \yater is to our business like the follower of 

 Christ in any community where there is 

 danger of the fires of sin drowning out all 

 that is good. The woman told Jesus that 

 the well was deep. She seemed to think 

 the waters of that well that had quenched 

 the thirst of Jacob and his children, and 

 their generations all along down, was one 

 of the great essentials in their time, and so 

 it was. But the Savior next told her of the 

 living water ; and he said it should be in the 

 heart of the possessor like these living 

 springs, and that it should refresh and in- 

 vigorate all around by its unceasing sup- 

 plies that should give everlasting life. Dear 

 friends, these words are more true than per- 

 haps you and I shall ever know. As we 

 go on and persevere in the Christian life, 

 we shall know more and more of the value 

 of these waters, and their power to refresh, 

 awaken hope, gladden, and give joy, until 

 that everlasting life beyond shall be the 

 end. 



We are greatly inclined to forget this 

 promise. This fountain will be neglected 

 and choked with worldliness if we do not 

 look out. Then, perhaps, we shall look back 

 to the time of our conversion, and lament 

 that the pure waters are not now springing 

 forth as they did then. But it need not be 

 so, dear brother and sister. It may be, and 

 should be, as in the text, a well of water 

 springing forth and giving hope and joy and 

 everlasting life to all around. 



Through all my religious experience I 

 have been in the habit of expecting, day by 

 day, fresh experiences welling forth from 

 my heart— something new, joyous, and re- 

 freshing, coming, as it were, of itself—biiTut- 



