18 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Jan. 



the market. Friend Hawk, don't you see that the 

 case of the bee-keeper is like that of the farmer, 

 and not the grocer? 



Friend Stauffer, p. 947, asks if 1 would prevent, 

 by law, farmers from keeping bees on their own 

 land. T know that this will present itself as a diffi- 

 culty to the minds of many. In general, the farm- 

 er has a right to do as he jilcases with and on his 

 own land; but that right must always yield to the 

 general good, if necessary. A farmer may object 

 to a railroad passing through his land, but if it is 

 thought best for the general good, the railroad 

 goes through in spite of bis wishes. Hetween my 

 home and the village a man erected a slaughter- 

 house. It was on his own land, where he had a 

 right to do as he pleased, but the slaughter-house 

 in that location was deemed not best for the gener- 

 al good, and in spite of his own wishes be was 

 obliged to take it down. I may think I can keep 

 what plants I please on my own land ; tut if I at- 

 tempt to raise a crop of Canada thistles I find my- 

 self mistaken. So if it be for the general good that 

 there be encouragement to have all the nectar 

 gathered, and to have the benefit of the bees in 

 the fertilization of flowers, it may be the right 

 thing to re-district the land for bee-keepers, some- 

 what as it was districted for farmers. 



Marengo, 111., Dec. 1.5, 1886. C. C. Miller. 



BOOK AGENTS, AND AGENTS IN GEN- 

 ERAL. 



HAS GLEANINGS BEEN TOO SEVERE ON THIS CLASS 

 OF PEOPLE? 



T THINK you are too severe on book agents. I 

 jd^ think and know they may often do a great deal 

 ^r of good— are real missionaries. Many people, 

 "*■ especially farmers, would buy but few books, 

 except they were brought to their homes and 

 offered for sale. Sometimes they are pressed to 

 buy. The book is bought; and if a good one, it is a 

 lifelong treasure to that family. I can see no rea- 

 son why a book agent may not be a gentleman or a 

 lady as well in that^calling as elsewhere, or why it 

 is any worse to sell a book than to sell honej'. Our 

 Bible Society sends out agents. 



Sarah J. W. Axtell. 

 Roseville, Ills., Dec. V, 1886. 



To begin with, 1 am a reader of and subscriber to 

 Gleanings. I should not like to be without it; but 

 when 1 tell you I am, have been, and always expect 

 to be, a " book agent," Ernest will feel like bump- 

 ing a hive of hybrids to get rid of me, and you, Mr. 

 Root, will feel like turning the "moral" in Mahala 

 B. Chaddock's article (page 940, Dec. 1), with full 

 force against me. Hut, as Mrs. Chaddock says, 

 " there is lots of human nature in folks." 1 find, 

 also, there may be lots of selfishness in folks. Now, 

 let us e-vamiue a few articles in Gleanings that re- 

 late to agents. 



On page 917, Nov. 1."), A. I. Root throws out some 

 very strong inducements for an agent for Glean- 

 ings at even/ postoffice. That is good so far, as I 

 think that, if cvcryhody i-ead Gleanings we should 

 not have to contend with so much ignorance in get- 

 ting rid of our honey; besides, people would be 

 benefited in many other ways. 



But Ernest, on page 91.5 of same issue, takes some 

 steps in advance of his father (which boys are like- 

 ly to in these days), and tells us how to get rid of 



any kind of agents. Now, suppose I should take the 

 above number of Gleanings and go to one man of 

 one postoffice, and, after trying to show him that 

 the work was of special benefit to him. and failed, 

 I should turn to page 915 and tell him there was an 

 article that was worth a year's subscription. What 

 would the man think? He would certainly be led to 

 think an agent was something that niiisf be got rid 

 of, even if deception had to be resorted to. Now, 

 Mr. Root, is it a moral fact that book agents are not 

 needed in any community? If so. what a needless 

 amount of time, means, and talents are expended 

 by Bible (book) agents, and those who support them ! 

 Now, I will ask a few questions: What harm is there 

 in taking a good book on anj- legitimate business, 

 and trying to sell it to those who will be benefited 

 by it? Is there any tnore harm in my taking the 

 Story of the Bible to a person, and try to show him 

 that his family will be bettered by having that book 

 and reading it, than there is in your telling them so 

 through Gleanings, as well as of the 95 other books 

 you seem to be agent for? 



I admit there are dishonenl book agents; and what 

 calling in life is there that does not have dishonest 

 agents? Why are the American people so intelli- 

 gent on so many subjects? Is it not because they 

 read? How could some of our ver3' best books be 

 got before the people if it were not for traveling 

 agents? Christ says the children of this world have 

 become wiser in their generation than the children 

 of light. The powers of darkness are flooding the 

 world with their pernicious and soul - destroying 

 books and papers; and shall the children of light 

 (or children who ought to be children of light) 

 quietly sit down and tell people how to get rid of 

 book agents? or shall we try to present to the peo- 

 ple the true light and work in a Christian manner 

 with Christian spirit, with perseverance to do so? 

 3— T. D. Waller, 37—83. 



Port Andrew, Wis., Dec. 5, 1886. 



Many thanks, deav friends, for your kind 

 rebuke, and especially for the way in which 

 it is given. There is, however, justice and 

 truth on both sides of this question ; but I 

 see now that I have been altogether too 

 sweeping, and I beg pardon. I did not 

 mean, however, in my remarks to object to 

 having anybody go to a neighbor's or ac- 

 quaintance's. I am always glad to see a 

 Medina man wilh any thing he may have to 

 sell, provided he excuses me when I pleas- 

 antly tell him I don't want what he has for 

 sale ; and when I speak of having some one 

 in every neighborhood act as agent for 

 Gleanings I took it for granted he would 

 go to only those with whom he is ac- 

 quainted, and who would regnrd him asja 

 neighbor. Most people will be quite willing 

 to stop and listen to one with whom they 

 are somewhat acquainted, wlien they would 

 not feel pleasantly at all to be interrupted 

 by an entii'e stranger, such as those who 

 travel from house to house must necessarily 

 be. The bee-keepers who get mail at one 

 postoffice are almost invariably more or less 

 acquainted with each other. The same 

 would apply in regard to selling honey ; and 

 if I thouglit thatany thing that has ever 

 been said in ({leanings in legard to devel- 

 oping your liome market meant that you 

 should, "by importunity and such behavior as 

 we often meet in hoak agents, induce any- 



