556 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



to the machineiy as best 1 could when I 

 filled the tank. It is not at all difficult for 

 one vrho never gets dizzy, unless a gust of 

 wind should swing the vane so one might 

 get pinched in the maehinerv". but Huber 

 and Ernest have remonstrated so much 

 about my climbing up there at my age that 

 I rather hesitated. One morning when the 

 machineiy needed oiling, my new neighbor 

 was hoeing in his garden just over the fence. 

 As he is a young man. and remarkably 

 strong and spry. I asked him if he would 

 help me a little in my work. 



" Sure." was his reply, and he was over 

 the fence and by my side in an instant. He 

 filled the reservoir and then helped Wesley 

 dig some potatoes that were to be delivered 

 at a certain time. When I undertook to 

 pay him for about half a days work he 

 stoutly declared. " Xot a cent. Mr. Root. 

 After you and your good wife have done so 

 much for us. it was just a real pleasure to 

 know that I could in some way help you 

 out : and furthermore," he said. '' if at any 

 time when you are up in your northern home, 

 you want either one of us to look after 

 anything on your. place here, just keep in 

 mind that it will be a great pleasure for us 

 to attend to any such commission." 



How is that for neighbors? I can say 

 with David. " I have been young, and now 

 am old:" ;ind, like Da\'id. I have obsened. 

 and this one thing impresses me. that it is 

 almost always possible to bring out the good 

 and noble qualities of your neighbors if you 

 do not become ''weary in well doing." Keep 

 right on: do not mind the scoffs and re- 

 buffs and unpleasant words. Watch for an 

 opportunity to make friends. Send over 

 some little thing from your garden, or some 

 flowers, fruit, or a section of honey. 



I have several times mentioned an ex- 

 ceedingly good and kind friend. ^Mr. Henry 

 Borchers. of Laredo. Texas. Laredo is just 

 on the line between this country- and Mexi- 

 co. From this friend I get many gUmpses 

 of the Mexican people and of what is going 

 on there. You may recall that it was ilr. 

 Borchers who sent me the feterita seed, and 

 the feterita bread and cake. He sent me 

 also about a dozen of the spineless cacti, 

 and finally some of the cacti confection — 

 enough of it so that I took some of it to the 

 prayer-meeting, passed it around, and talk- 

 ed to the good people there about the spine- 

 less cacti, the papaya carissa, jaboticaba, 

 etc. Well. I assumed that friend Borchers 

 would at least let me pay the express 

 charges or postage: but he sent my stamps 

 back again, and here is what he said: 



N'o'w, I don't want rem to say anything about fa- 

 vors, as I am only too ?lad to do yoa a good turn ; 

 for what yon are doing is the Lord's work ; and as 



I am trying to serve him in every way I can. I 

 feel that in helping you I am helping him. You are 

 doing a wonderful work, and in any way that I can 

 help you, just command me. I am at your service. 

 I want you to let me know at any time if I can do 

 anything for you down this way, I assure you it is 

 a pleasure to me to assist you in any way. 



You know I have had a great many kind 

 words: but I believe the above, clipped 

 from his letter, is not only about the kind- 

 est-word, but it pays me the highest compli- 

 ment I have ever received: in fact, it is 

 about the highest compliment any one can 

 receive . 



With the above good long preface I am 

 going to submit one of friend Borcher's 

 kind letters just received: 



Mr. A. I. Root: — At last I am taking time to 

 write to you and aiLswer your questions as well as 

 I can. I have been very busy, as the onion rush has 

 been on in our section, and that turns money loose, 

 and the people want bread. It makes business extra 

 good for a while. It is also a very interesting sight 

 to see the harvesting of the onions There have 

 been harvested'so far about 2500 cars. Think of it 

 — solid trains of onions leaving here daily ! 



You speak about Florida. I tell you, Mr. Root, 

 Florida may have her crops, but Texas has hers also, 

 and the onions I am writing you about are only 

 from the Laredo section, 'Webb County. 



Xow, first I want to say about the alligator pear 

 you wanted a few to taste. I am afraid that I can 

 not get them for you, as one of the enclosed letters 

 from the Department will show. 



The larger avocado I may be able to get for you 

 by special permission from the custom-house. They 

 wiU be in the market across the river <31exico) 

 pretty soon now, as this is about the time for them, 

 and trains are going to run again now to Monterey, 

 beginning to-day ; and just as soon as I can I will 

 send you some — that is, if I can get permission to 

 bring them across. 



I am pleased to hear that you like the feterita 

 seed, and will try it (boiling the whole grain) just 

 as soon as I get some more. 



I have taken some kodak pictures of the wild 

 spineless cacttis, with fruit only, as they have al- 

 ready finished blooming. They are not entirely 

 spineless, but nearly so. Some have more spines 

 than others. The people here use the fruit to eat, 

 and also eat the young and tender slabs. They boil 

 them in salt water about two or three hours until 

 tender, and then cook them with eggs and a little 

 onions, and some use a little red pepper. I have 

 eaten them myself, and am very fond of them. The 

 people here, mostly Mexican, use them during Lent, 

 as that is the time the young leaves or slabs are 

 plentiful. I believe you could also cook them like 

 okra, and perhaps in other ways. You can also use 

 the com^mon cactus the same way ; but it is quite a 

 job to clean the spines off. 



These wild spineless cactus, so far as I know, 

 are only to be found in town here, and have been 

 grown htre for years. These pictures are all taken 

 in back yards of the poorer population, and are not 

 cultivated in this section for feeding stock — at least 

 not that I know of; but the young slabs are sold in 

 the market here the same as vegetables ; and if they 

 are still to be had I will send you a few. 



The pictures (see page 549 and 550) of the com- 

 mon cactus were taken about seven miles south of 

 Laredo near the Rio Grande. Some few were still in 

 bloom, and I took a fairly good bunch of photos, all 

 of which I enclose. 



The picture of the young man on several is our 

 minister (Presbyterian), This common cactus is 



