1908 



(CLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



709 



COLDS, (J RIP, icrc. 

 A few days ago Mrs. Root asked if it could be 

 really true that T. B. Terry and liis wife never 

 JKivi- colds nor the grip, as almost everybody does 

 have all over the North, and to some extent away 

 down in Florida. I told her I would write and 

 see. Below is his reply: 



De<ir Mr. Root: — No, I do not have colds, grip, nor any other 

 ill. There is no need of having them. I really can't remember 

 wh^n I had my last cold, or ill feeling of any kind. I hardly 

 dare ihini how perfectly well in every way I am, to say nothing 

 of triling the whole truth, it seems so marvelous. And still it is 

 not. God means we should all be well through a long life. Ig- 

 noranlly (often, of course) we sin and suffer; that is all. Com- 

 mon ways of living have gradually drifted far from the simple, 

 wholesome, and natural. It was ignoance, from lack of thought, 

 with me once; but the truth has gradually come as I sought ear- 

 nestly for it. Right here let me say positively that there is no 

 cross about proper living, as people are sure to think, at least for 

 only a short time. I certainly never enjoyed my meals, sleep- 

 ing, breathing, working, any better than 1 do now. My wife 

 never has a cold at home. 1 have been away a week at a time, 

 now and then, and got along all right. Nature allows a reason- 

 able margin. Please notice article this week on strength direct- 

 ly from God. It simply must be so. And next week 1 am sure 

 you will be deeply interested when you read how Gleanings 

 saved a life, beyond question — has saved many, probably, but 

 one special instance is given, and the truth in this case is even 

 stronger than I put it. T. B. Tekkv. 



Hudson, O., May 8. 



Even though this health talk is getting to be a 

 little long I think the readers of Gleanings can 

 afford to read the following, which we clip from 

 Terry's talk in the Practical Farmer for May 16: 



BROUGHT BACK FROM DEATH'S DOOR. 



A middle-aged leader was troubled with indigestion and con- 

 stipation by spells for some 20 years. At last he got seriously 

 sick with typhoid fever. The doctor said there was no hope for 

 him, but still he barely pulled through, and was able to sit up for 

 a little after a few weeks. But his troubles were not over. 

 Nothing could be found for him to eat that would not distress his 

 stomach. He seemed unable to digest any thing. Food just lay 

 in his stomach and decayed until it looked as though he must 

 starve to death. Years ago my mother slowly starved to death in 

 just this way. It was terrible, but we did not know how to save 

 her. She had medicine and advice from the best doctors in 

 Detroit. Now read our friend's words, exactly as written: 

 " One day I happened to look into Mr. Root's bee-journal, 

 Gleanings, and saw an article telling what you ate, copied 

 from The Practical Farmer, I read it over at least a dozen 

 times, I was so deeply interested. A little courage came back, 

 and I thought that possibly there was a chance for me to live yet. 

 I began eating a small amount of dry flaked wheat, uncooked, 

 with olive oil and fmit, about 8 a.m.; then nut meats and fruit 

 at 3 P.M., all most thoroughly chewed, and with much water 

 drank between meals. I never before saw any thing like the 

 change that took place. In one week I was much better in ev- 

 ery way. In two months I was strong, and doing my work 

 again. I can not express in words my gratitude to The Practical 

 Faimer, Mr. Root, and yourself." This is from a private letter, 

 but it is far too valuable to throw away. I am sure this good 

 friend will pardon me for making the main facts public, so long 

 as names have not been mentioned. 



HIGH-PRESSURE 

 GARDENI NG 



A. I. Root 



THAT BIG CELERY STORY SEE PAGE 511. 



Well, friends, I have got some high-pressure 

 gardening this time, "sure thing," as my colored 

 boy Charley puts it. Just turn back to pages 

 566 and 567, May 1 , and look at the pictures of 

 that celery-farm of five acres, and now read the 

 brief letter I succeeded in getting from friend 

 Latimer, below: 



Dear FtienJ Root: — I am very sorry I was not at the fa:m the 

 day you were out to see it. I had gone to the depot to ship a car 

 of celery at the time you were there, and did not find out that you 



intended writing up the farm until you had done so, although you 

 seem to have gotten every thing down as it was, with two or 

 three exceptions. One is my name being T. L. Latimer instead 

 C. L. Latimer; and another, you say " I have reason to think he 

 employs at least one or more expert men who know all about the 

 business." The fact is, I did not have a man who ever tried to 

 raise a celery crop in his life, on the (aim at any time during 

 crop season, including myself. I never tried to raise any vege- 

 tables until I came to Manatee Co., Fla., a little over a year ago. 



Now in regard to marketing the crop, returns, and so on, that 

 you ask me for. 1 will state that returns are not all in yet, hav- 

 ing just shipped the lust car this week, but may say the first acre 

 netted over $1800; the others did not do that well, on account of 

 the very dry spell of weather you spoke of in your journal when 

 you were here, it being broken only this week by a 4-inch down- 

 pour of rain, the day I finished getting out the last car. While I 

 kept it watered with artesian water the country around was very 

 dry, and it affects it to some extent. And then prices were not 

 so good toward the last. On the whole I did a good business — 

 far better than I expected. On the first seven rows, that were 

 300 feet long, I cut 167 crates that netted $429.07, or over $61.00 

 per row. The rest of the celery was just as good, but I did not 

 get as good prices for it. 



We hope to have you back with us when Jack Frost comes 

 again in the North, and we hope to get better acquainted with 

 you. 



There is a great temperance tally to-morrow just across the 

 river at Palmetto, where a great revival has been going on for 

 two weeks; and the evangelist, Mr. Bridges, starts one here next 

 week that is destined to do great good in this town. 



Bradentown, Fla., April 12. T. L. Latimer. 



The above is simply astounding. If I did not 

 know the man and had not seen his celery and 

 talked with his eighteen-year-old boy, I might 

 find it hard to believe, myself. We who are 

 "old and wise " have been saying right along 

 that one can not hope to succeed in any business 

 without practical experience. You must com- 

 mence slowly and build up gradually. Well, 

 that is good advice for most of the world; but 

 this time one man and his eight children (do not 

 forget about the eig/it children, I beg of you) went 

 into a new region — in fact, into a tropical climate 

 where they were entirely unacquainted with any 

 thing or anybody, and actually worked up in a 

 little over one year what I have been telling you. 

 There is another secret to it besides the family 

 of eight children, and I have purposely let you 

 into it by leaving on the concluding paragraph of 

 his kind letter. He is a man who does not drink, 

 and never did drink, and his family follow him; 

 and I gather, too, that he is never so busy in push- 

 ing his business but that he can keep track of it 

 and be on hand when a great revival is under 

 way. May the Lord be praised for such men. 

 And this is not all of it, either. May the Lord 

 be praised for the good woman who has taken 

 charge of that family of eight children, and who 

 stands back of brother Latimer for righteousness, 

 temperance, and purity. 



Later. — After dictating what I did in the 

 above, my conscience began to trouble me some- 

 what. I was afraid that there would be many 

 who would feel sure they could do something 

 like what friend Latimer has done, and then 

 would be sorely disappointed. Let me tell you, 

 by way of caution, that all over Florida there are 

 deserted homes, gardens, and fields where some- 

 body has wasted a lot of money, and yet made 

 only a failure. New comers in Manatee Co. 

 many times say, "Why, where are your nice- 

 looking gardens and wonderful crops.'" And I 

 confess I have made a lot of apologies and ex- 

 cuses; but when I take them over to my neigh- 

 bor Rood's and let them see with their own eyes 

 the possibilities of that region they have to admit 

 all that has been told them. Then comes the ques- 

 tion, "Why should so many fail when only a 



