228 FIVE AGUES TOO MUCH. 



&quot; Why, my dear boy,&quot; he replied, gayly, &quot; that is 

 easy enough : dry them a little, put them in bags la 

 beled, and set them aside in a dry place, where the 

 mice can not get at them to make a daily meal at 

 your expense.&quot; 



&quot; I do not refer to that part ; the books on garden 

 ing speak of that, but they give no directions for 

 gathering the seed. I have studied Bridgeman, 

 Hand, and the rest of them, but they nowhere tell 

 you when or how to collect the seed.&quot; 



&quot; My dear fellow, you surely would not expect 

 Bridgeman to tell you how to save seeds ; that is his 

 occupation, and a pretty fool he would be to let out 

 all the secrets of his trade.&quot; 



&quot; Then he had no business to write on gardening,&quot; 

 I added, earnestly ; for I have an immense idea of 

 duty, and a high standard for the obligations of au 

 thorship ; &quot; a man who publishes a book, and retains 

 any knowledge on the subject of which he treats for 

 his own purposes, is a scoundrel and a cheat ; he is 

 false&quot; 



&quot;Now, now,&quot; interrupted Weeville, soothingly, 

 &quot; don t get on your high horse ; remember human 

 nature. A pretty notion it would have been if 

 Bridgeman had enabled all his customers to do 

 without him, and perhaps set up in the seed-busi 

 ness themselves.&quot; 



