1686 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTtTllE. 



fef 



pie who wish to economize soon took advan- 

 tage of this, and we began to see daylight 

 in the cabbage-trade. At the present writ- 

 ing, very few have been lost. Where they 

 are badly bursted, and have become discol- 

 ored by the Siin and air, we give them to the 

 poultry. 



Within tive or six miles of tis is a beauti- 

 ful lake which has lately become quite a 

 pleasure-resort. Our advertiseiiient called 

 the attention of the hotel-keepers at the 

 lake to our business ; and when men came 

 to our gardens and began to make offers for 

 the stuff just as it stood in the field, I began 

 to feel indeed that God had heard our prayer. 



•' How much will you take for that lot of 

 celefy, just as it Stands light there in the 

 dirt V" said a customer a few days ago. 



I told him that, as it waS all we had that 

 was really fit to put on the wagon, I could 

 not take less than 5 cents a stalk. He did 

 not take it at that figure, but thought he 

 could give 4 cents. Now, none but those 

 who have been through similar trials, and it 

 seems to me that none but those who have 

 been praying over such matters, can realize 

 with what feelings I thanked God inwardly 

 for this one answer to our prayers. Instead 

 of having to draw our stuff away many 

 miles, and then, maybe, bring it back again, 

 here were otters for it, and very fair ones, 

 just as it stood in the ground. The same 

 man wanted 20 dozen ears of sweet corn per 

 day, and offered to go to the field and take 

 it himself if I would let him have it at 8 cts. 



a dozen. While I write, another call has 

 been made for sweet corn, and three men 

 have gone over our whole field. Each man 

 takes two rows ; and as they pick it off it is 

 all tossed into the row where the central 

 man walks. A boy follows him with a coup- 

 le of bitskets, gathers it up, and puts it in 

 the wagon ; and as soon as the corn was 

 loaded up it was sold. I recognize it as an 

 answer to our prayers, and I thank God foi* 

 having sent us these customei's ; yet bear ill 

 miiid, dear friends, that God could not coii- 

 sistently have answered this prayer unless 

 we had first done our part by having nice 

 corn, nice celery, etc.* 



The celery was banked up ahd nicely 

 bleached clear to the tops. The corn 

 was oh groltnd that was carefully prepared 

 and well manured. Those who had a taste 

 of it wanted more; and sO it must bei 

 through all our work. There is no excel- 

 lence without great labor. He who expects 

 God to listen to his prayers must be consist- 

 ent, and do his part toward making it con= 

 sistent for God to annnier his prayers. I do 

 not wish to have you understand by the 

 above that we are now making money by 

 market gardening. Our daily receipts pay 

 for all our help, and some more. But about 

 all that we can say is, that here and there 

 are glimpses of sunshine, and pretty fair in- 

 dications that we shall ultimately make our 

 work a success financially. Tlie following 

 chapter will serve, perhaps, to make it a lit- 

 tle plainer as to how it is to be done. 



CHAPTER XXII. 



He beOometh pool' that dealptb with a slack haiul; Imt tho hand of the diligent niaketh rich.— pROV. 10:4. 



No doubt some of the friends who have 

 read thus far in my book will conclude that 

 I am trying to teach some things which I do 

 not understand very well myself. Well, 

 some such thoughts as these were in my own 

 mind a couple of weeks ago, and I therefore 

 concluded that, before going any further, I 

 would invest some money in visiting the 

 most successful market-gardeners of the 

 world. As our good friend A. N. Gole, whom 

 I have mentioned here before as the father 

 of the " New Agriculture ; or, the Waters 

 Led Captive,'' claims to have some of the 

 most productive land on the face of the earth, 

 I concluded to pay him a visit also. I thought 

 I would visit father Cole first, and then go 



afterward to see the most successful market' 

 gfirdeners, that I might be able to judge how 

 much he has accomplished at his home on 

 the hillside. 



Toward the close of the 2<)th day of July it 

 was my fortune to look upon said hillside. 



*A postal card is handed nie while T am reading 

 the proof ot this page. ]t is as follows: 



\V( Uington, Ohio, Aug. 10, 1880. 

 Please Kliip UK lour barrelw best eabliuffe. Tliose you sent 

 were line; let this shipment be as t;oo<l. 



Bowl. BY & Hall. 



A few more such orders, and our whole crop of 

 cahliages will In- under control. After seeing- them 

 spoilinK on our hands, can you understand that the 

 above postal isa jilimpse of sunshine— yes, sunshine 

 among such commonplace thing-s as a field of cab- 

 bajfes- the sunshine of God's love to his children, 

 and to all who look to him in their troubles and 

 wants'/ 



