8; Hi 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1."). 



to size and Quality, to Js^.OO, or even more, a 

 bushel. As th<' car stood several days near our 

 store, I became pretty well acquainted with 

 the proprietor. I felt that he was doing good. 

 He came from a locality where peaches were so 

 plentiful they could not have been all disposed 

 of in any other way. He gathered enough to- 

 gether to load a car. then asked the railroad 

 companies how low they would place the car in 

 the town of Medina. Then he came with his 

 men and teams, and scattei'ed them all over the 

 country; and when one town was supplied he 

 went to another, and so on. About the same 

 time, a carload of beautiful Jersey sweet pota- 

 toes was dropped on the track near the peach- 

 car. This man, too, had horses and drays for 

 taking the potatoes around to neighboring 

 towns. He accosted • me as I stood on the walk 

 enjoying the sight (for I did enjoy it) in woids 

 something like these: 



"Mr. Root, how much can you afford to give 

 per bushel for Jersey sweet potatoes like these 

 in my hand '?" 



They were so exceedingly nice I was afraid 

 his stock might not come up to sample, and 

 I suggested something of the kind. 



'•They are right here in the car, Mr. Root; 

 and if the whole carload is not just as good as 

 these I have in my hand, of course you will not 

 buy them." 



I was a little prejudiced against him because 

 he looked something like a Jew. and I confess I 

 rather expected to be cheated in measure and 

 quality, or something of the sort. But he gave 

 good heaping measure— better than we a)e ac- 

 customed to get and give; and when I found 

 that his potatoes were, if any thing, better than 

 the samples he showed, I felt ashamed of my- 

 self. This man with his drays went all over 

 the town and adjoining towns, giving many of 

 the people perhaps their first taste oiarenlnice 

 Jersey sweet potato, and I felt that he was a 

 public benefactor. He was taking the surplus 

 product from one locality, and, at a great deal of 

 expense, scattering it about in a locality where 

 it was almost unknown. The sweet-potato-car 

 and the peach-car were to me a suggestion of 

 something pleasant— a glimpse of brighter days 

 in the future, for some who had toiled hard to 

 raise crops and couldn't sell them after they 

 were raised. The idea seemed to suggest to me 

 a remedy for the complaints that have been 

 made, to the effect that "farming does not 

 pay." and also for a remedy, perhaps, for the 

 present state of affairs when country people are 

 leaving their farms, and pushing into towns 

 and cities. What has been bringing this state 

 of affairs about ? You may say, perhaps, the 

 march of progress and intelligence. Yes, I 

 think that is right: and I think, too. that I see 

 through it all a plain fulfillment of the promise 

 in our text. You may think my conclusions are 

 far-fetched. Perhaps some of you may say. or 

 suggest, rather, that the peach-man and the 

 potato-man were probably not Christians at all, 

 and I really do not know whethei' they were 

 or not. I 'know only this: That, when we 

 bought nearly a wagonload of the peach-man. 

 and I suggested that perhaps he would retail 

 them around at the houses for less tlian we 

 paid, before he left town, he looked me full in 

 the face and said, " Mr. Root, I am trying to be 

 an honest man; and when I promise you that, 

 if I tind it necessary to lower my present prices 

 on peaches, you shall have the advantage of 

 the reduction as well as those who buy later, I 

 mean to keep that promise. I expect to bring 

 peaches to Medina again, and I know the value 

 of a good reputation for honesty and fair deal- 

 ing as well as you do."' 



I watched the man narrowly after that; and 

 although he was bright and energetic, and 



worked hard in getting off his peaches in every 

 way possible, so as to get away before they 

 spoiled on his hands, I did not detect a single 

 tiling in him that looked like unfairness; nei- 

 ther did I find any thing amiss with the man 

 who sold the potatoes. Now. the point is right 

 here: Whether ihey were Christians or not by 

 profession, they were in a Christian nation: 

 and I believe that Jesus meant the promise in 

 our text to include nations as well as individ- 

 uals. I think he meant we might read it thus: 



'■ If any nation of people abide in me. and my 

 words abide in them, they in their prayers may 

 ask what they will, and it shall be done unto 

 them." 



You will notice it is easier to believe this than 

 it is to believe it of individual Ijeings. In fact, 

 no one would think of disputing it when applied 

 to a nation. 



It has often been said, and truly said, that 

 learning to raise fine crops is only a part of the 

 business ot farming or gardening. The other 

 part is in disposing of all you can raise on a 

 certain area; and perhaps as many blunders 

 are made in securing a crop that can not be 

 turned into cash as in failing to get any crop at 

 all. Many of us have had experience in pro- 

 ducing a crop when it was not wanted, or in pro- 

 ducing a crop so far from market that it could 

 not be disposed of profitably. Well, the little 

 sketch I have given you indicates the line in 

 which "these difticmt'ies are to be met and con- 

 quered. Yes, and the people who are starving 

 across the seas are to be rescued and sa ved at 

 the very same time we succeed in getting pay- 

 ing prices for our products. Those who are 

 suffering from a lack of food, probably sent up 

 earnest prayers to the great God above, if any 

 class of people ever did; and I hope that others 

 who raise; lai'ge crops also renK'inber to ask the 

 great Father above to help them in disposing 

 of their crops. I hope, too, that, in their pray- 

 ers, they remember the starving ones, and ask 

 God to iielp them in their desires to relieve the 

 suffering. Now. in answering these prayers 

 from two different classes of people, one of the 

 great agencies to be employed is the railroads: 

 and although some of you feel pained when I 

 call railroads a gift from God, it seems to me to 

 become; plainer and plainer every day that the 

 railroads are one of God's agencies. They may 

 not be managed by Christian men. and they 

 may, too. oftentimes be in the hands of unjust 

 men and extortioners: but for all that, our rail- 

 roads are through a Christian nation, and they 

 are doing a tremendous work in relieving suf- 

 fering and want in the ways I have indicated. 

 I know full well of the complaints that are 

 made about extortionate charges; but, dear 

 friends, you can almost always find out before- 

 hand what they are going to charge you. The 

 peach-man and the potato-man both doubtless 

 asked the (iU(>stion. " How low can you deliver 

 my carload in Medina, if I decide to go into it?"' 

 If the railroad companies named a price, and 

 the price was accepted, it seems to nw they 

 have not done so very badly. They are work- 

 ing hard to get something to do, just as you and 

 I are. We hardly ever, of late, have a full car- 

 load of stuff' sent anywhere unless two or more 

 railroad companies bid for the privilege of car- 

 rying it; and sometimes half a dozen different 

 railroads urge us by making low offers. Some- 

 times they carry freight so low that they do not 

 pay expenses. Our new east and west road is 

 in just that predicament, and I really feel sorry 

 for' them when I see how hard they are working 

 to get trade of some kind. Of course, they did 

 not get much if any sympathy when, in their 

 efforts to work up trade, they started Sunday 

 excursions; and I shouldn't wonder if they 

 have found out already that it does not pay. 



