660 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 1. 



fact, that supply and domand have fixed the 

 price at 25 cents, he goes ont of his way and 

 loses money, because of his foolish ideas that 

 it should be kept down at 20 cents. He sent up 

 north and bought honey that actually cost him 

 19 cents, and then sold it for 20. when every- 

 body would have been pleased to pay 25. In 

 doing this he damaged liis neighbors, and did 

 them an unkindness that pci'haps can not soon 

 be undone. Perhaps a few people are benefited 

 by getting an article below the market price; 

 but even this is not clear. Let me explain: We 

 started cucumbers under glass, so that we, per- 

 hiips. could have afforded them at 10 cents per 

 lb. Our neighbors (grocers), however, who 

 brought them in from Cleveland, could not get 

 any at that price, and so they had to give up 

 the business. Again, all we put on the wagon 

 in the morning would be gone before the wagon 

 would be half way round. My own sister com- 

 plained that she never could get a sight of cer- 

 tain desirable products because they were all 

 sold off the wagon before it reached her home. 

 Now, in order to make the limited supply go 

 around, the only way— in fact, the proper and 

 fairway — was to raise the price enough so the 

 corumodity would hold out during pretty near- 

 ly the whole route. Thus, you see, all could 

 gel a fair chance, and ive could get a good deal 

 more money. 



Now one more point still: Perhaps I should 

 have mentioned before in my articles on gar- 

 dening, that, owing to the excessive rains, and 

 consequent flooding of our products, up to the 

 first of August all the money we received from 

 our market-garden would not pay the wages of 

 our hired help. Our early crops were disaster 

 after disaster. As it was so with other folks, 

 the price of every thing was unusually high; 

 but even these high prices gave us no profit. 

 On the whole, it was a steady loss. When I got 

 8 cents per lb. for those onions it helped quite a 

 little: but it did not come anywhere near 

 liringing up the figures so there was any profit 

 ai all. The question is, " Is it wrong or out of 

 th(^ way for ilie farmer or gardener to take all 

 his produce will bring in the genei'al market?"' 

 Why, most surely not. In most cities they 

 have a market-place and a market day. Peo- 

 ple are bringing in their produce, and there are 

 l)uyers who are watching and figuring to se.^ 

 where the demand and supply will fix the price. 

 Here purchasers and producers meet together 

 in a friendly counsel; that is, when we know 

 what the demand and supply are. what is an 

 honest and fair price? A few days atro a man 

 drove up with a load of small apples. I offered 

 him 30 cents a bushel for the lot. A market- 

 gardener who had just brought in some black- 

 berries said he was going into Cleveland the 

 next day, and that, if I had no o'lje -tion. he 

 would give the man .5 cents more than 1 had 

 offered. I told him I was very glad indeed to 

 have him do so, for I was well aware that 30 

 cents a bushel scarcely paid foi- picking the ap- 

 ples, as they were all carefully hand-picked. 



It seems to me that a greater enemy than the 

 banker, merchant, or railroader, to the farmer, 

 is the farmei''s neighbor who drives his stuff 

 into market, and, in a heedless and stupid way, 

 sells it off for less than the supply and demand 

 would warrant. Yes, I do think that it is a sin 

 against your neighbor, to sell your stuff for less 

 than the proper market price: and especially is 

 this the case when the market is being first es- 

 tablished. When I mentioned that I got S cents 

 per lb. for those onions I had not a thought of 

 Dragging ahoui how I had cheated somebody. 

 I was simply trying to tell you that if we can, 

 by improved culture or by the introduction of 

 some new variety, put on the market something 

 of this sort at a time when people are not accus- 



tomed to seeing it, we can get unusual prices. 

 There is a craving for these early vegetables, 

 and this makes a demand. The craving is 

 healthy and proper; and the demand is a prop- 

 er and healthy demand, and there is certainly 

 nothing wrong in letting people who can af- 

 ford it pay extra prices. To a great part of my 

 readers this whole thing seems clear and plain, 

 and they perhaps wonder that I wastes spac(! on 

 any thing so clearly self-evident; but yet with 

 sadness I say it, individuals like our friend 

 Finch are scattered all through the land. We 

 find them here and there in every community; 

 and they wind up their exhortations with 

 scripture texts, and perhaps say in conclusion 

 as ^c .says. " O consistency ! thou art a jewel." 

 You see, this brother takes it for granted that I 

 am entirely wrong and that he is entirely right. 

 He tells me that I am a sinner; that I do not 

 love my neighbors; while he is a Christian who 

 loves liis neighbors, and that he believes in his 

 Bible. I hope he will forgive me for my very 

 plain speaking. Oh if I could only hear him 

 say, or, better still, if I could hear individuals 

 of his class say, when proper facts are presented 

 to their notice, " Bro. Root, as you put it I do 

 think that I have been at least partly in the 

 wrong. I hope you will forgive me, and I will 

 try to be Ijetter"! If I could hear him say this, 

 I should feel some hope that our labor troubles 

 might be cured: but when I see a real farmer 

 striking blows that tell vitally to the hurt of 

 his own neighljoring farmers, I can not but feel 

 sad. If peeple were getting rich in market- 

 gardening; \f farmers were getting rich, and 

 were proud and arrogant toward the bankers 

 and railroad men. why, then I might be led to 

 consider the point he makes— are w(> wronging 

 the town and city folks by charging them too 

 much for early onions, etc.? 



A CHANCE CHAPTER FROM THE TOMATO- 

 BOOK. 



SOMETHING FURTHER IN REGARD TO MY VISIT 

 TO THE LAKE SHORE CANNING-FACTORY. 



During my visit, mentioned in a previous 

 number, I brought out several facts that may 

 be of interest to our readers; for instance, the 

 proprietors of the canning - factory pay the 

 farmers who raise the tomatoes, as a general 

 thing, about SS.OO per ton for the tomatoes. 

 This would be about 24 cents per bushel, which 

 agrees very nearly with what we have purchas- 

 ed round about Medina i^or our small operations 

 ill the way of canning tomatoes; for we have 

 usually paid from 20 lo 2.i cents per bushel, ac- 

 cording to quality. Friend Cutnmins found it 

 profitable to have suitable springs made that 

 could be attached to any ordinary lumber wag- 

 on; and these springs were furnished to the 

 farmers at a moderate price, in order that they 

 might bring the product to the factory in good 

 order. 



One advantage of steam heat in hot-beds 

 over manure is this: When the weather is 

 suitable they can sow the seeds in all their beds, 

 and do it all t)n the same day. But the steam 

 is not turned under the beds until at such a 

 time as the plants are needed. P'or instance, 

 one bed is made to start first. When it gets 

 well along, the steam is let on under the next, 

 and so on, thus making the plants come along 

 one bed after another, so as to avoid having 

 them reach the proper age all in a heap. This 

 is certainly a very important matter. In our 

 business of plant - raising I have sometimes 

 thought it needed a mechanical engineer or a 

 Philadelphia lawyer, as the saying goes, to re- 

 member to get out the tools and sow seeds for 



