ISOT 



(M,]vA\iN(;s IX Ri-;i-; cri;ri'RK. 



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not //./:< much inonoy. I carry cliccks of, say, 

 $'2'^ each, and these I can get cashed at any 

 hank. Then I stow away the 5-"' \vhere a 

 thief can not easily get at it, taking out just 

 enough for each clay's expenses, when I am in 

 a room hy myself — that is, when I am among 

 strangers. Rats and mice won't stay around, 

 and, for that matter, frauds either, unless you 

 bait them with something good that they can 

 get at ; neitlier will pickjiockets. Let me 

 modify the latter a little. Go into any town 

 where saloons thrive and make a good living, 

 and there you will find pickpockets. The 

 scene I have described hapj)ene(l where a con- 

 siderahle-sizetl railway depot is planted right 

 in the midst of a hot-bed of saloons. Banish 

 the saloons, and you will get a good way along 

 in banishing the pickpockets. 



Now, then, while you are, by precept and 

 example, saying to the saloon-keepers, pick- 

 pockets, and all others of that class, as did 

 Paul in the language of our text, " Wilt thou 

 not cease to pervert the right ways of the 

 Lord ? " let us also remember the slick persons 

 who mix among Christian people, and get into 

 the advertisers' department of religious pa- 

 pers, and induce ministers of the gospel and 

 other Christian people to help them rob the 

 sick, the suffering, and the dying. Let us 

 cast out these persons who, under the guise of 

 being philanthropists, scientists, and invent- 

 ors, charge enormous prices for their hypo- 

 critical humbug toys. Let us especially be- 

 ware of ' ' false prophets which come to us in 

 sheep's clothing, but who inwardly are raven- 

 ing wolves. ' ' 



ON THE WHEEL. 

 After the torrid wave along the fore part of 

 July the weather changed very suddenly ; 

 and as I was a little careless about changing 

 my thin attire for one more appropriate for the 

 weather, I took a severe cold and had another 

 attack of malarial chills, or something like it. 

 Of cour.se I thought of my regular cure for 

 such troubles — the wheel; but for two or three 

 days, in spite of the beefsteak, I felt too sick 

 to ride the wheel or to do anything else. How- 

 ever, on Saturday morning, July 17, I was 

 agreeably surprised to meet IMr. E. C. Keck, of 

 Bowling Oreen, PTorida; and as he is interest- 

 ed in gardening, either north or south, I very 

 much wanted to take him to the celery and 

 small-fruit farms in our county. At first I 

 planned to go wnth a horse and buggy; but I 

 actually felt too sick to ride in a buggy twen- 

 ty or thirty miles; but finding that Mr. Keck 

 was something of a wheel-rider I said we 

 would start out; and if I could not stand it 

 I would go to the nearest station and return 

 home on the cars. I remember of thinking, 

 after I decided to go, that it was preposterous 

 for me to undertake to go away from home in 



such condition. In fact, I had been feeling 

 for some time previously that very likely the 

 doctors were right in saying that I should nev- 

 er be a well man — that I might as well give 

 up ])lanning for any active work during the 

 remainder of my life. Perhajjs you have had 

 such thoughts and feelings your.self. 



Well, we started off on our wheels. I did 

 not feel any worse during the first ten miles, 

 and, in fact, I did not feel very much better. 

 After we reached the celery-farm I told friend 

 Keck I guessed I had better go over to the 

 station and get home before I was any farther 

 away. ■ After looking over the beautiful plant 

 of Jordan Brothers, however, and asking them 

 questions about this, that, and the other treat- 

 ment, I soon began to forget my aches and 

 pains. vSome little time ago, you may remem- 

 ber, I advised them to try one of the Breed 

 weeders made especially for onions. They got 

 a machine in accordance with mv advice. 

 vSaid I: 



"Oh I by the way, how did }-our onion-weed- 

 er turn out? Did you get your money back on 

 the investment ?" 



He turned around, and, in his peculiar way, 

 lifting his hand as if to add emphasis, said:' 



"Mr. Root, that onion-weeder paid for itself 

 in one day. ' ' 



I do not know but he added afterward the 

 expression was a little strong; but they really 

 siicceeded, as I thought they would, in not 

 only ri-inning the weeder lengthwise of the 

 rows, but they pulled it crosswise also. The 

 boys who pulled it coidd easily step over the 

 onions; and in this manner the ground was. 

 pulverized most thoroughly in and around and 

 between the plants. 



They were haying some trouble by the first 

 early celer}- sending up seed-stalks. I wanted 

 to get at them myself and pull out the useless 

 plants that were determined to go to seed; but 

 the boss .said, something as we have it in the 

 parable, " Not so; for in pulling up the useless 

 plants you will disturb and injure the good 

 ones. Let them both stand till the harvest, 

 which is soon coming, and we will sort out 

 the bad ones as fast as they are gathered." 



There was considerable discussion as to 

 whether it was the strain of seed, the unfa- 

 vorable weather during the spring, or a lack 

 of water at a critical period; and I believe all 

 decided that the latter was the trouble, or at 

 least one of the prime causes of it. The most 

 of this thing happened in the new celery cul- 

 ture where plants are put so very closely to- 

 gether, and, of course, it wovild need" the 

 greatest quantit}- of water, especially as they 

 approached maturity. Where the plants were 

 in rows two and a half feet apart or more a far 

 smaller proportion had shot up seed-stalks. 



They had the handsomest field of American 

 Pearl onions I ever saw in my life; but as they 

 were not started under glass, as our own were, 

 it will be some weeks before they har\-est their 

 crop. 



They are using, for a fertilizer on the celery 

 rows, bone and potash. They were also sprink- 

 ling the beds with quick-lime in order to coun- 

 teract the effect of blight, which made them 

 much trouble last year. They began gather- 



