558 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



net take very long to put your whole ground 

 in beautiful eoiKlition. If your corn and 

 other stuff is planted in hills, instead of 

 drills, there is little that needs to be done 

 with a hoe. Perhaps I might add that I 

 paid $6.20 for my machine, the same as 

 other people pay, so that you may not imag- 

 ine that I got anything free for having 

 given the machine this write-up. I think it 

 is going to prove a boon indeed, especially 

 to old people like myself who work in the 

 garden. 



" IN THE SVTEAT OP THY FACE SHALT THOU 

 EAT BREAD.-'^ 



Last, but by no means least, let me say 

 that for some time back I felt that my 

 strength was gradually failing — not partic- 

 ularly when I was at work in the garden, 

 but when I undertook to read the letters 

 piled up on my desk, and especially to read 

 as I ought to read the books and papers and 

 clippings that the many kind friends are 

 sending to me. I tried to woi'k in the gar- 

 den, but some way my strength did not seem 

 to hold out. In fact, running the cultivator 

 I have previously mentioned, especially 

 when the ground was rather wet, seemed to 

 be almost too much hard work. After I got 

 this new machine I have been describing 

 I was so much pleased with its workings 

 that I did not stop, even when I was tired. 

 Rain was coming again, and I wanted to do 

 all possible before it was again wet. Pretty 

 soon I was in a profuse perspiration. In 

 fact, the sweat was dripping from the end 

 of my nose. I hung my cap on a post and 

 went up and down the rows bareheaded ; 

 and pretty soon I struck what the boys call 

 the " second wind.'' Our older readers will 

 remember my mention of it in speaking of 

 climbing Mount Wilson, in California. That 

 text in the Bible, " He paweth in the valley 

 and rejoiceth in his strength," occurred to 

 me. Instead of becoming tired out I began 

 to draw in gi-^at breaths of the beautiful 

 fresh air, and did not feel tired a bit. T 

 nearly finished the whole garden before 

 dinnertime. I ate a hearty dinner, and then 

 took a good long nap, and then was ready 

 for more " gardening." The next day the 

 muscles of my arms were sore; but I took 

 another "dose" of the new cultivator until I 

 was once more dripping with sweat; and 

 now my aches and pains are all gone, and I, 

 feel as if I were getting a new lease of life. 

 In fact, I had been praying over the matter 

 of my health, and my prayer was answered. 



By the way, I think I should mention 

 right here that a few weeks ago I was thoro- 

 ly examined by the medical examiner be- 

 longing to a life-insurance company. Yon 

 see it is quite " interesting " for the life- 



insurance companies to have an old man 

 like myself live as long as possible, and, ac- 

 cordingly, he makes examinations without 

 any fees on my part. He gave me some 

 disinterested advice. Well, after I had had 

 a good long talk with this up-to-date doctor 

 he said something as follows : 



" Mr. Root, about all the fault I can find 

 with you is that you are 76 yccirs old." 



After the doctor and I had had this good 

 long " visit " I happened to mention that I 

 was conducting a health department in our 

 journal; and later on I submitted to him the 

 article on page 1001, Dee. 1, 1915, and I 

 asked him to give his opinion in regard 

 to the soundness of my teaching. He re- 

 plied later that the best evidence of the 

 soundness of my teachings is the fact that I 

 have lived to be 76 and still keep my 

 strength and the use of my faculties to such 

 an unusual degree. 



Well, now, friends, here is the moral to 

 my long story. I was suffering because I 

 had not been getting sufficient exercise so 

 as to sweat profusely thru the pores of my 

 body. Of course the enthusiasm awakened 

 by the use of that new cultivator had some- 

 to do with it. Several times I urged my 

 good friend T. B. Terry to take even more 

 exercise every day right out in the open air, 

 winter and summer; and in accordance with 

 the latter I urged him to take a trip down 

 to Florida, where he could be outdoors in 

 his shirtsleeves every day in the year. The 

 last time I talked with him he claimed that 

 the air in his room (with his ventilating and 

 " humidifying " arrangements) during the 

 wintertime was as pure as it was outdoors. 

 But I did not quite agree with him. 



As the insurance doctor bade me goodby 

 he said something like this : 



" Mi\ Root, if a kind Providence should 

 permit me to live to be 76 years old, and 

 to retain my bodily strength and the use of 

 ray faculties as you seem to have, I shall be 

 devoutly thankful." 



Just one thing more : 



The doctor mentioned asked me about my 

 meals. I told him that for the last five 

 years or more my supper was grapefruit 

 and apples, with a little cheese. He replied 

 very emphatically, " That is just the very 

 hesi thing for you; and if a lot of other old 

 men would stop eating three square meals a 

 day, especially after they give up hard 

 work, a great lot of them would live longer, 

 and enjoy life far better." 



IRISH POTATOES 70 CENTS A PECK. 



Here we are again, friends, this last week 

 in June, with potatoes at 70 cents a peck, 

 or $2,80 a bushel. I have for several sum- 



