526 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 15 



opened only when it rains or when you wish 

 to dip out water. If you need to save every 

 bit of the rain water, you will find a good 

 deal will be lost that falls between the tub 

 and barrel. To prevent this, nail two shin- 

 gles together V shape. Invert your V, and 

 bang it over the edge of the barrel so all the 

 water goes either into one or the other re- 

 ceptacle. In this region, as well as around 

 New Orleans, cisterns are made of wood, as 

 a rule, and placed on top of the ground. 

 Kerosene- barrels are much used; and to get 

 rid of the oil, rosin, etc., that would make 

 the water taste, you make a big fire in the 

 empty barrel, with shavings or something 

 that will make it " h t." Use enough fuel 

 to char thoroughly the whole interior. To 

 get rid of all rosin, glue, etc., you must 

 have it blazing so hard that the flames can 

 be smothered only by turning the open end 

 down on the ground when charred sufficient- 

 ly. A " charcoal lined ' ' barrel is about as 

 good a receptacle as you can well get for 

 your rain water. Of course, all I have 

 mentioned can be applied as well to cisterns 

 made of cement, in the ground; but I have 

 found very little cistern water in quality 

 equal to that from a " charcoal- lined " bar- 

 rel. If rain water is too warm and insipid, 

 use ice. / don't care for the ice, but I do 

 care a great deal for a little lemon juice 

 squeezed into the water I drink; and after 

 a continued use of it I still think it one of 

 God's medicines. Don't put any sugar in it 

 - at least not for regular daily use. Lem- 

 ons grow almost of themselves in warm cli- 

 mates, and it impresses me that they are 

 one of God's precious gifts. 



Some may think what I have mentioned is 

 a deal of " fuss" about so simple a matter 

 as a drink of water; but, my friend, any 

 thing that lessens the need of callirg a doc- 

 tor is far from being a simple matter. If 

 you have a good spring or well, and the wa- 

 ter agrees with you, I do not know that I 

 would take the trouble to drink soft water; 

 but physicians tell us a good many stubborn 

 diseases are often helped by a change of 

 drinking-water. I have sometimes thought 

 the water from our spring in Michigan was 

 better for my digestion than good rain wa- 

 ter; but it may be only a notion. I feel 

 quite sure, however, the mineral sprirg wa- 

 ter of Agua Caliente, Arizona, commenced 

 at once to have a very beneficial effect on 

 my disordered digestion consequent on trav- 

 eling. I think we may thank God for these 

 speci&l springs with their " healing waters, " 

 in about the same way we thank him for the 

 lemons. 



A, I. root's bath-room. 



During the past winter I have had an ex- 

 perience that prompts me to add something 

 to what I have written in regard to the ben- 

 eficial efl'ects of a shower bath. It came 

 about in this way. You remember what I 

 said in December about the " donax " shell- 

 fish. Well, we hav(- been having them once 

 or twice a week all winter, and we have 

 never tired of them the least bit. When 

 the waves were high it was something of a 



task to gather them; and again and again I 

 would go home soaked with salt water clear 

 above my knees. At first I explained to 

 "Sue" I was so busy getting the donax I 

 forgot about the big wave, but added, " I've 

 had experience now, and I won't get caught 

 that way again." Well, it was only the old 

 story over again until, in desperation. I sent 

 to Montgomery Ward & Co. for a 60-cent 

 bathing-suit by mail, and then I didn't need 

 to mind the spray. . In fact, I rather en- 

 joyed it. When I finished my fishing I was 

 ready for a real play in the salt water. Yes, 

 a shower bath is a luxury; but, my friend, 

 a shower bath in the old ocean with the 

 salty spray about your ears and eyes is cer- 

 tainly one of God's most precious gifts. 



A word more about the d nax. When 

 they are plentiful we get enough for sever- 

 al days in just a few minutes. I think I 

 should enjoy a teacupful of donax soup at 

 every meal; and with a few crackers or 

 some dry bread it is the easiest dish in the 

 world to prepare. 



Mr^. Root had been scolding me one day 

 (before I got my "suit") because I could 

 not remember to get out of the way of the 

 waves. As she wanted some donax for sup- 

 per she came down to help. Oh, no! she 

 wouldn't get caught ; but when she got JM 

 * ' busy ' ' a big surf came up like a thief in H 

 the night; and it wasn't only her slippers 

 that were drenched with salt water either. 



THE SEA-BREEZE AND LONG DEEP INHALA- 

 TIONS. 



I have talked about water to drink and 

 water for a shower bath, and now I have 

 something to add about good air to breathe. 

 For about two months we got our mail from 

 the office with a boat; but it was often in- 

 convenient to get it daily. The mail comes 

 from Sarasota in a gasoline-launch, and the 

 channel brings it close to our island, about a 

 mile distant from our home. The carrier 

 said if I would put up a box he would give 

 us " R. F. D." Now, it has not been really 

 necessary for me to walk this mile and back 

 every day; but I soon began to enjoy my 

 9-o'clock morning walk so much I have hard- 

 ly made a miss in two months. My path is 

 along the Gulf— at least that is the easiest 

 path, and the wet sand is usually so hard it 

 scarcely leaves a footprint There is almost 

 always a strong sea-breeze to be faced, go- 

 ing or coming; and on these trips when fac- 

 ing the wind I have pulled in deeper drafts 

 of air than I ever did in climbing the Michi- 

 gan hills*. I am sure I am an inch or two 

 larger around my lungs than I ever have 

 been before; and while I drink in these de- 

 licious ' * pulls ' ' of the cooling breeze from 

 across the great waters I thank God again 

 and again for this gift and the privilege of 

 enjoying it in my old age. Surely no good 

 thing will he withhold from them that walk 

 uprightly. 



*I want to say to my good friends in Dr. Miller's home 

 (and others) that my fur cap is dispensed with during 

 these walks I usually gro in my shirtsleeves, and some- 

 times bareheaded a grreat part of the way. I also leave 

 my fur cap on the shore when swimming in the turf. 



