672 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1918 



and what to do when they're storing honey 

 — or when they're not storing at all; what 

 course to pursue when foul brood comes with 

 its ravages or winter with its chill. And 

 we've been greatly benefited by this advice 

 (sometimes followed, sometimes not), and 

 we hope to read reams more. But who has 

 told us what to do when the bees go flashing 

 and humming right thru the heart of a per- 

 fect blue-and-gold day in autumn? That's 

 just it — no one has. The subject has been 

 utterly neglected. The Editor has written 

 no editorial on the subject, nor has Dr. Mil- 

 ler given it one Straw or Dr. Phillips one 

 bulletin. Therefore I rise to the emergency; 

 and as there is the Demaree method of this 

 and the Miller method of that and the Alex- 

 ander method of something else, this shall 

 be known (if you insist!) as the Allen meth- 

 od of beekeeping on a perfect day in au- 

 tumn. 



It is very simple. Open two or three hives 

 — very leisurely. You will scarcely need veil 

 or smoke, using such gentle courtesy. Per- 

 haps you may choose to do this part of the 

 operation with one of those quiet smiles 

 invented by the first man who was content 

 to do simple deeds and think wide thoughts. 

 Or you may prefer a broad smile of con- 

 scious appreciation. Or the low slow smooth 

 whistling of a slow old tune. Don 't hesi- 

 tate to use any of these aids, just because 

 they are old. Modern beekeeping has de- 

 veloped no improvements. You will quite 

 surely require something of the sort. The 

 hive-tool alone is not enough. 



Now there are two things to do while the 

 hive is open, yea, even three. First, notice 

 how nicely the honey is coming in. Second 

 — and be sure not to hurry this too much — 

 watch the bees. And while watching them, 

 listen to them, feel the content of them, 

 and wonder about them — especially, wonder 

 about them. And about other things too. 

 Third, notice the day itself, the utter, utter 

 beauty of it. Take plenty of time. Look 

 often a long way off — and a long way up. 

 Then very gently close the hive and sit 

 quietly down where you are. And give up — 

 for an hour, or two, or three. Yield yourself 

 absolutely to the spell of the day. And it 

 will yield to you in return things not to be 

 bought or sold or even stolen away, things 

 listed in no market report, because they be- 

 come at once part and parcel of your very 

 self. As these old deathless moods, given 

 so freely to all God's listening children, 

 come to you, it will feel as tho part of 

 yourself were coming home. Not until later, 

 when you have folded them away in a pre- 

 cious memory, will you give them names. 

 Then you will call them Imagination, Exul- 

 tation, Content, Wonder, Eeverence, Aspira- 

 tion, Peace. 



* » * 



Dr. Phillips says that all bee work should 

 be for one of two p\irposes: to got plenty of 

 bees (of the right age) at the right time for 

 the honey flow, or to keep those bees in the 



right condition to gather the crop. ' ' Help- 

 m.eet ' ' says that they studied out the work 

 to be done and were able to divide it into 

 three classes — work having to do with 

 stores, with room, and with protection. So 

 they could plan with much skill and wisdom. 

 In reading accounts of the systems of man- 

 agement of successful honey-producers, 

 while the reader may be impressed that 

 these systems differ one from the other, he 

 is still more forcibly impressed with the 

 realization that each one has a system, a 

 real, definite system, and follows it. Side 

 liners are only too apt, even when they do 

 good work, to do it in a haphazard way. 

 Good management and efficiency require a 

 regular schedule, elastic, of course, and sub- 

 ject to variations of seasonable conditions, 

 but a clean-cut schedule, with definite ob- 

 jects in view and sound reasons for its 

 every step — not one unnecessary step taken, 

 not one important one omitted. 



Let us set about to raise the standard of 

 our own work, each one of us — not critical 

 of others and complacent with ourselves, 

 but rather critical of ourselves and helpful, 

 if may be, to others. 



LATE SEPTEMBER. 



/Thei glow of that September clay 



Was so berimmed with color round — 

 So Orientally it lay 



Along the sky and leaves and ground, 

 Each weed and wild thing seemed inwove 



Across the riotous design 

 Of some old weaver, who had throve 



Forever uiJon wizard wine. 

 And all the spell of ancient things 



He wove around that dreaming day — 

 Tlie spell of song and bloom and wings 



That drifted their enclianted way. 



Tlie boneset raised her magic tents 



Of living whiteness on the green. 

 Where asters in gay tournaments 



Were massed and tangled in between : 

 The Spanish needle sheathed her land's 



In her satin's glossy fold. 

 And mingleid in the merry dances 



Mad as ever minstrel told; 

 The ironweed waved her purjjle hii;li. 



But tho most flauntingly she trod. 

 The wizard weaver passed her by 



And laid a crown on goldcnrod. 



And in that spell I laid me down 



Upon the strangely glaaming grass, 

 ,And let earth's beauty slowly drown 



The little moods that rise and pass. 

 I laid me down beside my bees. 



And all the charm of sun and flowers 

 Became a voice like far-off seas, 



Or murmurous music; and thei hours 

 Grew green and still and full of balm — 



And something shimmered o'er the field 

 As, white and tall and very calm. 



The soul of beauty stood revealed. 



