152 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



of comb honey, if it is offered to them on 

 some such liberal terms. 



It is now over six years since I have 

 asked a local grocer to help me sell my 

 honey, and I am under no obligations 

 to them for helping me to dispose of my 

 honey crop ; hence, I am at liberty to 

 get out at any time and create a honey- 

 boom. 



While the individual customers pay 

 cash, and the grocer usually wants you 

 to " trade it out," take groceries, etc., 

 the former are the most desirable custo- 

 mers. So it appears to me. 



Higginsville, Mo. 



A Reply to"Br o. Ben." 



Written for the American Bee Journal 



BY T. C. KELLY. 



Shake, Bro. Ben, shake ! But, do not 

 go back into " ancient history," as I am 

 no ancient. Adam, no doubt, was a 

 good farmer in his time, but he had 

 advantages which you jind I have not. 

 See Gen. II, 9 and 16. 



As to provoking a quarrel with some 

 "Old Hayseed" — never! Many times 

 have I raked the hayseed out of my hair- 

 before breakfast, in my younger days, 

 and oftener in the evening before going 

 to singing "skule." 



As to mistaking you for a tenderfoot, 

 you are mistaken, as I think the years 

 have obliterated that juvenile character- 

 istic. 



I have told some of my bee-keeping 

 friends that more attention and less talk 

 would decrease the mortality amongst 

 their bees. 



I . was not there when Noah and his 

 fam'ly landed, and I have failed to see 

 in history anything in regard to his liv- 

 ing on dainties after the flood, or pota- 

 toes, either. If his wagon-train was as 

 extensive as some of " Uncle Sara's" a 

 few years ago, he and his family were 

 well supplied. As to the New "England 

 Pilgrims," theirs was a case of volun- 

 tary exile for the sake of free thought 

 and free speech. " May it ever be so." 



As to the "Southern farmers," I think 

 I know a little about them. But, ray 

 dear, sir, if you have read the history of 

 the late war, as I have, and noted the 

 prices paid for both necessaries and 

 delicacies (when they could be had), you 

 will see that they did not raise all they 

 found on their tables, as 'sorae of those 

 came from our supply trains, occasion- 

 ally. 



Now, Bro. Ben, I have no doubt that 



you know a good thing when you see (or 

 taste) it, and if you don't say so, you 

 think, "Arise, Peter, slay and eat." 

 "Take no thought for the morrow," till 

 the doctor's pills and bills come in. But 

 few farmers can say, " I have 60 or 

 more varieties of apples, and almost all 

 of the berries." Surely, Bro. Ben, you 

 are better fixed than most bee-keepers. 



But I must admit that you are ahead 

 on the salt business. I thought that the 

 salt of commerce was contained in the 

 waters of the earth, the same as sugar 

 in the sap of your maple-trees, and that 

 they both were evaporated to secure the 

 solids. "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis 

 folly to be wise." 



Now, Bro., as to bear and snipe, I 

 have hunted both ; have killed snipe, 

 but " niver a b'ar," but came nearly 

 getting killed myself on a bear hunt. 

 But I never could tell certainly whether 

 a dog was good for " b'ar " or snipe till I 

 tried hira. 



Now don't be selfish, but give to the 

 bee-keepers that " sting remedy." We 

 have but few snakes here. Since the 

 war, 'tis true, there are a few descend- 

 ants of a kind common at that time, but 

 they are becoraing scarcer each year. 



Now, Bro. Ben, you and J. R. S., come 

 over some evening, and we will have a 

 camp-fire, and " smoke the pipe of 

 peace." I have been through your State 

 since you were here. 



Bees are doing fairly well now (July 

 2nd). Basswood will bloom in a few 

 days. 



Slippery Rock, Pa. 



Queens aii<l Qiiee]i-Rea,rins:« — 



If you want to know how to have queens 

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 pages, which is as interesting as a story. 

 Here are some good offers of this excellent 

 book: 



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 Send all orders to the Bee Journal oflSce. 



