THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



91 



and was out of pocket probably as 

 much as S2.500.00. My bees learned 

 to steal and never did very well after- 

 wards, which was one reason that I 

 sold out. 



Now, that is the style of us western 

 men. We think we are as competent 

 to keep bees as our neighbor and when 

 our neighbor makes some money of 

 course we can. While I talked to my 

 neighbors and advised them to begin 

 with a few hives, and get some stand- 

 ard works, and also to take one or 

 more bee journals, they misunderstood 

 me and concluded that I wanted to 

 monopolize the bee business in our 

 part of the country, but they found 

 out their mistake when too late. 

 Yours truly, 



MlLES II. WlLMo.NT. 



Mechanksburgh, 111, May 13, 1891. 



Ed. Am. Bee-Keeper, Dear Sir: 

 Some one has advertised that the 

 Golden Carniolan bees are a humbug, 

 and lias also stated that there are no 

 such bees. The same party also states 

 the color of Carniolan bees is always 

 gray and that they have no yellow 

 bands. It so happens that the under- 

 signed has had no less than three im- 

 ported Carniolan queens from this 

 party and the worker progeny of all 

 the queens showed more or less yellow 

 bands. It is all right to so word your 

 ads. that they will increase your busi- 

 ness, but no one should call his broth- 

 er dealer a fraud and humbug. There 

 are such things as yellow or golden 

 Carniolans, The writer expects an 

 invoice of Golden Carniolan bees in 

 June. I insist, and no one can dis- 

 prove the fact, that the original yel- 

 low race of bees was golden Carniolans. 

 Yours, &c, 



Henry Alley. 

 ham, Mass., May 10, 1891. 



The Hen and the Honey-Bee. 



A lazy hen— the story gees — 



Loquacious, pert and self-conceited, 



Espied a bee upon a rose, 



And thus the busy insect greeted : 



" Say, what's th • use of such as you, 

 I Excuse the freedom of a neighbor !) 



Who gad about and never do 

 A single act of useful labor ? 



I've marked you well for many a day, 

 In garden blooms ami meadow clover ; 



Now here, now there, in want in play ; 

 From morn to nis ht an idle rover. 



While 1 discretely bide at home, 

 A faithful wife the best of mothers, 



About the field you idly roam, 



Without the least regard for others. 



While I lay eggs, or hatch them out, 



You seek the flowers most sweeUand fra- 

 grant 



And sipping honey, stroll about, 



At best a good for nothing vagrant." 



" Nay," said the bee, ''you do me wrong; 



I'm useful too; perhaps you doubt it, 

 Because — though toiling all day long — 



I scorn to make a fuss about it ! 



While you with every egg that cheers 



Your daily task, must stop and hammer 



The news to other people's ears, 



'Til they are deafened with the clamor. 



Come now with me and see my hive. 



And note how folks may work in <juiet ; 



To useful arts much more alive 



Than you with all your cackling riot !" 



l' EX Xo I 

 The Poet one may plainly see 



Who reads this fable at his leisure, 

 Is represented by the Bee, 



Who joins utility to pleasure. 

 While in this self conceited Hen 



We note the Poet's silly neighbor, 

 Who thinks the noisy " workingmen " 



Are doing all the useful labor ! 



— J. G. Saxe, from the German. 



