106 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



Editor American Bee- Keeper: 

 Dear Sir: — Not having noticed any- 

 thing in your journal from this sec- 

 tion, and noting your request for let- 

 lers from your readers, accounts for 

 this epistle. 



The loss of bees in this section has 

 been very heavy this spring, mainly 

 caused by going into winter quarters 

 last fall short of stores and deficient 

 bees, caused by a drouth last season, 

 and also by the very backward spring 

 we have had. It was necessary to 

 feed bees in this section until June 1, 

 and now, although white clover is in 

 bloom, they are barely making a liv- 

 ing. Brood rearing is progressing 

 nicely, however, and, singulai to say, 

 I never saw more drones at this sea- 

 son. If this can be taken as an indi- 

 cation of swarming, the prospects are, 

 bee-keepers will have plenty of work. 



I noticed your article in regard to 

 Jacob T. Timpe. I received a nice 

 queen from him last spring, but if he 

 is not doing what is right Iad.nire you 

 for jutting your readers on their 

 guard against him. There are many 

 reliable breeders, both north and 

 south, who have been in the business 

 and who have advertised in our jour- 

 nals for years, and while their prices 

 may be a little higher perhaps than 

 some of the new queen breeders, who 

 spread themselves by way of a bis; 

 advertisement in our journals each 

 springj it should be impressed on new 

 recruits in out industry that they will 

 receive more satisfaction, and in the 

 end save more money, by patronizing 

 one ( f the old established breeders. 

 Not that all our new queen breeders 

 are dishoi.e t, for \\ know that many 

 of them are not ; but it is best not to, 

 patronize a breeder simply because he 

 quotes queens at a cheap price. Cheap 

 queens as a rule prove very costly in 

 the end. Yours truly, 



W. D. Ball.' 



Stieator, III, June 8, 1892. 



In the spring when the green gits back in 

 the trees, 

 And the sun comes out and stays, 

 And yer boots pulls on with a good, tight 

 squeeze, 

 And you think of yer barefoot days ; 

 When you ort to work and you want to not, 



And you and yer wife agrees 

 It's time to spade up the garden lot — 

 When the green gits back in the trees — 

 Well, work is the best of my ideas 

 When the green, you know, gets back in 

 the trees. 



When the green gits back in the trees, and 

 bees , 

 Is a-buzzin' aroun' again, 

 In that kind of a lazy, " go as you please " 



Old gait they hum roun' in ; 

 When the ground's all bald where the hay- 

 rick stood, 

 And the crick's riz, and the breeze 

 Coaxes the bloom in the old dogwood, 

 And the given gits back in the trees — 

 I like, as I say, in such scenes as these, 

 The time when the green gets back in the 

 trees. 



When the whole tail feathers o' wintertime 

 Is all pulled out and gone, 



And the sap it thaws and begins to climb, 

 And the sweat it startes out on 



A feller's forrerd, a silting down 

 At the old spring on his knees — 



I kind o' like, jes' a loaferin' roun' 



When the green gits back in the tiees — 

 Jes' apotterin' roun' as I — durn — pleased 

 When the green, you know, gits back in 

 the trees. 



— James Whitcomb Riley. 



Sul tseriptions to the American Bee- 

 Keeper can besjin at any time. 



