1901 



THE AMERICAN DEE-KEEPER 



168 



Dear Brother Hill: 



Dr. Johnson once said, " No man but 

 a blockhead ever wrote except for 

 money." Either the bee papers pay bet- 

 ter than reported or else If this 



shuts off "copy"' or makes a heavy de- 

 mand for cash just tell your brother 

 editors not to blame me; lay it to Dr. 

 Johnson. Why is it some of the boys 

 write so much? It can't be for the big 

 returns, and certainly there is ofttimes 

 a grievous repetition. 'Tis also strange 

 that some try to furnish not only the 

 argument, but an understanding for the 

 readers. Won't you have that A. Q. 

 Cumber put on ice? They're better so — 

 aud too he .seems hot over his "discov- 

 ery." Where has he been all these years 

 that he never made the "discovery" be- 

 fore? And while you have him iu hand 

 just call his attention to those wiio do 

 read and sometimes write for the bee 

 papers, who always seem to feel them- 

 selves competent to pass on everything 

 connected with bee-keeping all over th<' 

 wide, wide world. Wouldn't it be a re- 

 freshing relief if their light could be put 

 under a bushel for awhile? 



I see that Chicago editor thinks I am 



a bit mixed over those swarms which 

 "may be" in a natural condition far 

 from any other. Just ask him if 'tis 

 customary for Nature to make a mistake 

 (?) of putting a swarm beyond reach of 

 other bees ? Also ask him how Nature 

 will tell that swarm that there are no 

 other drones within reach? And too, I 

 would like to know if there Isn't a great 

 chance of the new swami, which is the 

 next year to be planted near by, being 

 from that first "may be" swarm? To 

 paraphrase Pope: 



Nature and Nature's laws lay hid in night; 

 God said, "Let Dadant bel" and all was light. 



The Sage of Borodino has my sym- 

 pathy. Straws, roots, millers all hurt- 

 ling about his poor head. It reminds me 

 of the parrot who used to get the dog 

 into innumerable fights by his oft- 

 repeated " Sic him !" (Not the sic Bro. 

 Taylor and others played with). At last 

 the dog located the trouble and chewed 

 that parrot. After the fracas was over 

 the soliloqay of the much dilapidated 

 Polly was: "I talk too blamed much!" 

 I am not yet ready to say who is which. 

 Guess you and I had better stand aside 

 and watch the fun. 



Now you've done it ! I told you those 

 foot notes would trip you up. Serves 

 you right, too! That Mr.T. S. of Peelee 

 Island is riglit on the pollen matter; so 

 also was Mr. Gregory. It is just a case 

 of view-point. Some flowers pollinate 

 perfectly by wind, some don't, that's all. 

 Next time think twice or go ask some- 

 body. 



"Is that a dagger I see before me?" 

 or is it only one of the Swarthy Moor's 

 points? Naturally one would suppose a 

 review was a look backward, and much 



