1899 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



167 



MoX-rWeMaj). 



Of course he takes no paper, 



And never reads a book — 

 " They're all nonsense, 

 And mach expense 



Which I can't overlook; 

 Besides, I'm not an aper 

 Of other men's fool notions; 



I follow nature's plan, 

 And that's the best, I reckon," 



Says he, the Box hive man. 



HAVE a dear old neighbor 

 Who lives in Sleepy Lane; 

 He keeps some bees 

 Among the trees, 

 From which he gets no gain — 

 No one directs their labor. 

 He had a wise grandfather 



Whose bee-lore downward ran 



And lodged upon this grandson, 



My friend, the Box-hive man. 



The almanac he studies, 



He knows about the moon — 

 Its every phase, 

 Its changing days, 



And never plants too soon; 

 He waits until the flood is 

 Well past, called equinoctial; 



He never yet began 

 A job on any Friday — 



My friend, the Box-hive man. 



£K3k3&EsB**a. Job orv Friday. 



He looks with veneration 



Upon his few " bee-skeps; " 

 Down on his knees 

 He tells the bees 



About his sad mishaps, 

 And seeks their consolation. 

 To sell 'em'd be unlucky — 



For this tradition ran 

 According to the memory 



Of this the Box-hive man. 



He gets a taste of honey 



When every thing goes well, 

 But not till fall— 

 His hives are tall, 



And made to hold the mel 

 Instead of making money; 

 But why he doesn't "get there ' 



Like others of the clan, 

 Has never once occurred to 



My friend, the Box-hive man. 



foLlow nature's plan' 



When time arrives for swarming 



(But not before July), 

 The children all, 

 If not too small 



To know the reason why, 

 Are tasked with the informing 

 Of "pap" afield, by calling, 



Or drumming a milk-can 

 To charm the bees, and hasten 



Their sire, the Box-hive man. 



He leads a life of easy 



Don't-care-how-this-world goes; 

 Contentedly 

 He sips his tea; 



And if it rains or snows, 

 Is sunny, calm, or breezy, 

 He smokes his pipe of comfort, 



Disturbed not by a plan 

 That racks the brains of others — 



My friend, the Box -hive man. 



