MAY 15, 1914 



once go k) the hive which is not guarded as 

 carefully as it should be. More and more 

 of the insolent bees come around the en- 

 trance. The longer Ihey keep at it the 

 bolder they become, and soon it is impossi- 

 ble for the guards to make any resistance. 

 Here and there, it is true, we may obsei've 

 an isolated duel on the alighting-board, but 

 soon complete demoralization ensues among 

 both robber and robbed bees. The first 

 spare nothing. In their fury they demolish 

 even the wax cells, and tear the brood out 

 of the cells, and sometimes kill the queen. 

 The robbed bees have lost their senses, and 

 in a kind of stupor they fill themselves 

 with honey and look on, perfectly helpless, 

 in the wild jumble. 



Almost more perfidious are the highway- 

 men which may be seen occasionally when 

 the honey-flow is poor. The honey-loaded 

 workers come Avearily homeward, many be- 

 ing obliged to rest on the wall of the hive 

 or on the alighting-board, for their last 

 force is spent because of the long distance 

 they have had to fly. At such a time one 

 of these watchful brigands throws itself on 

 the worn-out bee, settling itself on the back 



or the side of the tired bee, for, to come 

 honestly in front, the rascal does not ven- 

 ture. There it helps itself sumptuously to 

 the gold; and the poor exhausted gatherer, 

 knowing nothing better to do, gives of its 

 honey. Like diligent worker bees flying 

 from flower to flower, these highwaymen 

 rush from one to another of these resting 

 bees, sometimes four or five assaulting a 

 single worker. This profession seems to be 

 profitable, for these robbers quickly obtain 

 purses well filled with gold. 



The bee-state is certainly an ideal com- 

 munity. The maxim, " One for all, all for 

 one," is carried through to the end. Each 

 member acts for the welfare of the whole, 

 whatever that may be, without reflecting on 

 its own individual sacrifice, especially if it 

 sees the colony in danger. At first sight 

 one might say that the bees are without 

 vices, but we have shown that there is a big 

 vice, the greed for gold, which is able to 

 corrupt the good — yes, even lead them to 

 crime — exactly as the same vice does in the 

 case of mankind. 



Zug, Switzerland. 



A NOTE FROM OKLAHOI 



BY N. FRED GARDINER 



The photograph submitted with this arti- 

 cle is that of the honey and wax exhibit of 

 B. F. Bartholomew and famil^^ at the 1913 

 State Fair. This is one of the five individ- 

 ual exhibits made at this fair, the premiums 

 being closely divided between this one and 

 Garee & Garee. W. H. Hobson and J. H. 

 Buirage had creditable displays. 



As the product of this disj^lay of Mr. 

 Bartholomew was all " home grown," and 

 only a continuation of Avhat he has done for 

 years, it indicates what may be done rej^eat- 

 edly in good locations in Oklahoma by one 

 who knows how. Mr. Bartholomew has such 

 a location, and can be depended on to be on 

 hand with an attractive display of honey 

 each season. His wife puts on the finish 

 with the decorations in wax. 



On the extreme right of the i^hoto can 

 be seen the model in beeswax of a locomo- 

 tive protected by a glass case. This Avas the 

 clever work of Master Earl Bartholomew. 

 Plans Iiave been started to provide a special 

 department for the boys and girls for an- 

 other season. We have in this State, under 

 the Agi'icultural and Mechanical College, 

 what is known as the " Extension Depart- 

 ment." In this department the boys and 



girls are organized for club work, and some 

 wonderful results have already been obtain- 

 ed by the boys in growing corn, cotton, 

 kaffir, and other crops, and by the girls in 

 canning and preserving fruits and vegeta- 

 bles. 



Upon the suggestion of Prof. C. E. San- 

 born, the entomologist and beekeeper at the 

 college, the idea, of including beekeeping in 

 the Avork of this Extension Department is 

 being developed. It is hoped that, by the 

 time of the next fair, a special de]:»artment 

 will be provided in the apiary building for 

 the boys and girls to display the results of 

 their work and study with bees. Suitable 

 prizes will be offered, and the young folks 

 should begin to plan early to enter the con- 

 test. Announcements will be made latei 

 as the plans are perfected, through the col- 

 lege press, Gleanings, and the farm jiapers 

 of the State. 



On one evening during the fair a meeting 

 of beekeepers is always held. The fair 

 managers have always been liberal in pro- 

 viding seats and lights, and the meeting is 

 held in the building Avhere these exhibits 

 are displayed, Avhich helps to proAnde in- 

 spiration. If in the future we can have a 



