234 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



expense. Mr. Ben G. Davis, who handled 

 this question in an interesting paper, said 

 in answer to a question that some time ago 

 they made experiments along tliis line that 

 convinced them that the good to be gained 

 by quadruple winter cases was not worth 

 while for them. And no one was found to 

 take up cudgels in behalf of the recom- 

 mended method. 



WE BEE-FOLK 



(Being the conclusion of my paper at the convention.) 

 The city 's mad mornings are discord and din, 

 With a clash and a roar and a jangle within ; 

 While with mockingbird music the morning 



hours come 

 Caressing our beehives — and how the bees 



hum! 

 The cities go tramping with quick-rushing 



feet 

 That hurry the day thru, and restlessly beat; 

 But we love to loiter a bit as we pass 

 A lingering day by the hives in the grass, 

 In a spell that is woven by shuttle-like wings 

 That flash thru the sunshiny fabric of things, 

 While whispers of grasses and winds in the 



trees 

 Come waving around us at work with our 



bees. 



The drab-tinted cities are murky and gray. 

 While the greens of the country are running 



away 

 To far hazy blues, and everywhere glows 



Tiie purple of iris and red of the rose. 



And out from the flowers with indolent air 



A fragrance comes floating around every- 

 where — • 



Lilac or lilies or locust in bloom. 



More delicate far than imported perfume; 



And we shrink to remember the dust of the 

 town, 



With stifle of crowds and smoke like a 

 frown. 



And we draw a deep breath where the blos- 

 soming trees 



Are showering petals on us and our bees. 



Oh! this w^ork of our hand and our heart and 



our brain, 

 And the deep satisfactions our workings 



attain — 

 The long winter evenings to sit by the fire 

 And delve into books that instruct and in- 

 spire; 

 The fitting of hives from the bottom to top 

 In the litter we love in some improvised 



shop; 

 The honey that hangs in the hive's heart at 



dusk, 

 Like sunshine entangled in odors of musk; 

 The mornings and noontimes, when all the 



world sings, 

 And our bees flash around us with rapturous 



wings, 

 And old benedictions descend thru the trees 

 To touch us and bless us at work with our 



bees. 

 Nashville, Tenn. 



SHIPPING COMB HONEY BY PARCEL POST 



BY J. L. BYER 



A few days ago the rural mail-delivery 

 man placed a peculiar-looking parcel in our 

 mail-box. It was three or four inches thick, 

 about double that size in width and length, 

 and the outside of the parcel was of heavy 

 brown paper tied securely but rather loose- 

 ly with heavy cord — ordinary binding twine 

 if I remember correctly. A glance at the 

 postmark showed me the words " Norwich- 

 town, Ct.," and the very first thought that 

 went thru my mind was, " Well, I am glad 

 that I did not question but that Allan 

 Latham oould send oomb honey by parcel 

 post successfully." Sure enough, after a 

 whole lot of unwrapping was done, we 

 found a beautiful section of sumac honey 

 — one of the 36 sections illustrated in a 

 recent issue of Gleanings. First I shall 

 deal with the quality of this particular sec- 

 tion of sumac honey. Some years ago while 

 at the Albany convention friend Latham 

 kindly gave me a section of sumac honey 

 which I brought home with me. For some 



reason nearly all the members of the family 

 except the pater did not like it any too well, 

 objecting to the rather peculiar flavor com- 

 mon to all who are familiar with sumac 

 honey. In the ease of this section just re- 

 ceived by parcel post, whether it was be- 

 cause of the novel way it reached us or 

 some other reason unknown to me, every 

 one of the family pronounced the honey 

 very fine indeed. As to the condition of 

 the honey in so far as the long trip thru 

 the mails was concerned, briefly I might say 

 it was just as perfect in every way as any 

 section of choice honey could well be. In 

 acknowledging receipt of honey I told Mr. 

 Latham that in my opinion it would have 

 gone to the front at Flanders without in- 

 jury, and, judging by the resiliency of the 

 package coupled with the substantial na- 

 ture of the packing as well, I believed a 

 shell from a " 75 " would have done it little 

 harm. When I describe the method of 

 packing used I think all will agree with 



