DECEMBER 1, 1916 



1131 



Heads of Grain From Different Fields 



THE BACKLOT BUZZER. 



Little Rosie, who lives next door, said her teacher 

 promised to bring a tiny dead bee to school tomorrow 

 and by the warmth of her hand bring it back to life 

 ag'ain. Rosie says she can do it all right if she 

 uses the same hand she warmed Tommy Smith with 

 yesterday. 



AMONG DECEMBER BEES. 



BY GRACE ALLEN 



These days of war and throneless kings, 



And carelessly dishonored things; 



These days of tragic lands and seas, 



There 's comfort in the quiet bees. 



There's comfort just to lay aside 



This harrowing distress, 



And all the things the world has cried 



So long in anger or in pride, 



Or from its bitterness. 



And walk untroubled and at ease. 



Alone, among December bees. 



The winter, like a frosty night, 



Creeps cold across their fields of light. 



And all the singing summer hours 



Are gone, and gone are all the flowers. 



Yet something, dauntless faith or will. 



Or hope's far-seeing eyes. 



Or instinct (scientific still!) 



Yet something, call it what you will. 



Has made them very wise. 



And I, a self-invited guest, 



Find peace and rest — find peace and rest. 



And 3't't these winter ways they keep 



Are not indifference, nor sleep; 



Within each dusky-hearted hive 



Unconquered moods are still alive. 



Unceasingly the loyal wings, 



Aquiver to and fro, 



Keep warmth and life triumphant things, 



No matter what the winter brings 



Of weariness and woe. 



And so beneath the barren trees 



I find great comfort in the bees. 



The Leather-Colored Were More Resistant 

 than the Goldens. 



As there is so much written about foul 

 brood and Golden queens I will give my ex- 

 perience. Several years ago I went over iji- 

 to York state and bought 39 colonies of 

 black bees in old box hives. I was told the 

 bees had been examined by the inspector, 

 and pronounced all ri^ht. I think they were 

 as they were heavy with honey. I drove 

 most of them into my hives in the cellar. 

 When I set my bees out I put out severa.1 

 hundred pounds of that honey and let all 

 my bees take it in. 



About the middle of June I found my b(^s 

 were not doing well, and there was a terrjblfe 

 stench in the yard. I never had seen any 

 foul brood; but by looking at a little book 

 that Inspector Wright from New York had 

 given me, 1 saw very soon what the trouble 

 was. 



I had about 20 colonies of golden ItalianSj 

 and about the same number of the leather- 

 colored. The rrat were black and mixed. 

 I found almost every colony but the leathierr 

 colored had foul brood. I therefore order- 

 ed 100 leather-colored queens. Of these I 

 lost but two and they were just what I or- 

 dered. - * ""* 



T did not get any honey from the bees, aftd 

 had to feed a good many; but I have never 

 seen any trace of foul brood since. 



C. M. Lincoln. 



West Eupert, Vt., May 15. 



rOur correspondent does not say which 

 type of foul brood he had; but we assume 

 that it must have been the European variety, 

 as the American would hardly have disap- 

 peared in this way. 



Is it not probable that the Goldens in ques- 

 tion were not up to par? — Ed.] 



Starch Paste that is Paste. 



Take a little lump starch (about a dessert- 

 spoonful) and mix with as little cold water 

 as is necessary to dissolve it. Now pour on 

 boiling water, stirring briskly all the time 

 until the mixture turns to a bluish color and 

 has the consistency of a moderately dense 

 honey. Now set aside; and when cool re- 

 move, skim off top, and if it has set like jelly 

 (which it is sure to do if properly made) you 

 will have the best label or photograph paste 



