168 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



March, 1922 



HEADS OF"~GRAINn pFR0M DIFFERENT FIELDS 



I am over 70, but I have to do something 

 and the bees fill the bill to the dot. 

 Blackwater, Mo. C. T. Reicker. 



Why Not Omit the 

 Alighting-Board? 



On page 44 of Gleanings 

 for January, 1921, you 

 quote George J. Gries- 

 enauer of Cook County, 111., regarding the 

 obstruetiou of tho entrance at the alighting- 

 board. Why not dispense with the alight- 

 ing-board and the trouble along with it? 



I use tho %-inch entrance, closing the %- 

 inch side. A discarded super, or rim, for a 

 a hive-stand furnishes a vertical plane 

 surface from the ground to the entrance 

 and is satisfactory. The bees enter as 

 readily as with the alighting-board. Bees 

 missing the entrance move upward readily 

 without negotiating the under side of an 

 alighting-board. A larger entrance is pro- 

 vided by raising the hive at the front on 

 blocks on the rails of the bottom-board. 



Falls Church, Va. A. M. Wheeler, Jr. 



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Age Brings Wisdom — By Bill Mellvir 

 (With apologies to Walt Mason.) 



When I was young, I'd wind my tongue, 

 then go away and leave it. It worked by 

 steam on any theme tho natives scarce could 

 believe it. I talked on bees in one grand 

 wheeze to Thomas, Dick and Harry. With 

 wisdom great I filled each skate with more 

 than he could carry. I lectured loud to 

 every crowd of beemen T could gather. I 

 thundered forth great thoughts of worth till 

 I was in a lather. Then every y'ear my 

 frame I'd steer straight to our bee conven- 

 tion to sprinkle words on wise old birds, of 

 hives and swarm prevention. I'd criticise 

 wise-looking guys and roast the ancient crit- 

 ters. Then when they'd spring some brand- 

 new thing, I'd roll tlieiii flat as fritters. I 



knew it all; with buoyant gall, the beemen 

 I instructed; I thought they'd make a 

 grand mistake if not by me conducted. I 

 made a hive that ate alive the Langstroth 

 big invention so these queer folks would 

 can their jokes and give me due attention. 

 I wrote enough beekeeping stuff to fill a 

 year of Gleanings, but Mr. Root said, "tho 

 you're cute, your stuff is chaff and screen- 

 ings." But now I'm old and not so bold, 

 I 'm not so sure and cocky. To wisdom 's 

 gate the road is straight but also awful 

 rocky. Till now at last I'm learning fast — 

 a beeman in the making. But believe me, 

 boys, you're chiefly noise — it takes a lot of 

 baking. 



IFTHATFfLLER 

 DdNT 9UIT PRETTy 

 SOON ILL EXPLODE 



