14 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



to confined and broodless bees; Mr. 

 Alley it was who taught us the use 

 of the tobaco pipe for the same pur- 

 pose, and it is hard for me to decide 

 which is the greater gift. Both are 

 golden." 



"The folly of brushing the bees from 

 small mating boxes directly they had 

 mated a single queen is apparent,'' 

 said the speaker, "when the same 

 bees can be made to mate queen after 

 queen, either by pre-introduction or 

 by giving ripe cells." When the sim- 

 ple manner of giving cells to baby 

 nuclei was demonstrated, applause 

 followed. 



After going through the diflferent 

 means employed in quickly feeding 

 the babies with bulb and tube, or by 

 means of little bottles, Mr. Pratt 

 showed the convention how sub- 

 stantial bee hives are made by him 

 from paper at a cost of only a few 

 cents per hive, and a little labor; at 

 the close of which a standing vote of 

 thanks was given to "Swarthmore" 

 for his interesting talk. 



At the close of his remarks. Prof. 

 H. A. Surface, M. S., Economic Zo- 

 ologist in the Pennsylvania State De- 

 partment of Agriculture, at Harris- 

 burg, and president of the Pennsyl- 

 vania State Bee-keepers' Association, 

 paid "Swarthmore" a most glowing 

 tribute. 



The private secretary of Governor 

 Pennypacker said he had come to the 

 meeting for the purpose of conveying 

 the regrets of the Governor, who was 

 unable to attend, owing to pressure 

 of business of state; it had not been 

 his intention to stay more than a few 

 minutes, but the absorbing interest 

 of the topic had held him far beyond 

 the usual leave, and he would certain- 

 ly report to the Governor what he 

 had heard at this meeting. 



ANOTHER VISIT FROM THE 

 DEACON'S GHOST. 



Ah-h! Whewl 



I thought you all never would set- 

 tle down quiet like so's I could chat 

 with yer. If you don't mind, I'll 

 drap inter . this chair and toast my 

 back afore your h'a'th. 



Yas, T enjoy things about as T 

 uster, and this yere new smokin' is 

 powerful good. Jest shet that door, 

 will you? Night air is right cool. 

 I've been a ruminatin' some more on 



January, 



the foreign papers. They're odd 

 things, if you'd note 'em. The cir- 

 cumlocution is suthin' awful. Cir- 

 cum-lo-cu-tion — that's the word. The 

 scrapin' and bowin' and palavering 

 just as how they would make a chap 

 think he was some pumpkins, and 

 then crack, bang, goes the club on 

 your top. 



Now, there is the Irish Bee Jour- 

 nal; got good stuff in it, but gol durn 

 it, it do be all a feller's patience is 

 wuth to read it. No wonder when poor 

 Pat opens his mouth with his pen that 

 he puts his foot into it a tryin' to cir- 

 cumlocute when he wants to fight. 

 Must be the fault of the editors, fori 

 them boys don't have any trouble in" 

 talking clear and straight in our pa- 

 pers. 



Just see how ^lewitt and Spans- 

 wich have been a-sputtering. I 

 reckon it would help the boys to re- 

 member that discussors should be 

 like a pair of shears to cut what gets 

 between, and not each other. 



Next time you drap a line to the I. 

 B. J. give 'em my respects. I opine 

 that if the editor continues to Digge 

 away as he has done, he'll work out 

 the high falutin' talk and get the boys 

 down to biz. 



.Somnambulist, of the Progressive 

 does purty well for a peaky pusson 

 but it 'pears to me as how he'd do 

 well to wake up once in a spell and 

 catch up with the world. Gets dowr 

 to talking of things after we 'uns is 

 all thro'. 



Did ye ever notice what a flock o 

 sheep you bee editors are? You 

 shouted, "A bee paper about bees; no 

 side shows." Then the Review hol- 

 lers, "Me too." Progressive quotes it 

 and the race is started. Reckon some 

 of 'em will have to start some excuse? 

 or drop their fads, and I'm gwine tc 

 bet they won't do that ere, 'cause 

 them side shows pays. Whole heap 

 o' folks be mighty stuck on sich truck 

 and the more loud prayers in public 

 places, the better it fits 'em. Birds 

 of a feather flocks in a bunch, O ye 

 Scribes and Parasites. 



What d' ye reckon will be the next 

 fad in bee-keepin'? It's beyond me. 

 I think I'm a pretty middling good 

 guesser, but I won't tackle that. But 

 one thing I'll tell yer that yer can 

 be sure on. It'll be a payin' biz for 

 others than them as keeps the bees. 



Sleepy, be yer? Well, I flit. 



Ah-h-h-h. 



