Nov. 16, 1899. 



AMERICAN BEE JOUKNAL 



723 



With a silvery tongue which for smoothness 



Beat lightning and tallow combined. 

 Simple farmers who knew none but box-hives 



Were ripe for a deal of his kind. 

 Clever agents for moth-killing patents 



Were welcomed and cidered and dined 

 In the coveted days of the by gones 



When wax-worms — and others — were blind. 

 Now. perhaps all such folly is ancient, 



But liisVry is always behind. 



THE BUREAU HIVE. 



In the dimness of past recollections 



I see such a beautiful hive. 

 The deft work of a cabinet-maker. 



No doubt — he alone could contrive 

 Such a lot of nice drawers and compartments. 



In which the bee-farmer could dive 

 For the sweets of the fragrant white clover 



When company staid after five. 

 But the plaguey old bees are so stupid 



Hon. Eugene Secor. 



They chink all the cracks, and deprive 

 That poor grang-er of all reputation 



For piety — while he's alive ; — 

 For if anything sticks like propolis. 



Old habits will stick and will drive 

 Till the last mortal grip of our nature 



Lets go— like the drawers in that hive. 



APIS DORSATA. 



There is something within us that's longing 



For what is unknown and unseen, 

 And we hope for a prosperous future 



No matter what yesterday's been. 

 Don't the things which elude our endeavors 



Appear most alluring in sheen ? 

 'Tis the grass just outside of the pasture 



That's greener and sweeter, I ween. 

 Just at present we're gazing toward sunrise. 



Where Apis dorsata is queen. 

 And so great is our love for the latter 



The golden Italian looks mean. 

 We are bound to have her of the Orient, 



Tho Dewey's whole fleet lies between. 

 And we have to confine her, when gotten. 



With tether, or Page's wire-screen. 

 There will be no more use for old Bombus ! 



Red clover'll be suckt slick and clean 

 By that wonderful Apis tlorsata — 



Get ready your honey-machine — 

 Since the failure of bees that are stingless 



We'll never again be so green ! 

 Give away your old, poky Italians 



And court the young Miss Philippine ! 



DEKP-CBI,I< FOUNDATION. 



In this era of ready-made clothing 



For both men and women, I trow 

 'Tis not funny that ready-made jackets 



For young baby bees are the " go ;" 

 To expect the young nurses to make them 



In this day and age is too slow. 

 Hence a recent fad out is foundation 



With cells so deep bees do not know 

 The first principle of starting in business — 



The joy of beholding- things grow. 

 That old saw about having our pitchers out 



To catch the first nectarine flow 

 Needs revising when combs made to order 



Shall fill every hive in the row. 

 Mrs. Bee may yet lose her employment 



If matters keep going on so ; 

 For, but one further step is now needed 



To save her the trips to and fro — 

 From the hive to the orchard and pasture 



Where blossoms so temptingly blow. 

 When the next budding genius shall enter 



The domain of Beedom and throw 

 In our laps a machine that's a capper. 



The cake of the bee-man is dough. 



THE CRITICS. 



The departments for critics appearing 



In journals devoted to bees. 

 Is an idea that some of us writers 



Don't relish as we do green peas ; 

 For it frightens us out of our senses, 



And makes us feel weak in the knees. 

 The great need of bee-keepers is grammar .^ 



They need it at least if they'd please 

 The dear critics, for they admit Miller 



By only the narrowest squeeze — 

 And if 2c<e should misplace a capital, 



Or fail, just once, to cross our t's. 

 We should look for the sting of the critics. 



Who feast on such fool things as these. 

 I have found that it's easier than preaching. 



To pick up the parson, when he's 

 Got more sermons, and better, in his noddle 



Than all of his critic trustees. 

 But it seems as tho styte's more important 



Than facts, with some people one sees. 

 So I give you this timid injunction : 



When critics take snuff, let all snee:e. 



CONCLUSION. 

 But I tire you with multiplied mention 



Of follies and fads new and old ; 

 There are others which might be included. 



Requiring a volume to hold. , 



I might speak of mora prescnt-6.a.y theories 



The worth of whicli time will unfold. 

 But I hate to bury a bab}' 



Before it is thoroly cold ; 

 And, besides, it I happen to miss it 



My own knell will likely be "knolled;" 

 So I leave this rich subject for future 



Embalming by spirits more bold. 



Eugene Secor. 



Dr. Miller — In this discussion I move that the speakers 

 be limited to 15 minutes. (Laughter.) 



Mr. Abbott — I think this paper should not be past by 

 without discussion, and it reminds me of a man who had 

 not time to pray, so he had a parson write a prayer, and 

 then he would point to it and say, ." O Lord, them's my sen- 

 timents." 



At this point a recess of 10 minutes was taken, after 

 which it was voted to proceed with 



THE ELECTION OF OFFICERS. 



Dr. Mason— I suggest that we vote for president, vice- 

 president and secretary at the same time, and on one ballot. 



The suggestion was agreed to. 



Dr. Mason— I nominate Ernest R. Root, of Ohio, for 

 president ; and L. D. Stilson, of Nebraska, for secretary. 



W. Z. Hutchinson was also nominated for president, aiid 

 G. M. Doolittle for vice-president. 



On motion it was voted that the secretary be instructed 

 to cast the ballot of the convention for Mr. Doolittle for 

 vice-president, which the secretary did. 



Mr. Stone and Mr. Hershiser were appointed as tellers. 



