But bees on flowers alighting cease their hum . 
—Thomas Moore 
XI 
ODDS AND ENDS 
I T MAY be worth while to take up a little time 
and space in answering some questions which 
are often asked. And no matter how many repe¬ 
titions there may be of such questions, they are far 
preferable to the mere query of “How are the bees'?” 
Some questions and comments are as if all cast in 
the same mold—as regular and uniform as factory- 
made parts of the ubiquitous Ford automobile. 
A deadly question—“How are the bees ?”—For 
how, when there are from thirty to seventy thousand 
bees in a colony and each colony has its own strong 
individuality and difference in condition, how can 
I answer except in a general way, with a false show 
of enthusiasm: 
“Fine—making lots of honey!” 
Usually flat silence follows. Both are grateful 
when a new topic is begun. 
Sometimes this form of questioning is merely a 
greeting—with no attention paid to the answer and 
no wish for further information—a sort of identifi- 
IIO 
