The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1900-06-23
ne KNOWS rnE BEE LANGUAGE
A Missouri Pioneer Who Is IN Expert "Be
Tree Hunter"


Maxwell G. Lucky is unique. he
spoke as follows recently:
L lived a good many years IN Ken
lucky, and then moved to johnson
County, Mo-, where l became what IL
known as bee-tree hunter.
There were no tame bees in those
days, you know, but there were all
kinds Of wild ones, and they mace
their homes and stored their honey In
hollow trees. But they always
roasted high, and it was hard to md
where they hung out.
"By watching the little fellows
when they came to get water at some
little pool or other-they called these
mudholes bee sucks in those days.
finally learned their ways and how to
follow 'em for miles and miles. till
they went to their honey-combed home
in the bee-tree.
when l had traced the little EEL
lows out l marked the tree, and, for
a small sum sold knowledge OF the
location, and in time the man who
bought it would 60 with all his farm
hands and chop down the tree and
take out thirty or forty gallons OF
pure, white, beautiful honey.
"The best way to trace the bees
from a bee-suck Is to take piece of
honey along on a tin plate, or some
thing of that sort, and follow the di-
rection taken by the bees after they
have been to water. They circle
around three times, you know, and
then they go straight toward the hol-
low tree where they have built their
hive. That's where the expression
bee line came from, for they don't
change their direction any more than
a bullet does.
well, you 60 along with your plat.
ter of honey and pretty soon some
other bees coming to the bee-suck will
smell the honey and light on your
plate, and when they have filed them.
selves, back they go toward the bee
tree, and when you can track them
further. At last, by close watching
you can see them going in and coming
out of a crack or a knot hole, and you
know that you have found the tree.
Bees have language of their own
They carry different meanings by theil
buzzings, and they understand each
other like a top; but I found out one
thing about them that l don't think
anybody else did-bees have got Q
written language and they send com
munications to each other.
when the bees get too numerous in
a tree-fill up the hollow so that it's
too crowded for comfort-certain wise
bees are sent out to prospect.
when a pioneer Of this kind finds
a big, likely looking tree with hos
pitable looking wind-crack in II, he
takes plenty Of time and goes all ovel
| it carefully.
Sometimes he finds that, while the
place looks nice and commodious on
the outside, the knOt-hole leads into
a shallow receptacle, or the crack Is
| not deep enough to accommodate even
a bachelor bee, much less whole
brood.
| I'm such case he gets out and
writes a message to all and sundry
bees that may come along that way
This tree is no good. That knot-hole
is fake and the wind-crack is a
frost-pass it up"
HE writes this with his tail, string
ing honey along as we string ink. II
the tree is all right he puts up a sign
to that effect. The next bee scents the
honey, lights and reads the first words
Of the message, and II the report Is
unfavorable, flies OF, saying Hmm
m-hr and doesn't worry himself any
further about it."-Denver Post.