Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1935-06-27
Little Busy Bee
By James J. Montague

I T ALL began when planted the
lawn with clover. Hardly had the
blossoms begun to shine forth
among the sorrel and burdocks and
dandelions, which I was always able
to raise successfully, than almost ev-
cry morning one of the neighbors would
come over and complain about my bees.
Always 1 assured them that had no
bees, and desired none, and that If
strange bees insisted upon coming over
and nibbling my clover blossoms, the
people whom they stung were injured
at their own risk.
This assurance proved unsatisfac-
tory. They went to the local chief of
| police about 1t. He thumbed over his
book of regulations and ordinances and
could find no reference to bees. The
neighbors then decided to take the law
into their own hands, and climbed my
fence at night to pull up the clover.
Anybody who knows anything about
lawn making knows that clover is a
pearl Of great price, and like such jew
els is worthy of defense.
So in turn went to the police sta
ton. The chief heard my story, thought
for a while, asked me if l had a cigar,
and said:
"The only way to get to the rights
Of this is to have test case brought
agin you. If you have bees Of your
own, and them neighbors objects to
'em, let 'em git lawyer an file COM
plant. Then, If they amt got any
grounds, an 1 think they amt, you
can go ahead with your clover raisin'
an be bowed to 'em. As long as
you've got no bees they can't bring
no complaint, an they'll just keep pes
term you an pulling up your clover"
I thanked him, gave him another
cigar, and drove out Of town to road
side farm where / had seen sign that
told the world honey was for sale
there. did not like the looks of the
man who was working among the hives
when / arrived, but couldn't believe
that the gingery character of the in
sects would affect his honesty, so
asked him straight out how much he'd
charge me for pair Of good guaran-
teed bees.
He glanced at me suspiciously,
thought, and then deciding that was
acting in good faith, said:
II suppose you want the best bees,
guaranteed to give honey, and to be
kind and gentle"
I'D like to have them give honey"
I said, "but I'd really prefer aggres-
sive bees, touchy bees, bees that will
watch the place like sheep dog
watches herd. It doesn't matter why,
but those are the kind of bees l want"
WELL" he said, "that's the kind Of
bees / sell. Gentle bees amt so good
at honey gatherin'. You see, they got
to fight for the honey with birds an
all kinds Of insects, and the good ma
tured ones give up the fight, while the
mean ones put up battle an bring
the honey home"
He lifted gingerly the lid Of a hive
on which he had been sitting. / who
had supposed 1t was just box, started
back, for thin yellow line of buzzing
insects issued forth. At least ten of
them Lit on their owners hands, but
he merely brushed them off, and reach
ing into the hive with pair of long
slender pincers, drew forth large
well-nurtured bee.
"This," he said, sis Susie. She's the
best layin' bee I've got. That's her
mate down there on that peony. Him
an her Is never far apart. Now, since
you want bees that will fight an make
honey, you want good ones. / wouldn't
do 1t for everybody, but you bein'
stranger here, want you to git inter-
ested in bees, an I'll sell you this pair
for seven dollars I imported them
from Bermuda myself, an I wouldn't
part with 'em to anybody but a man
/ took likin' to at first sight for less
than fifteen dollars. You'll never re-
greet buyin' them bees, especially If you
want fghtin' bees. / don't have no
time now to run Off bee fights, but
when did, the parents of them two
bees won me a pot of money"
AS he spoke he placed the first bee
he had picked up in little paper box,
and while she buzzed her rage, he
thrust forth the implement and secured
the one he had described as her mate.
was greatly delighted. Now !
would show these meddling neighbors
that they could not make life among
them miserable for stranger without
paying for it. When the progeny of
my pair Of bees began to run wild like
Apaches over the neighborhood, they