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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 12, 1962)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. OREGON WEDNESDAY. DECEMBER 12. 19S2 The Bee's Knees A 3 West Learns Importance of Telling Children About Birds and the Bees PI By DICK WEST ; Washington - (UP1I - My wife pointed out the other evening that one of our daughters is rnearing the age when she should be told about' "the birds and the bees." "Okay," I said. "You tell her about the birds and I'll tell her about the bees." wet I had a rea son for proposing this arrange ment. That very day I had been reading a report on bees ! prepared for the Smithsonian Institution by James E. Ham- bleton. r I don't konw whether Ham ' leton has any children, but he is a whiz when it comes to bees. For the first time since : I became a parent I feel qual ; ified to discuss this subject ; with my offspring. So climb upon my knee, dollink, and your wise old father will give you the scoop. : When wb think of the bee : we ordinarily think of it ; in terms of honey and wax. although some of ui may think of it in terms of get-. , ling slung. ; Actually, making honey land wax and stinging people is a relatively minor part of a bee's job. What makes the "bee important is his role in 'pollination. Where pollination is con cerned, he is the king bee. It might even be said that he is the bee's knees. According to Hambleton, there are about 50 crops in this country that require in sect pollination. Insect pollina tion is necessary or desirable for such vegetables as carrots, onions, cabbage, cauliflower and brusscl sprouts. At one time, there were enough native insects around to take care of this. But farm ing operations have greatly expanded while the pollinat ing insect population has de clined. As things now shape up. the bee is about all that stands between some crops and extinction. Bees get cre dit for an estimated 80 per cent of all pollination. Or, it might be said they are to blame for 80 per cent of the pollinating, depending on how you feel about brussel sprouts. At any rate, Hambleton RETURNING REMAINS Grado, Italy .'P1 Officials said the remains of three sailors recovered front a sub marine sunk near here in 1917 will be returned to Aus tria. The bodies were recover ed from the World War I sub marine on Monday Pipemakers Fit Product With Lining Louisville, Ky. - IUPD - Pipe-1 pipe, reports Tube Turns makers have taken a page j Plastics, Inc. Company engi from the clothing Industry's ' neers say this combination can book and fitted their product j safely carry corroding acids with a lining. Strength and j at as little as half the installed corrosion resistance are com- cost of all - metal pipe neces bined in plastic lined steel sary for such a job. WEATHER MAN STUCK Buffalo, N.Y. -A'PII- Barney Wiggin telephoned the weath er bureau here Tuesday to sav he could not report to Kansas City. Mo. - IUPD A collection or reproductions of the Bethlehem stable where his job as chief weather fore-1 Christ was born, gatnereo caster. Wiggin was snowed ; from 20 countries, will be dis in at his ho e in East Aurora, ; played for the first time here 14 miles away. iduring the Christmas season. Kansas City To Show World-Wide Display The 170 nativity scenes, owned by Alexander Girard, noted authority on folk art, will be displayed at the Wil liam Rockhill Kelson gallery to benefit the People pie program. to Peo- REFUGEES FROLIC - These Cuban refugees are shown as they enjoy their first sight of snow outside of their new home in Port Huron, Mich. Mr. and Mrs. Ariel Quintela and their four children who have been living in Miami for the past five months, have been relocated in Port Huron. (UPI) Small Worlds Around Us By LYNN M. WATKINS (Rftqilter and Tribune Syndicate 1962) Surface Too Slick to Slither So Snake Sits and Suffers It seemed there was a parallel between the old Chi nese proverb "Even a trip of a hundred miles must start with a single step," and what the rattlesnake was attempt ing when we placed him on estimates their contribution to agriculture at more than $500 million a year, not counting what they bring in by way of honey, wax and insect bite lotions. Until I read Hambleton's report, I did not realize that the bee was so valuable. I can undersand now why it is important to tell our children about, them. 1 i . " , I just hope my wife does as well with the birds. 2030 W. MAIN Phone 772-6828 Bonele Chuck Roast a, P 4 .:"'":;'"S.;?T ' ?: lb. BONELESS OVEN ROAST 79c lb. RUMP TIPS CROSS RIBS FRESH GROUND CHUCK 2 lbs. $1.10 59c lb. Locker Specials 25-lb. BEEF ORDER SI 2.95 20-lb. PORK ORDER $8.95 30-lbs. MIXED ORDER $14.95 PRICES INCLUDE CUTTING AND WRAPPING Open 6 Days 9 a.m. 7 p.m. Clotcd Sunday! a large sheet of plate glass. The snake couldn't even take the first step. He couldn't even get started, let alone travel. The glass was just too slick to slither on. To understand some what the predicament in which the reptile . found himself, we must remember that the rat tlesnake can proceed forward In a straight line. He doesn't writhe and twist like most snakes, but the surface over which he crawls must have at least some roughness, some irregularities', for he moves by moving his ribs; actually, he "walks on his ribs." Inside his skin the ribs move forward, then they press down against the skin forcing It against the roughness of a surface. Once the ribs are for ward and pressing, they move backward, propelling the snake forward. When going good the rib action is smooth, rapid and rhythmic: a contin uous flowing motion. Getting Nowhere On the plate glass, how ever, the snake's "wheels were spinning." He was really running fast but he wasn't progressing forward a single inch. The very best slithering he could accomplish just wasn't good enough. The glass was too slick; his ribs could get no grip. He was like a man in a racking chair: he was getting plenty of exercise but he wasn't getting anywhere. The snake lowered his head and tried harder; inside his body the ribs were moving forward and back. He in creased the tempo. His ribs pressed harder against the belly-skin but there was only slipperiness underneath, no ir regularities in the glass, no contact point. He just couldn't slither. This rib-action must he ex hausting work for inside of a few minutes the snake gave every indication of being ' "dog-tired"; he was loo ex- , hausted to raise his head from the glass. He rested. A slight tap on the glas. was felt by the nerves of his undersides and it started him I again but his rib action lacked their old snap and Vigo, lie i soon gave up and rested. All ! his most active slithering was ' reduced to uselessncss, like ft boat tied to a dock with the ! motor running In forward gear. The power had been nn, the effort was made but the principle of traction and the smoothness of glass was a condition over which he had no control. His tiny reptilian brain could only keep sending orders to the ribs In move but they were to tired to respond. Another Predicament After the snake had rested a while his futile exerlions a while from his futile exer tions we plared him in the middle of a Brussels carpet. The soft long pile of the rug placed the snake in the same predicament he had been 1 while on the plale glass. He I tried but it was hard and discouraging work. For the second time In his life he was up against the un known. He was as helpless on the rug as he had been on the glass. He could make nn head way. The carpet received as much "ribbing" as had the other uncrawlable surface. The rib pressure could not reach down far enough in the soft rug to make a solid con tact. There was nn traction, therefore nn forward prog-res' i h-mii An ' Low Cost Luxury in Music.in Styling ...in Performance! Music throughout the year Is a perfect idea for a Christmas gift that tvary member of the family can enjoy. Now we have several units in the Essex series and just in time for Christmas, Priced to sell they won't last long. SCIENCE KITS Learn why and how to build a number of fascinating G-E science kits. You can study the theories and practical application of electricity, magnetics, and many other fields of science. A comprehensive manual gives step by step details. Select the kit of your choice-priced from $3.98. r TERMS X !:-, . I OF j SNUGGLE TOYS These delightful stuffed toys are an added bonus from HAPCO to you. 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