STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 1 53 



out giving the slightest sting. After the brood is hatched the 

 cells are carefully cleaned out ready to be used for the deposi- 

 tion of more eggs or the storing of honey. The wax of the 

 brood frames is at first pale yellow in color but soon grows 

 dark and the cells gradually become reduced in size; then the 

 foundation should be melted as small cells produce small bees. 



The length of a bee's life depends on the amount of work 

 which it does; in the busiest season from two to three weeks 

 is the extent. 



The industrious little insects gather nectar so rapidly that 

 their delicate wings are soon worn out. 



If you keep bees it is of great importance that the hives are 

 filled with bees and the frames with brood early in the season 

 if possible. 



We use a seven frame "simplicity" hive as the large double- 

 walled ones are rather too heavy for a woman to handle, and 

 as soon as the weather is warm enough the side packings are 

 removed and three more frames added. This gives for the 

 summer practically a ten frame hive. We always keep light 

 wool blankets over the section cases until the middle or last 

 of June. 



When the weather becomes excessively warm, we spray the 

 hives with cold water ; then wet sheets are placed over the tops 

 and sides to assist the bees in keeping cool, and also to prevent 

 the comb from melting. 



When there is a heavy flow of nectar even the most casual 

 observer will notice that the bees suddenly seem much larger, 

 that there is not enough room for them and an extra super is 

 needed. The following reason is assigned for this swelling of 

 the bee : "Before the honey flows there is no nectar in the 

 honey sacs of any of the bees of the hive, hence the segments 

 of the abdomen telescope over each other, thus contracting the 

 abdomen to the smallest possible space and allowing thousands 

 of bees to mass themselves in the least possible space. When 

 the honey flow comes on, the field bees give their loads of nectar 

 to the hive bees, which causes their abdomens to be drawn out 

 the same as a telescope is drawn out, in order that the now 

 filled honey sacs may find room for necessary expansion, and 

 thus it comes about that two bees now occupy the same place 

 of that occupied by three or four before the flow of nectar was 



