FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 41 



were fed about a thousand pounds of sugar. Clover 

 grew well, but blossoms were scarce. The bloom, how- 

 ever, kept increasing, and during the latter part of 

 August and the first part of September a number of 

 colonies stored fifty pounds and more each. How much 

 of the honey was from clover I cannot tell. As late as 

 the last half of October I saw the bees busy on both 

 red and white clover. 



TAKING BEES OUT OF THE CELLAR. 



The difficulty of wintering bees, at the North, is not 

 entirely without its compensations. I am almost willing 

 to meet some losses, for the sake of the sharp interest 

 with which I look forw^ard to the time of taking the 

 bees out of the cellar in the spring. I live on a place of 

 37 acres, about a mile from the railroad station, and on 

 my way down town a number of soft-maple trees are 

 growing. How eagerly I watch for the first bursting 

 of the buds, and when the red of the blossom actually 

 begins to push forth, with what a thrill of pleasure I 

 say, "The bees can get out on the first good day!" 



In former years I did sometimes bring out the bees 

 earlier, because they seemed so uneasy, but I doubt if I 

 gained anything by it. I have known years when a cold, 

 freezing time came on at the time of maple-bloom and 

 did not take out the bees for a good many days, but gen- 

 erally I go by the blooming of the soft maples. So I 

 watch the therm.ometer and the clouds, and usually in a 

 day or two there comes a morning w^ith the sun shining, 

 and the mercury at 45 or 50 degrees, with the pros- 

 pect of going a good deal higher through the day. 



TAKING OUT WITH A RUSH. 



This is one of the times wdien I want outside help, 

 for carrying two or three hundred colonies of bees out 

 of the cellar is not very light work if it be done with a 

 rush ; and I want them all out as soon as possible so as 



