FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 155 



counted them and admired the nice even piles reaching to 

 the ceiHng! Perhaps I should not appreciate them so 

 much if I had not, years ago, felt the annoyance of run- 

 ning out of sections or foundation right in the middle of 

 the honey season, waiting days for it, and the honey 

 wasting. 



Having spent thus much time telling what was done 

 the previous winter, let us get back to warmer weather. 



GIVING ADDITIONAL SUPERS.' 



Understanding now that each colony has had a super 

 given to it about ten days after the very first w^hite clover 

 blossom has been seen, the further history of this super 

 and its possible successors is a matter that varies so much 

 in different seasons that it is difficult to tell it straight. 

 By the way, you may think that I'm always thrilled with 

 the sight of the first clover blossom. T'm not. Scarcely 

 ever a thrill. The colonies are never all of them as 

 strong as I would like for the beginning of the harvest, 

 and that first clover blossom is merely a warning that 

 the time for building up for the harvest is becoming very 

 short. 



UNCERTAINTY OF SEASONS. 



As to giving additional super-room, it is a thing that 

 may or rot be. That first clover bloom may have so 

 few successors that there will be no harvest ; or bloom 

 may be abundant with no nectar. So sometimes it 

 happens that after it becomes a clear case that the harvest 

 is a failure, the supers are taken off as innocent of honey 

 as when they were put on. Oftener it happens that the 

 bait-section in each super is filled and sealed and not a 

 cell drawn out in the other sections. From that up, the 

 seasons will vary so that the average number of sections 

 to eich colony will be 10, 24, 48, and up to 150 or more, 

 although these latter seasons do not come with any 

 alarming degree of frequency. 



