A YEAR'S WORK IN AN OUT-APIARY 51 



wooly" West, where thieves are liable to carry off every thing not 

 under lock and key. And even there a few pounds or sections of honey 

 handed out to those living near the out-apiary will generally win for 

 miles around. No one knows how a few sections of honey given to the 

 half-dozen families living near the out-apiary will sweeten for miles 

 around till they try it. The few receiving these little tokens will be 

 jfour friends; and as those further away are the friends of these few, 

 the good words they say about you will make friends of the whole, so 

 that all will almost fight for you, and if they want some honey they 

 will come to you to purchase it, never thinking of taking it otherwise. 

 But be stingy with the product of your out-apiary, so the few nearest 

 it call you "a louse," then there will be no end to the annoyance you 

 will have, and I guess this will apply in nearly equal terms to the 

 home yard as well. 



WEIGHINQ TJP THB HIVES. 



When I come to the colonies which were tiered, I weigh them, as 

 some are liable to be short of stores, through storing too much in the 

 combs above; and any that are light are supplied with plenty by giving 

 them full combs taken from the "heavy" pile in exchange for their 

 light ones. I do not now look after the stores of those that worked in 

 sections, as it is seldom that there is a lack with any of these, as the 

 plan used, together with the ten-frame hive, nearly always causes the 

 storing of plenty of honey for winter. If, when turning the bottom- 

 boards for winter, at our next visit, any are found to he light, a change 

 of heavy combs for some of their light ones is made, so that all are 

 known to have 25 lbs. or more, which is amply sufiScient for all their 

 needs till they can be looked after in the spring, when starting them 

 on their road to prosperity, for both themselves and owner. After 

 again carefully looking over all the piles of hives and supers contain- 

 ing honey, to see that there is no crack or hole about any of them 

 suflBciently large for the entrance of a bee, and giving a general glance 

 over the whole, to see that all is in good condition for leaving, I am 

 ready for my journey home. And this is what was done on the tenth 

 visit. 



A RETROSPECT. 



As I am about to leave I can not help taking a last lingering look 

 at things, as they have so changed since I came at noon. Instead of 

 tiered-up hives, and those with supers, which have gradually grown 

 up with me during the summer's work, all have assumed the appear- 

 ance of what they had in spring, and I am reminded that the work of 

 the bees is over till another year. A sort of sadness steals over me, 

 and I fall to wondering if both bees and myself will be alive to work 

 so happily together another year. The merry hum, and the fragrance 

 from the hives, which greeted me when coming to the yard during the 

 summer, greet me no more. I find myself wishing it were spring 

 again, and that I were just commencing the fun of working the out- 

 apiary for another year. I seem to see the bees at work again as they 



