FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 37 



entire absence of burr-oombs, but near enough to it so that one 

 can get along much more comfortably than with the slat honey- 

 board. At any late there is no longer the killing of bees that 

 there was every day the dauby honey-board was replaced. 



But it would take up space unnecessarily to follow farther 

 the course of the years, especially as these later years are 

 familiar to more of my readers than are the former years, so I 

 will proceed to fulfill my chief purpose in telling about my 



Fig. 12 — Bottom-rack. 



work throughout the course of the year, reserving, however, 

 the right to refer to the past whenever I like. 



SEASONS HAVE CHANGED. 



It is only fair to remark, however, that in later years the 

 crops have not always been so good as formerly. At least that 

 is true as to the early crop. The fall crop, however, seems to 

 be on the increase. Just why, I don't know, unless it be that 

 there are two important pickle-factories at Marengo, and the 

 bees have the range of some two hundred acres of cucumbers. 



