28 FIL^TY YEARS AMONG THK 13KU.S 



June 25 1 visited Max'engo again, and was surprised to find 

 very little gain in the strength of the colonies. The season had 

 been extremely nnpropitious. Jnly 7 I made another visit, of 

 three days, and found scarcely any honey in the hives. I made 

 a few new eolonoies, and by giving em])fy combs and plenty of 

 room I left them feeling that there was little fear of any swarm- 

 ing for that season. 



TROUBLE WITH SWARMING. 



But a sudden change must have come over the bees and the 

 season, and the bees must have built up with great rapidity, for 

 letters kept coming (o me saying that the bees had swarmed, and 

 Mrs. Miller was kept busy superintending the hiving, "Jeff " 

 doing the work. It was a mixed-up business for them, for I had 

 left the queens clipped, and swarms would issue only to return 

 again, and then in a few days there would be after-swarms, and 

 they didn't know which swarms were likely to have young 

 queens, and which clipped queens. Some swarms probably got 

 away, but in the round-up when I went out again, August 10, T 

 found the whole number of colonies had reached 40, there hav- 

 ing been an increase of 12 by natural swarming in addition to 

 the nine colonies I had formed artificially. 



BACK TO COUNTRY LIFE. 



Clearly, keeping bees at long range was very unsatisfactory 

 business. City life was also unsatisfactory ; a traveling life was 

 worse. So in spite of the reduced chance of making monejf, I 

 decided for a life in the country, turned my back upon an offer 

 of $2500 and expenses, and engaged to teach school at $1200 

 and bear my own expenses; all because I wanted to be in the 

 country and have a chance to be with the bees all the time. I 

 have never regretted the choice. If I had kept on at other 

 business, I would have no doubt made more money, but I would 

 not have had so good a time, and I doubt if I would be alive 

 now. It's something to be alive, and it's a good deal more to 

 have a happy life. 



I did not, however, get away from the city till August 12, 

 1876, but that was early enough to see that all colonies were well 



