12-1 FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 



and I thought it would du no great harm to leave all sections on 

 till I got back, so I left August 12, getting back the 28th. 



Scarf ely had 1 got out of sight when the bees made a fresh 

 start as fierce as ever, and gave Miss Wilson the busy time of 

 her life. T^p at 4 o'clock in the morning to get sections ready, 

 then to one of the apiaries to take off and put on supers, with 

 no let-up in the work of going through colonies to keep down 

 swarming. Yes, indeed, there was swarming galore, and had 

 been all through the season. It is generally understood thai 

 when bees are busily engaged at storing they give up all thoughts 



Fig. 41 — Miller Feeder Dissected. 



of swarming. Xol in 1903. I'm not sure I ever knew so bad a 

 season for swarming. \\'e fought our best to prevent it, but 

 eveiv now and then the bees would get the .si art of us. 



Some 6000 finished sections were taken off during my Hi 

 ilavs' absence, and on my return I fcinnd everything about the 

 work kept u]i in as good shape as if 1 had been at home. And 

 Miss ^Vilson was still alive. 



We didn't get the last sections off tlie hives till well along 

 in September, and the final footing np was not conducive tu 

 despondency. From 124 colonies, spring count, we had 18,150 



