30 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



traveling- life was worse. So in spite of the reduced 

 chance of making- money, I decided for a life in the 

 country, turned my back upon an offer of $2,500 and 

 expenses, and engaged to teach school at $1,200 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 no doubt have 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 hanpy 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 prepared for winter, and to be 

 sure of being with them through the winter. 



Six of the fort}' colonies were lost in the preceding 

 winter, and the remaining 34 had given i ,600 pounds of 

 honey, mostly extracted, and had been increased to 99. 



IMPROVED WINTERING. 



The advantage of being at home througfh the winter 

 was apparent, for in the next four winters the average 

 loss was only 2 per cent, while for the preceding four 

 winters it had been nine times as great. A new factor, 

 however, had come in, to which part of the change was 

 to be attributed. There was chance enough to ventilate 

 the cellar, for two chimneys ran from the ground up 

 through the house, a stove-pipe hole opening from the 

 cellar into each. But the only way to warm the cellar 

 was by keeping fire in the rooms overhead, and by open- 

 ing the inside cellar-door. One day when I came home 

 from school — I think it was in December, 1876 — I found 

 my wife had decided to hurry up the matter of warming 

 the cellar, and had a small stove set up, and throughout 

 the winter there was fire there a good part of the time. 



