FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 151 



Having spent thus much time telling what was done 

 the previous winter, let us get back to warmer weather. 



GIVING ADDITIONAL SUPERS. 



Understanding now that each colony has had a super 

 given to it about ten days after the very first white clover 

 blossom has been seen, the further history of this super 

 and its possible successors is a matter that varies so much 

 in different seasons that it is difficult to tell it straight. 

 By the way, you may think that I'm always thrilled with 

 the sight of the first clover blossom. I'm not. Scarcely 

 ever a thrill. The colonies are never all of them as strong 

 as I would like for the beginning of the harvest, and that 

 first clover blossom is merely a warning that the time for 

 building up for the harvest is becoming very short. 



UNCERTAINTY OF SEASONS. 



As to giving additional super-ro'om, it is a thing that 

 may or may not be. That first clover bloom may have so 

 few successors that there will be no harvest ; or bloom 

 may be abundant with no nectar. So sometimes it hap- 

 pens that after it becomes a clear case that the harvest is 

 a failure, the supers are taken oflf as innocent of honey as 

 when they were put on. Oftener it happens that the bait- 

 section in each super is filled and sealed and not a cell 

 drawn out in the other sections. From that up, the sea- 

 sons will vary so that the average number of sections to 

 each colony will be lo, 24, 48, and up to not such a great 

 way from 100, although these latter seasons do not come 

 with any alarming degree of frequency. 



If one could know in advance just what the season 

 was going to be, one could tell a good deal better what to 

 do in the way of giving additional super-room. One may 

 give so much room that there will be an undue propor- 



