FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 43 



In the fall of 1881 I nian-ied Miss Sidney Jane Wilson, 

 who was born on the Wilson farm wliere one of my out-apiaries 

 was for years located. There was some economy in the ar- 

 rangement, for she could go to the out-apiary for a day's work, 

 and visit her old home at the same time. 



A GOOD YEAR. 



Of the 177 colonies with which the year 1881 closed, two 

 died in wintering, and I sold one in the spring. That left 174 



Fi<l. 1 1 — Hire-staples. 



for the season of' 1882, and these gave me 16,.')49 pounds of 

 honey, nearly all in sections. That was 95 pounds per colony, 

 and the inci-ease Avas only 16 per cent — quite a falling off from 

 the amount per colony of the previous year. But the addi- 

 tional nine thousand jiounds in the total crop reconciled me 

 to the "per colony" ]iaif of the business. It would be inter- 

 e.sting to learn how much the difference in the yield per colony 

 was due to the season, and how much to the ino'eased num- 

 ber, but that is one of the things past finding out. 



