20 THE BLESSED BEES. 



The Roxbury Russets were to be kept until the 

 spring. They were put in large piles on sandy 

 knolls in the orchard, covered with straw and then 

 with sand until safe against the severest frosts. We 

 knew by experience that they would keep in this 

 way perfectly. The yield was about the same per 

 tree as the other part of the orchard. We buried 

 2,080 bushels. The profitable yield from the orchard 

 gave me much encouragement. It promised rest 

 and change for my mother, and education for my 

 sister.- It would increase in productiveness for sev- 

 eral years to come. Should the yield average as 

 large as it had been this year I was now quite cer- 

 tain of our ability to do many things which had been 

 talked over in my father's plans. 



Under two or three of the apple trees nearest the 

 house were ranged some hives of bees. They had 

 been special pets of my father's. He enjoyed seeing 

 them, and hearing their industrious hum. He had 

 been taught in his youth to keep bees in the old 

 way, and as he had never expected any profit from 

 them he had kept them as he was taught. They 

 were in box hives, with a place for putting small 

 honey-boxes on top. We had usually obtained 

 enough honey for family use ; sometimes there had 

 been a few score pounds to sell. Now that the pres- 

 sure of fall work was over I went one day to 

 examine these bees. I found seventeen swarms in 



