AT WORK. 45 



red, white, and blue had pleasant patriotic sugges- 

 tions, and it is well to be patriotic even in bee 

 hives ! Each hive received two good coats. On 

 April 5th, the last one was painted, and the next 

 day they were carefully stored, ready for use when- 

 ever wanted. 



The bees in the cellar had kept well. The tem- 

 perature had been steadily cold, and the cellar had 

 been kept generally at about 40 degrees. The time 

 was now approaching when they must be taken out 

 and put on their summer stands, for on some days 

 it was impossible to keep the cellar at a lower tem- 

 perature than 50 degrees. The hives purchased 

 had been grouped in the orchard in the places 

 where they were to remain. The others when 

 taken from the cellar were to be so arranged that 

 the whole would be in the most convenient posi- 

 tion for work. I determined to prepare a place 

 large enough for 200 swarms of bees, should I ever 

 desire to keep so many at home. 



The orchard in this part sloped gently to the south 

 and east. The rising ground at the rear would help 

 to break the force of the winds, but as additional 

 protection I decided to put a tight board fence, 

 seven feet high, on the west, north, and east of the 

 part devoted to bees. A piece one hundred feet 

 square was laid out. For the three sides required 

 300 feet of fence, to make which would require 2100 



