88 THE BLESSED BEES. 



tion for loss in weight, the value of the comb-honey 

 would be more than the value of the extracted 

 honey. 



After looking the subject over in all its aspects I 

 determined to try the experiment of feeding back 

 to the bees whatever honey I had on hand after 

 apple-blossoms. By the result of this experiment 

 I could tell whether it was wise to continue this 

 method. It was somewhat venturesome for a young 

 beginner to enter upon an untried field, but my 

 father had taught me that, if an idea had common 

 sense in its favor, not to be afraid of it because it 

 was new. The next morning I sent off an order for 

 material for five hundred honey boxes, four sides 

 glass, to hold about two and a-half pounds of honey 

 each. They would come by express to Howard in 

 time for use when apple-blossoms should fail. 



Three days later apple-blossoms opened. Our 

 orchard was a sea of bloom, and in every orchard 

 near the bloom was equally profuse. The bees 

 were in a paradise of sweets. In two days I again 

 extracted, getting on an average twenty-three 

 pounds per hive. And four days later I took again 

 an average of nineteen pounds per hive. Then, as 

 the season of bloom was approaching a close, I 

 allowed the hives to be filled up. The honey-boxes 

 came to hand all right. They were nicely cut out, 

 and the work of putting them together was easy and 



