A YEAR AMONG THE BEES. 
5' 
TAKING BEES OUT OF THE CELLAR. 
The difficulty of wintering bees, at the north, is not 
entirely without its compensations. I am almost willing to 
meet some losses, for the sake of the sharp interest with 
which I look forward to the time of taking the bees out of 
the cellar in the spring. I live on a place of 37 acres, about 
a mile from the railroad station, and on my way down town 
there is a soft-maple tree which blooms in advance of all 
others, at least a day or two. How eagerly I watch that tree 
from the first bursting of the buds, and when the red of the 
blossom actually begins to push forth, with what a thrill of 
pleasure I say, “ The bees can get out on the first good day !” 
In former years I did sometimes bring out the bees earlier, 
because they seemed so uneasy, but I doubt if I gained any- 
thing by it. I have known one or two years when a cold, 
freezing time came on at the time of maple bloom and I did 
not take out the bees for a good many days, but generally I 
go by the blooming of the soft maples. So I watch the ther- 
mometer and the clouds, and usually in a day or two there 
comes a morning, with the sun shining, and the mercury 
at 45° or 50°. This is one of the few times when I call in 
outside help ; for I want to make sure of getting out all the 
bees I can on the first warm day. So I leave word with a 
neighbor, Moses Dimon, or Mr. Tyler, who lives in my tenant 
house, the evening before, to be on hand in the morning if 
the weather is fine. My only son, Charlie, nearly 18 years 
old, is the best help I ever had at carrying bees, indeed, at a 
good deal of the bee-work, but he doesn’t take kindly to the 
business. When little, he did not care much for a bee-sting, 
but a few years ago he got so that a sting made him spotted 
all over, even his tongue and ears swelling up, causing great 
suffering. I think he has entirely outgrown this difficulty, 
but I am afraid he never will overcome the dread of a sting. 
Some object to carrying out many colonies at a time, for 
fear of their swarming-out, from the excitement of so many 
