By the 1940s the bee operation had been located at the Novitiate. There were two rows of hives, and half of a building next to Saint Mary's dormitory was devoted to the bee operation. Brother Petrus was the first beekeeper. By 1940 Brother Henry Charles, Master of Novices, was the beekeeper. Each year one or two of the postulants were chosen to learn the business, and did most of the work under the direction of Brother Henry Charles.

The road in front of Seat of Wisdom Chapel was lined with cherry trees, and the bees were useful to pollinate the many flowers grown on the property.

Brother Nilus Donnelly in his Memories of 75 Years described discovering and demolishing an old orchard on the hill adjoining the water works road. That orchard was probably carefully tended during the Bech occupancy to 1900 but left untended in the interval between Bech and Marist Brothers, and was not used or cared for by the Brothers.

I remember Vincent Costanzi removing fruit trees from the field between the MacPherson House and route nine with his army surplus equipment in 1947-1948.

photo digitized from Kodak slides