BEES. i 
not pay to increase the apiaries in his present location. It may be 
better to move to another part of the country where nectar is more 
abundant. 
The location of the hives is a matter of considerable importance. 
As a rule it is better for hives to face away from the prevailing wind 
and to be protected from high winds. In the North, a south slope 
is desirable. It is advisable for hives to be so placed that the sun 
will strike them early in the morning, so that the bees become active 
early in the day, and thus gain an advantage by getting the first sup- 
ply of nectar. It is also advantageous to have the hives shaded 
during the hottest part of the day, so that the bees will not hang out in 
front of the hive instead of working. They should be so placed that 
Fig. 1.—A well-arranged apiary. 
the bees will not prove a nuisance to passers-by or disturb live stock. 
This latter precaution may save the bee keeper considerable trouble, 
for bees sometimes prove dangerous, especially to horses. Bees are 
also sometimes annoying in the early spring, for on their first flights 
they-sometimes spot clothes hung out to dry. This may be remedied 
by having the apiary some distance from the clothes-drying yard, or 
by removing the bees from the cellars on days when no clothes are to 
be hung out. 
The plot on which the hives are placed should be kept free from 
weeds, especially in front of the entrances. The grass may be cut 
with a lawn mower, but it will often be found more convenient and as 
efficient to pasture one or more head of sheep in the apiary inclosure. 
447 
