414 GARDEN MANAGEMENT. 



1332. The aspect should be more or less southerly, and sheltered from the 

 more boisterous winds. But Milton, a very excellent authority, says: — 

 " It is not material in what aspect the stocks stand, provided the sun shines 

 upon the hive once in the course of the day, as well-peopled hives, kept dr}', 

 will thrive in most situations." " At any rate," says Bevan, " no walls, trees, 

 or houses, should lie in the right line of their hives, to impede the bees ingoing 

 to or returning from their pasturing. They should be able to fly off their 

 resting-boards at an angle of 40° with the plane of the horizon, and return 

 to them on a bee-line." 



1333. It should be near the dwelling, for the purpose of familiarizing the 

 bees with the family, and the feeding-ground should be at hand ; for, although 

 bees will travel long distances for their food, the nearer it is at hand the 

 more abundant will be the fruits ; the best pasturage is clover, sainfoin, buck- 

 wheat, and the flowers of most garden plants, — the common crocuses, blue 

 hepaticas, Christmas roses, wild thyme, mignonette, resedas. Salvia nemorosa, 

 honeysuckle, lavender, ivy, and almost all the summer flowers, are most 

 nutritious for bees. All the willows, the lime-tree, and the horse-chestnut, 

 and most cf our forest trees, are equally so ; but nothing delights them so 

 much as the furze-blossoms of our commons and the wild heaths of our 

 hills. An outdoor apiary should admit of being approached by a back 

 entrance, in order to observe the bees, and perform any required operation 

 on the hives. 



1334. These should be placed each on a separate stand, thi'ee feet apart, 

 and clear from wall or fence, where they occupy the open ground. The 

 resting-boards should have a gentle slope outwards to prevent moisture from 

 getting under the hive. Above all, wherever located, let neatness prevail ; 

 keep away spiders and other insect intruders ; suffer no weeds to grow in its 

 vicinity, which may entangle the weary bee on its return, or shelter its insect 

 enemies. 



1335. If no water is near the hive, some must be supplied, as the bees require 

 it to moisten the pollen with which they feed the brood. Destroy all queen- 

 wasps, for they are amongst the worst enemies of bees. Keep evei-ything 

 about the hive trim and clean, rout up ants' nests, brush away spiders, and 

 kill all moths, slugs, and other vermin. Attention must be paid to see that 

 the bees have suflBcient food : many hives that have lived through the winter 

 perish from want of attention to this point. li the bees in one hive bg idle, 

 whilst those in others are all busy, feeding should be at once attended to ; idle- 

 ness and hanging about the entrance are frequently attributable to weakness, 

 from scarcity of food. Stock-hives maybe bought as late as the end of March, 

 provided they bo moved fi'om a distance of three or four miles. This is, per- 

 haps, the safest time to buy stocks, as all fear of their perishing is then at an 

 end. Care should be taken in buying stocks to select prime swarms of tlio 

 last summer ; they may be known by the combs being lighter in colour than 

 older stocks. Before introducing a swarm into a hive, singe off all rough 

 ehaws, as they hinder the bees in their work. 



