" NOVICE'S " GLEANINGS IN BEE CI7LTTTRE. 



STARTING AN APIARY. 



OUB WAV. 



SELECT a piece of ground near 

 VOVlt dwelling nearly level, and, 

 if possible, sloping gently to the east 

 or south. It will pay to level it down 

 like a brick yard, removing all rub- 

 bish of every description. Stretch a 

 line running east and west on one 

 side, 60 feet long, with knots tied 

 every 3 feet, drive a stake six feet 

 long and 2 A inches square of oak or 

 some durable wood at every other 

 one of these knots ; in fact the better 

 way is to tie the knots of black and 

 white tape alternately, fastening 

 them with pins that they may not 

 slip. First drive a stake at each 

 white knot, then move each end of 

 the line by a stick cut accurately 5^ 

 feet. A line should also be stretch- 

 ed on one of the sides at right-angles 

 to the first so that it may always be 

 shifted squarely forward. Put a 

 row of stakes on the black knots, 

 then on the white again, and you 

 will thus secure them in the shape 

 of the cells in a honey comb, viz : 

 each stake is surrounded \)j six o'Jhers 

 equally distant. Plant a grape vine 

 on the south side of each stake and 

 a hive on the north side, and with 

 your Bee House located in the cen- 

 ter of this plantation you have or 

 may have all the requisites and 

 every facility for moving among the 

 hives in all directions. 



This plot will accomodate about 

 100 hives, which number we consider 

 as many as it will pay to keep for 

 honey in one locality. If you are 

 ambitious for more, open other sim- 

 ilar "ranches" three miles distant 

 and Jthree miles from each other, 

 (this being the center,) on the plan 

 we have arranged the stakes in the 

 beginning. Hut as the central 

 apiary of "our system" is not yet 

 finished we will attend to that first. 



The very first work to be done is 

 t<> gel those grape vines growing, and 

 we know of no variety equal to the 

 Concord tor the purpose. (Jood, 



BtrOIlg, well rooted vines should be 

 purchased lor about $10.00 per 100. 

 Buy them ol some one yon know, if I 

 possible : never patronize "traveling 

 men." Pinch oil' all shoots but one 

 andtrainthat straight up until it is in , 

 position to best shade your hive in j 



the hot weather, and tic it securely 

 with strings. Cut down this shoot 

 at the end of the first year and the 

 second year train two straight canes. 



In the spring of the third season 

 pull up your stake and drive it 18 

 inches directly east of its first po- 

 sition, and one just like it the same 

 distance west. Cut them off on a 

 line four feet from the ground and 

 connect the two with strips of pine 

 1x3 inches, one at the top and 

 another 3 feet lower. Tie your two 

 branches to the lower bar spreading 

 ithem each way and cut them off be- 

 yond the stakes. Stretch wires 

 (galvanized iron is best) from upper 

 to lower bar every 10 inches and 

 your trellis is done. All the pruning 

 and future training these vines will 

 need is to tie the shoots to the wires 

 every summer, and cut them back to 

 the lower bar every winter, pinching 

 off all shoots that are not needed 

 and pinching them all off when 

 they get much above the top bar. 

 "We know of no more healthful and 

 prettier work for women and chil- 

 dren than training these vines. As 

 they are trained solely for the shade 

 they afford the hives, we have not 

 yet determined what course the 

 Apiarian should pursue should they 

 become loaded with fruit, as ours 

 have been for several seasons, but 

 have an impression that the women 

 and children still might aid us. 



Trees have been suggested in place 

 of vines ; and basswood would grow 

 rapidly, but we could not have them 

 so near together and they would 

 shade the hives morning and eve- 

 ning when they should have all the 

 sun possible. We know of nothing 

 that can be kept just where we want 

 them so well as grape vines, and as 

 the lanes run east and west the sun 

 gives us his rays when wanted and 

 at no other time. 



To economize labor we should 

 have the house in the center and the 

 hives and vines thus removed may 

 be placed on the sides so as to make 

 our ranche more in the form of a 

 circle. The north and west sides 

 should be protected from high winds 

 by a <dose fence or wall 8 feet high. 



A track should be laid to the 

 nearest point of access with a wagon. 

 from the Lee house door, and a low 

 truck or car used to roll your bar- 



