760 Live Stock.EeesPropcr Situations of the Apiary. 



proof of which a few tame pigeons were put into a dove-cote; and the confequence 

 was, that a more early and a more numerous hatch of young were produced than 

 in any of the neighbouring cotes.* 



Thefe birds have a great antipathy to owls, which find their way fometimes into 

 dove-cotes; and there is no getting rid of fuch troublefome guefts but bydeftroying 

 them. &quot; Rats are terrible enemies to pigeons, and will foon deftroy a whole dove 

 cote. Cats,weafels,and fquirrels will do the fame. It will be neceflary, therefore, 

 to examine the dove-cote once every week at leaft,very minutely,&quot; to fee that there 

 ztre none of thefe intruders. 



Pigeons &quot; make an extraordinary good manure, which, if worked up into a com- 

 poft, inftead of being ufed in the prefent flovenly way, would beofftill more value.&quot; 



Bees. How far thefe induftrious infects may be kept as a part of the farming- 

 flock with profit has not yet been fully (hewn; but as they require little trouble, 

 and there is in moft country fituations a fufficiency of food ready provided for their 

 fupport, there can be little rilk in the farmer making the trial, efpecially as the capi 

 tal required will be but trifling. 



In undertaking this fort of flock, the bed fituation is in general where the hives 

 will be leaftexpofed to wind, and enjoy as much of the influence of the fun as pof- 

 fible; for wind always retards bees in their work, while the fun s influence invites 

 them to it. Though it is well known bees thrive well in high and windy fituations, a 

 low one is always to be preferred. Mr. Bonner advifes &quot; an early fituation ; a hol 

 low glen by the fide of a rivulet, furrounded with abundance of turnips in bfofibm 

 in the fpring, muftard and clover in the fummer, and heath in the latter end of 

 fummer and harveil with a varietyof othergarden and wild flowers in their feafons.&quot; 

 It is an obfervation as old as Columella, that the bee-garden fhould conftantly 

 face the fouth, and be placed in a warm valley near a ftream. 



It has been well remarked, that &quot; a plentiful alfortment of bee-flowers is a confi- 

 deration that requires attention, if we defign to favour an ample production of 

 honey. The nearer the pafturage is to the apiary, the more journeys the bees can 

 make in a day, and confequently the fooner they will be able to fill their hives. .The 

 product from a large fupply, but at a fmall diftance, and in a temperate fituation, 

 even with the common management, will be fuperior to that of the moft ikilful in 

 3. bad one. On the contrary,with bad management, and with fcanty pafturage and 



Expe ricnced Farmer. 



4 



