Feb. 1. 1912 



81 



K. L. Tucker's apiary on the Appalachicola Hiver, elevated upon platform to avoid high water. 



tice a clearing, but the ground is swampy 

 and low, and therefore it becomes necessary 

 for some who do locate here to go to consid- 

 erable expense in making the elevated plat- 

 forms, with a runway between the hives. 

 Let us stop at one of these yards. 



The subjoined illustrations show the api- 

 ary of Mr. K. L. Tucker, who has his post- 

 office at Appalachicola. Here we see 860 

 hives of bees located clear up in the air. 

 The different views will show the details of 

 construction of the platforms and the con- 

 venient runways for a wheelbarrow down 

 between the rows of hives. Notice how the 

 platforms are braced, and that the hives are 

 set up on side racks, I should say two feet 

 above the general runway. When the plat- 



forms are finally constructed Mr. Tucker 

 has a location for a bee-yard as good as he 

 can ask — no grass, no weeds, no shrubbery 

 — just nice board sidewalks to every hive. 



At one end of the "apiary," and also on 

 stilts, is a small building where the owner 

 himself can eat and sleep, put together his 

 supplies, put in foundation, extract his hon- 

 ey, etc. At the time of my visit Mr. Tucker 

 had been sick a few days — whether from 

 malaria or what, I do not know: but, unfor- 

 tunately, this low marshy land, while it 

 may be ideal for an ajiiary up on stilts, is, 

 apparently, not an ideal phxce for the owner 

 to spend several months during the height 

 of the season; and this may explain why 

 there are not more bee-keepers in this coun- 



Tuckefs>piary, showing the detail of the high benches. 



