REARING AND FEEDING OF ANIMALS. 417 



time it deserves the most careful attention of the farmer, as one 

 of those means within his reach of contributing greatly to his 

 domestic comforts, and increasing his annual profits with very 

 little care. The culture of bees has been neglected in many 

 sections, because their proper mode of management was not 

 understood. There is no general rule, applicable to all cases, 

 as the treatment varies in almost every district, and the most 

 successful apiarians. As we regard the culture of this indus- 

 trious insect as highly important to the comfort as well as the 

 pecuniary interests of the community, we give below, from the 

 best authorities, such information as may enable the young 

 beginner especially to conduct his operations to a successful 

 and profitable issue. 



A hive of bees may be considered as a populous city, containing from fif- 

 teen to eighteen thousand inhabitants. This city is in itself a republic, where 

 well ordered industry and perfect equality reigns. The combs are composed 

 of pure wax, serving as a magazine for their stores, anil a place to nourish 

 their young. Between the combs there is a space sum'eient for two bees to 

 march abreast; and there are also transverse defiles, by which the bees can 

 more easily pass from one comb to another. 



According to COLUMELLA,* an Apiary should face the south, in a situation 

 neither loo hot nor too cold. It should stand in a valley, that the boo nuiy 

 with greater ease descend, on their return to the hive; and near the mansion- 

 house, and situated at a distance from noise and offensive smells; and in the 

 vicinity of a brook or river. Where the bees cannot have the benelit of run- 

 ning water, they ought to be supplied with it in a trough provided with Miiall 

 stones, on which they may stand while they drink. They cannot produce 

 either combs, honey, or food for their maggots, without water; but the neigh- 

 bourhood of rivers or canals with high banks, ought to be avoided, lest the 

 bees should be precipitated into the water by high winds, and consequently 

 perish. The garden in which the apiary stands, should be supplied with mel- 

 liferous plants and branchy shrubs, that the swarms which settle on them may 

 be the more easily hived. Particular attention should be paid to the circum- 

 stance, that the bees be hived in a neighbourhood productive of such plants as 

 supply them with food; such as thyme, the oak, the pine, fruit-trees, furze, 

 broom, mustard, clover, heath, &c. PLINY recommends broom, as a plant 

 particularly grateful and profitable to bees. 



It is well known that bees, when properly cultivated, produce considerable 

 profit, and in order to obtain the greatest possible advantage, it is necessary 

 to supply them with every convenience for the support of themselves and their 

 young. We should also contrive means to take the wax and honey with the 

 smallest possible loss. In short, when the apiary is placed in a good situation, 

 (either south or south-west,) that is, in a country abounding with flowers, at a 

 distance from brew-houses, smelting works, &c. the next and most important 

 point, is the choice of well constructed hives. 



The old practice, and one which obtains to a very consider- 

 able extent even to this day, in almost every country, was to 

 construct the hives out of straw. They were generally ill-con- 

 trived and almost, if not quite, impossible to remove either 

 the wax or honey without destroying the bees, a practice 

 as barbarous as it is unnecessary. Nothing we conceive can 

 be more cruel and revolting to the feelings of true humanity, 



* Who wrote in the time of our Saviour. 



