CHAPTER IV 



THE APIARY AND ITS ARRANGEMENT 



The amateur beekeeper has usually but little choice as 

 regards the situation of his proposed apiary. Whilst 

 south and south-east are the most desirable directions 

 in which the hive entrances should face, there is no 

 reason why they should not face in almost any direction. 

 With a comparatively large number of hives and a 

 limited space in which to bestow them, it is far better 

 that the entrances should face in various directions, as 

 tending to lessen the chance of flying bees mistaking 

 other dwellings for their own, besides which a studied 

 uniformity of arrangement tends to destroy that delight- 

 ful quaintness of appearance which was so characteristic 

 of the old-fashioned bee-garden with its "hackled" 

 skeps. From the point of view of the picturesque, one 

 regrets the passing of the old straw skep, but with due 

 care there is no reason why our modern apiaries should 

 not be almost as pleasing to the eye. 



Should the hives be home-made, one can be fitted 

 with legs longer or shorter than another ; the roof of 

 one gabled, another with the sloping roof shown in the 

 working drawings. All of which departures from the 

 original design can be carried out without in any way 

 interfering with the interchangeabihty of the separate 

 parts. By so doing we save dull uniformity in appear- 

 ance, and at the same time materially assist the bees. 



The hives should be so placed that they can be 

 approached from the back for manipulation. See that 

 the floor boards are absolutely level (using a spirit level 



