82 



BEEKEEPING IN THE SOUTH 



Fig. 36. A typical apiary in gums. 



Throughout a great part of this mountain region, however, 

 the altitudes are not nearly so high, and while the winters fre- 

 quently approximate those of central Illinois, they are usually 

 milder. However, in practically all cases, the summers are long- 

 er, frosts disappearing in early spring, returning only late in the 

 fall, often after Thanksgiving. This, of course, results in a 

 different type of bee culture, necessitating the application of 

 white clover region bee behavior operations earlier and later in 

 the season. 



Box Hive Common. 



The box hive is well distributed o\'er this territory, usually 

 exceeding in number many times, the modern hive, in the 

 higher regions of the mountains. It is probable that there are 

 ten box hives to every one modern hive in many parts of moun- 

 tainous West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. 

 However, these regions are often so rich in honey producing 

 flora that it is difficult to induce beekeepers unacquainted with 

 modern methods, to adopt them. They often get a fair return 

 in chunk honey from box hives, in spite of poor beekeeping, and 



