PRELIMINARY WORK 



39 



disposition of the . liives. A study of the photographs 

 reproduced in this work will show a predilection on the 

 part of Australasian bee-keepers to lay out the hives in 

 rows. The author prefers them in a straight line. It 

 has been suggested that groups of 2, 3, or 5 colonies 

 (Fig. 24) enable the bees to better locate the position of 

 their home. Practical experience, however, shows the 

 disadvantages of contis;- 



FiC Z4 . 



MiLLEns CroUp Of Five Hives 



This analogy may be 



uous groups in dealing [ 

 with an outbreak of ^ 

 disease. It is well known 

 that disease among 

 humans is more virulent 

 in the congested areas, 

 whereas the isolated resi- 

 dences of the rural 

 provinces present less difficulty, 

 applied to apiculture. 



' Where the hives are of the same colour and shape, with 

 intervening spaces mathematically alike, more or less 

 confusion will result. This is especially the case where 

 the hives are crowded together. Eeasoning from the 

 above it will be seen that to have the greatest practicable 

 distance between each hive is a very good rule to observe. 

 With the position of each hive indicated by a peg or 

 other mark, there is yet another matter to I'eceive 

 attention before the hive is placed on its site. 



KEEPING WEEDS DOWN. 

 The practice of modern apiculture demands the 

 entrance of the hive to be at the bottom, and it is in this 

 position that it is most liable to become choked with 

 weeds, grass, etc. It is a waste of bee life for the insects 

 to crawl through a foot or so of long grass to reach the 

 doorway. Sheep are splendid lawn mowers, but all 

 apiarists are not sheep farmers. While sheep keep the 

 grass down, they do not prevent the bottom of the hive 

 from rotting where it comes in contact with the earth. 



