26 
V. ARRANGEMENT OF APIARY. 
Unless a stock (5) is procured in a bar-frame hive, the bees 
67. Commencing must necessarily be provided in one of the 
Bee-keeping. following ways :— 
(1.) By obtaining a natural (92) or artificial (XXTII.) swarm. 
(2.) By transfer of a stock from a skep or other fixed comb 
hive (87). 
The necessary appliances mentioned in the list already given 
(58) should be procured, and a suitable site should be selected 
for the apiary. 
The hives should preferably be placed in an open position, but 
‘ it is desirable that they should be protected 
68. Site of Apiary. from northerly winds: it is essential that 
the bees should have a clear flight to the 
front ; a high hedge or wall or other obstruction in front of the 
hives that would impede the outward or homeward flight of 
the bees is very objectionable. The site should be dry, and 
grass or other herbage should be kept low immediately about 
the apiary, which should be protected by a fence from disturb- 
ance by live stock, and there should be sufficient clear space 
behind the hives to permit of manipulating the stocks with 
facility. It is inadvisable to place hives immediately in front 
of a south wall, as in such a position the hive temperature is 
much increased on hot days, and the variation of temperature 
in the hive between the hottest part of the day and the coldest 
part of the night is objectionably intensified. Whenitisintended 
to have many hives in an apiary they should be at least six feet, 
and if possible twelve feet or further apart. If it is necessary 
to place one row of hives in front of another, there should be a 
space of at least twelve feet between the rows, unless the ground 
falls so rapidly as to permit the bees from the back row of hives 
to have a free flight over the front row. Double rows of hives 
close together should not be adopted except from want of 
space, as the double row system places difficulties in the way of 
manipulations. Hives should not be placed in damp or closely- 
sheltered situations. When there is more than one hive in an 
aplary, the hives, or at least the front of the hives, should be 
painted in different colours, so that the bees may readily re- 
cognise their own hives. Fig. 22 represents a well arranged 
cottager’s apiary in Donegal. 
The hive should stand upon a solid foundation, capable of sus- 
taining it perfectly level when it is fully 
69. Hive Stand. loaded with honey. A “‘C. D. B.” hive, 
carrying five crates of well-filled sections 
might weigh about 12 ewt. The best description of stand is 
one made of concrete; the site should be levelled, the surface 
soil removed and replaced by broken stones up to the ground 
level; a layer of concrete should then be put over the stones 
and finished off so as to give a smooth level surface, measuring 
