236 miner's AMERICAN 



exists in thousands and thousands of places, where bar- 

 rels of honey might be gathered, for the pounds that are 

 now produced. 



In valleys, bees have less high winds to encounter ; 

 and when loaded and returning home, it is easier for 

 them to descend than to ascend. This requires no 

 proof Let the reader, when fatigued, have a mile to 

 walk, would you prefer to have it up hill or down ? 



WEEDS AROUND HIVES TO BE EXTIRPATED. 



It is customary with many bee-keepers to place their 

 hives where the grass grows in the greatest profusion. 

 This is not good policy ; yet, perhaps, it is full as well, 

 to place hives over a green sward, where the grass can 

 be cut at intervals, as to place them where the sod has 

 been turned over, and then allow a profusion of weeds 

 to spring up around them. Both cases are bad man- 

 agement for the thorough apiarian. I now allude to 

 out-door apiaries only, of course. 



The better way is, to first throw aside the top soil, 

 where an out-door apiary is to be situated, then throw 

 out a foot or two in depth of the yellow barren sub-soil. 

 In the pit thus excavated, place the top soil first re- 

 moved, and let the barren sub-soil remain on the sur- 

 face of the ground. Over this spread a few inches of 

 gravel, and you will soon have a hard foundation for 

 your hives, where but few, if any, weeds will spring up, 

 and where every unfortunate bee that falls to the ground 

 exhausted with fatigue, as does often happen, may rest 



