APIARY. 23 



or to be apprized of accidents. Befides, the 

 bees habituated to the fight of the family, 

 will become lefs ferocious, and more trac- 

 table ; while the buildings will afford a pro- 

 tection from the wind and cold. The hives 

 mu ft be clear of the dripping of trees, nor 

 fhould long grafs, weeds, or dunghills be 

 fufFered near them, as harbouring myriads of 

 infects and vermin, that will prey upon the 

 bees and their production. Neither are 

 rivers, ponds, or large tubs of water eligible 

 to be near an apiary ^ as great numbers will 

 be blown therein. 



It is very wrong to place hives on benches, 

 which is always the fource of miftakes, quar- 

 rels, and often flaughter, by their interference 

 with one another. A flill worfe contrivance 

 is that of little cots, or fheds, with fhelves 

 therein, one above another; affording a 

 greater harbour for their enemies, very in- 

 convenient for the management, and indeed 

 . impracticable in the ftory method. 



The arrangement I would recommend, is, 



that of feparate Jiands for each hive, made 



by driving four ftrong flakes into the ground, 



at equal diftances, as thus, : : correfponding 



C 4 to 



