168 CLEANLINESS OF THE APIARY. 



departed from the long established custom of the country. 

 During our perambulations, we once entered a cottager's 

 garden, in which were about fifteen hives, literally on the 

 ground, with the exception of a slight intervening board, 

 which was rotten and cracked. We expostulated with the 

 clodpole on the injury which his hives must necessarily 

 experience from such a bad system of management, and, 

 unfortunately for our character, we predicted the total ruin 

 of his hives. For the purpose of effecting conviction on his 

 mind, we lifted one of the hives, and showed him that the 

 combs were completely mouldy, and totally unfit for either 

 breeding or the reception of honey. He appeared to see the 

 force of our reasoning, and determined to place his hives on 

 pedestals. This plan was accordingly adopted, but in two 

 months, he had only two stocks remaining, the bees of the 

 other hives having forsaken their domicile as untenantable. 

 We were immediately invested with the character of some 

 malignant witch, who had intruded himself into his garden, 

 for no other purpose than to bewitch his bees ; the two 

 remaining stocks were removed from the pedestals, and 

 returned to their former situation, but they also soon died ; 

 and the loss was attributed to some witchcraft on our part, 

 for it could not possibly be, according to the opinion of the 

 cottager, the effect of a bad system of management. 



The apiary should be kept particularly clean, all noxious 

 weeds carefully removed, and no rubbish be left in which 

 the enemies of the bees can conceal themselves. A few low 

 trees or shrubs planted in the vicinity of the apiary will be 

 found useful in arresting the flight of the swarms, for they 

 very often alight on espalier trees, or on currant and goose- 

 berry bushes. 



It is, however, essential to observe that the apiary should 

 not be incommoded with herbs, nor plants, which rise to a 

 height equal to or exceeding the entrance of the hive, be- 

 cause the bees, on arriving from their journey, being much 



