BEE MANUAL. 101 
to be no convenient way of obtaining it. If they are placed 
under fruit trees, which, according to my idea, are the most 
suitable, these must be kept trimmed very high, or else the 
branches will be in the way. The same difficulty occurs with 
evergreens, besides being very likely to keep the hives con- 
tinually damp in winter. Where only afew hives are kept, 
shady spots may be selected without inconvenience in other 
respects, but in a large apiary it is rather a difficult matter to 
supply shade to each hive without involving disadvantages 
which are more than equivalent. I have recommended and 
have tried fruit trees, but I find they are a great hindrance 
to rapid work where many hives have to be gone through. 
A. I. Root recommends planting a grape-vine on the sunny 
side of each hive, and training it on a trellis high enough to 
afford shade; but in these colonies, where the sun is so nearly 
vertical in midsummer, we require the shade directly over the 
hives, and the vines could not be trained to effect that without 
great inconvenience in the working of the hives. Some 
American apiarists use and recommend loose shade-boards laid 
on top of the hives, and kept in place by heavy stones. This 
is a contrivance so clumsy and unsightly, and attended with so 
much inconvenience in working, that it could scarcely 
be justified unless the necessity was very urgent. Here, how- 
ever, with the hive recommended, which has not a flat cover, 
but one sloping to each side, with a considerable space between 
the mat and the inside of the roof, and ventilating holes in 
front and rear, I find that when the covers are painted white, 
and careful attention is paid to the ventilation, very little 
inconvenience is felt from want of shade, and I have therefore of 
late dispensed with all contrivances for obtaining it, except such 
temporary expedients as throwing some branches of ti-tree over 
newly hived swarms for a while. If, however, trees are 
considered to be desirable, I believe fruit trees are the best to 
plant, as they afford shade just when it is required, and do not 
obstruct the sun’s rays or occasion dampness in winter. 
WATER. 
A supply of water for the bees is indispensable, and the 
nearer it is to the apiary the better. A large number of bees 
belonging to each hive will be occupied in carrying water all 
