POSITION OF THE APIARY. 23 



may be expected to keep the hive wealthy, and consequently 

 bring profit to its human proprietor. 



CHAPTER V. 



POSITION OF THE APIARY. 



The most favorable aspect for your hives or boxes is south- 

 westerly ; but if you can so contrive as to reserve to yourself a 

 power of modifying this aspect with the season, so much the 

 better. In spring, for instance, the aspect would be improved 

 by inclining more to the west ; in autumn the reverse. My rea- 

 son for this recommendation is, that the morning sun is prejudi- 

 cial to the interests of the hive, not from any inherent bad qua- 

 lity in its rays, but because when the bees are so placed as to 

 receive the early light, they are tempted forth too early — an 

 event objectionable on two accounts ; first, that, especially in 

 early spring, the dawn is too cold, and will occasion the death of 

 numbers if they are induced to venture forth ; and secondly, be- 

 cause the bees, if they commence operations so early, become 

 wearied before they have performed a good day's work, and the 

 afternoon is a more advantageous period for their labors. I shall 

 afterwards treat of " shifting" — a subject which has produced 

 considerable controversy among bee-fanciers. 



The place where you intend to fix your stand must be a dry 

 soil — if sandy, so much the better. It should slope towards the 

 front, in order to carry off the surface water produced by occa- 

 sional rains, and should not, on any account, be exposed to the 

 droppings from the eaves of houses, or even hedges. Shelter is 

 essential, especially behind, and on the east of the hives, a house 

 or high wall is the best you can procure ; and I am also an advo- 

 cate for the stand being placed in a sort of small, open shed, well 

 painted on the outside to protect it from the weather ; a few 

 shrubs planted about the stand are also good as additional shel- 

 ter. Some recommend high trees for the purpose of keeping the 

 air calm, lest the bees should be blown down when returning 

 home. High trees are not advisable ; they form an evil them- 

 selves of greater magnitude than that which they may be de- 

 signed to remove. Bees are seldom blown to the ground by mere 



