4G 
BEE-CULTURE. 
tree or vine is good to break the heat of the sun, and keeps 
the combs from melting. A hedge, a high board fence, or 
building on the north and west arc a protection against the 
strong winds which destroy very many laboring bees in the 
spring, when one bee is worth as much as a dozen in the lat- 
ter part of summer, as they are much needed at this time of 
year to take care of the brood and keep it warm. 
If in April the day has been rather warm and the evening 
cool and windy, hundreds of bees may be found on the ground 
in front of the hive perhaps loaded with bee-bread, but ex- 
hausted from the flight and chilled with the cold. As they 
approach the hive they relax their exertions and a slight whiif 
of wind dashes them on the ground from which they are un- 
able to arise again. And before the sun warms them the 
next morning they will be dead. For this reason I prefer 
having my bees near the ground so that if any drop and can- 
not fly again, they may crawl into the hive. Were it not 
that in dashing rains the water splashes up and wets the 
hive, I would prefer having my hives within two or three 
inches of the ground. As it is, I usually set them from six 
to twelve inches up, and lean a short board from the ground 
to the entrance of the hive, that bees may crawl up when 
they cannot fly. Hives placed near the ground if upset 
from any cause are less likely to be injured, as Bunyan says: 
“Ke that is down need fear no fall.” 
THE STAND. 
For a stand for a hive lay down two pieces of scantling. 
If it is desired to have it higher lay two others across these ; 
lay a short board on these. If any one wishes to expend 
something more on a stand they can make one more beau- 
tiful but I doubt if it be any better. 
A good cheap stand for a box hive is made by using a 
board as wide as the hive, and cut long enough to extend six 
or eight inches in front for an alighting board for the bees. 
Nail down through this into strips two or three inches thick 
to keep the board from warping, and to raise it off the ground 
where no stand is used. 
