THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND. 
13 
prevailing winds, and yet not blocked np in front by bigli 
trees or buildings, open to the sun in tbe morning, and 
yet so constructed as to screen tbe hives from its direct 
rays at midday, this may be done by an overhanging roof, 
which will also keep the drippings of rain from the hives ; 
every one may use his taste in the form of his bee-house, 
this is of no consequence if the hives be only screened from 
the sun and sheltered from the wind; and yet I think a 
shed open in front, so that the air may circulate freely 
about the hives and keep away damp, with room enough 
for one or more persons to pass along at the back ol the 
hives, and look into any which may have windows or 
glasses on the top, is as good a form as can be; it is not, 
indeed, at all necessary to have any house at first, the 
single hive, with which a settler begins his bee keeping, 
may stand on a stool in some sheltered nook of his garden 
within sight of his door, and when not his single hive 
alone, but a goodly row of off-shoots is seen in his garden, 
when the owner of them finds bee keeping a pleasant and 
profitable employment, he may then think of putting up a 
permanent shed for his favourites. 
It is recommended that the first swarm you get should 
come from a distance, even miles away, the farther the 
better, as they appear to thrive better than when got from 
a neighbour. Having described the bee-house and the 
position of the bee-hives, we come now to tell 
How to get a Swarm conveyed to a distance. 
The plan recommended by Mr. Cotton is, get a swarm 
from a friend early in the season, that is in October 
or November, in order that your stock may be well 
established before the swarming season is over (the 
end of February), by which time you ought to have 
several hives in your bee-house, for if you begin beo 
keeping later in the year, and your single stock meets 
with an accident in the winter, you may perchance get 
discouraged at having to begin again. In buying or getting 
from a friend, upon no account take an old swarm, if the 
comb is not white reject it; notice that the first year the 
comb is white, the second it is brown, and the third year it 
