best," says Wildman, "to place the mouth of
the hives to the west in spring, care being taken that they have the
afternoon sun; the morning sun is extremely dangerous during the colder
months, when its glare often tempts these industrious insects out to
their ruin; whereas the mouth of the hive being then in the shade, the
bees remain at home; and as clouds generally obscure the afternoon's sun
at that season, the bees escape the temptation of going out. When food
is to be obtained, the warmth of the air continues round the hive in
the afternoon, which enables the bees to pursue their labours without
danger.

A valley is a better situation for an apiary than a hill, being more
convenient to the bees returning home with their loads; and, besides,
bees are not so apt to fly away when swarming as when on a hill: but
when swarms take a distant flight, they generally fly against the wind,
so that the stragglers of the swarms may better hear the direction of
the course taken by their fellow emigrants.

I recommend a hard gravel terrace for the hives to be placed upon, as
being drier both in summer and winter for the bee-master to walk upon,
when inspecting his bees, and also as less likely to afford shelter for
ants or other enemies to bees; and, besides, it is better for the bees,
which when much fatigued by their journeys, or benumbed by the cold, are
apt to fall around the hives, and would recover more quickly from the
warmth of the dry ground than if they had alighted on damp grass.

The hives should not be placed where water from the eaves of houses,
from hedges, or trees, drop upon them; but they should be near the
mansion house for the convenience of watching the bees, &c.

A small stream of water running near the hives is thought to be of
advantage, especially in dry seasons, with gently declining banks,
in order that the bees may have safe access to it.

Heaths, or places abounding in wild flowers, constitute the best
neighbourhood for an apiary, and in default of this pasturage, there
should be gardens where flowers are cultivated, and fields in which
buck-wheat, clover, or sainfoin, is sown.

But cultivating small gardens of flowers for bees is useless, except a
few early flowers near the hives for the bees to collect some pollen for
the brood, such as the common kinds of crocus, white alyssum, single
blue hepaticas, helleborus niger, and tussilago petasites, all of which
flower early; but should any of the