14

12 CHAPMAN'S HANDY-BOOK

their was back to it. Third--If the hive is placed towards
the setting sun the bees leave their hive later in the
morning, when the dew is off the flowers, and thus escape
the destruction which attend the early workers. It is
quite true that at certain seasons, when food is scarce or
the weather stormy, bees arrive late in the evening; this is
another reason why the opening to the hive should be
towards the setting sun. This will be as true in New
Zealand as in England. Your own dwelling house should
face the north-east and the beehive should face the north-
west, but of course different localities willmodify this a
little.
Bee-houses.
The "Times Bee Master" (Dr. Cumming), and all practical
bee keepers, object to the bee house. Mr. Jesse says, I have
a dislike to bee houses. We believe they serve to harbour
and breed vermin. Mr. Cotton says, some of you do not fancy
wooden boxes, because you say the bees do not like them.
Now, I would ask whether wild bees live in wooden trees
or in trusses of straw? They choose wood, and wooden
boxes, if thick enough, are warmer in winter, cooler in
summer, freer from insects, and more handy than straw
hives - for ventilation and side room, have three boxes,
swarm the bees into the middle box and if never afterwards
disturbed, there the queen lays her eggs, there the nurse
bees do their work, there they lay up honey, the side
boxes are barns where they lay up spare honey for you,
and which you may take as fast as they are filled - there
is a slide at the top and bottom of the middle box working
from the front, which opens or cuts off the way from the
centre box to the sides; always keep one of the side boxes
empty, as soon as the one on the right hand gets pretty
full of honey, to prevent the bees from swarming, pull out
the slide and let the bees into the left hand box - as soon
as they have taken to this new barn carry off the full one,
empty it and place it back again to be used as soon as the
left hand one gets full, the boxes must be about eleven
inches on the inside by nine inches high, but always
remember the size is of little consequence, as a Polish hive
is five feet high. The hives must be sheltered from the