When we had many bees we placed a rough board over the ground in the immediate front of the hive; when we had only a few swarms, it was one of our joys to get on our knees on cold days, when only a few adventurous workers were going into the field, and with shears cut the grass close to the ground; and this period spent on our knees was not penance, but joy. However, it might well get to be penance in a large apiary.
Having found the place for the apiary, the next thought is of hive stands. Many bee-keepers use a hive that has a combination bottom board and hive stand; this has an inclined plane up which the loaded bees may climb if they strike the ground. This is a device which also saves the lives of many bees in cool weather, when they would scarcely be able, through numbness, to reach the entrance of the hive otherwise. However, there are other bee stands which hold two or three hives, which are very comfortable in height for the work of the bee-keeper. But it is always well to remember that the opening of a hive should be low down, as it is easier for the weary wings to let the honey-weighted bee down than to lift her up to the doorway. We use a simple platform, with blocks under the corners, so that there may be circulation of air beneath, and extending about a foot out in front of the hive, thus serving as an alighting board.
The arrangement of the hives in the apiary is a subject which will pay for thought. When beginning, this is easy enough, as they may be arranged
