orchard offers, then a trellis of vines extending east and west, eight feet high, may shade a few hives, and may be a thing of beauty in the garden as well. Grape vines, hops, Virginia creeper, or any other rapidly growing vines will do. To the one who loves his garden, there will be many ways suggested whereby the hives may be placed to compass both comfort for the bees and joy to the beholder. We started an apiary at the north of the lilac trees, and made it a part of the lawn.
If no such happy position for natural shade is to be found for the hives, then one must have recourse to artificial shade or double-walled hives. A very good method of shading, much in vogue among the farmers of our country, consists of a few boards placed awning-fashion above the row of hives. This is not an attractive solution to the problem, although perhaps it might be made so if this method were ever resorted to by anyone with a sense of beauty; but usually it is limited to a simple cover consisting of two or three boards nailed together, slanting a little toward the back of the hives to shed rain, supported by four posts, which hold it a foot or more above the row of hives.
In California instead of boards a thatched roof is made for this sort of protection, and is ample enough to allow an aisle for the apiarist between the rows of hives set back to back.
Many people use a single shade board, which consists of slats fastened together by cleats made large enough to project a foot beyond the hive on
