Bees & bee-keeping: scientific and practical (Volume 2)

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1888. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... THE PRODUCTION OF HONEY. Honey: Where Stored Naturally--The Advantages of Supering--Large Supers v. Sections--Glass Supers: to Fix Combs in--Telescopic Supers--Clearing Bees from Supers--Bar Supers -- Divisional Supers-- Dovetail Sections--Folding Sections--Cutting and Fixing Foundation--Lee's Sections--Section Crates --Separators--Divided Crates--Brace Combs--Invertible Crates--The Principles Involved in Extraction-- Uncapping--How to Secure Comb Honey--The Application of the Extractor--The Size of the Broodnest--Methods of Supering--Treatment of Swarms for Honey Production--Foundation in Section: Reasons for and against--Transferring Comb to Sections. Bee-keeping, which has been gracefully called the poetry of agriculture, has an intensely prosaic side; it is the question of food and money, and this now most directly must occupy our attention, while we seek the guidance of general principles. The bee stores its tempting sweets at the parts of its habitation least accessible to an enemy, and where, during the grip of winter, the vital heat of the colony should keep the edge of the store sufficiently warm to permit of its being consumed as occasion may require; we find, therefore, that the brood-nest is kept naturally near to the entrance, while the honey lies above, behind, and at the sides. Wild bees, seeking out such hollows as may best suit them, are forced to accommodate themselves to the varying forms of the cavities in which they build. Sometimes, their combs are of necessity stretched out in great plates, few in number; at others, they are numerous because individually small; but the general principles indicated with regard to the position of the honey always assert themselves. We must also observe that combs are built readily downwards, but lat...