lo Jan., 1911-] Tlie Production of Comb-Honey. 2 n 



Much of the section honey which tinds its way on to the market now is 

 produced by bee-keepers in a small way; and in appearance leaves much 

 room for improvement. 



As alreadv stated, consideralile skill is required to produce good comb- 

 honey which, judging by the sections seen in sliop-windows, and even at 

 shows, is usually absent. Much of the faulty appearance, however, as 

 well as most of the damage comb-honey suffers in transit on the railways, 

 is due to false economy on the part of the producer, who provides the 

 section boxes with only a small starter of foundation as shown in the 

 first .section of the top row- in the illustration. This section stands on one 

 supplied with a full sheet of the thinnest foundation (12 to 13 square feet 

 to the lb.) and a bottom starter. 



The progress of the work of the bees may be seen in the second and 

 third pair of bo.xes. The third one of the top row, althotigh almost ready 

 for sealing by the bees, is not fastened to the bottom of the .section; while, 

 in the lower tier, the comb is already fastened to the wood all round in 

 No. 2 and completely fills the box in No. 3. 



Apart from the quality of the produce, which would be the same in 

 either case, there are two things to be considered in section honey, viz., 

 appearance and weight. A section built from a starter will be partly 

 sealed before comb-building is finished, and the cai)pings will often loose 

 their \irgin whiteness before the sections are ready for removal from the 

 hive. Drone comb is also usually resorted to by the bees; and the 

 finished section has not an even surface, nor is it fastened to the wood all- 

 round, and whatever spaces are left open increase the liability to break 

 down in transit and to deduct from the weight. 



When a section is built from a full sheet of the thinnest foundation 

 and bottom starter the bees first of all join sheet and starter, as in No. 2 

 of the bottom tier. They then raise the comb simultaneously o\'er the 

 whole face and seal or cap it all over at one time, so that, when ready 

 for removal, the capping is snow-white, the section full weight (15 to 16 

 oz.), and being a solid block of comb completely filling the box will not 

 break down and leak in transit. 



It is, however, important that only the- thinnest sur])lus founchition 

 .should be used, as stout foundation is objectionable when eating the 

 comb. It should not be less than 12 square feet to the i lb. This grade 

 costs 2S. 8d. per i lb. which will cut 100 full sheets and bottom .starters, 

 or 400 top starters as shown in first .section of the top tier. The cost per 

 dozen for foundation would thus be 46.. for full sheets and id. for top 

 starters ; but as well-filled snow-white sections, such as can onlv be ob- 

 tained from full sheets, are worth from is. to 2s. per elozen more, there 

 is an actual gain of is. to is. pd. per dozen in using full sheets and 

 bottom starters. 



There is yet another advantage in tlie use of full sheets ; that is, 

 brood and pollen are not .so likely to find their way into the .section Iwxes. 

 When the brood-chamber consists, as it should do, of worker-comb, bees 

 will oft<-n build drone-comb and raise drones in the .section boxes, when 

 given the opportunity afforded by the u.se of small .starters. 



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