CHAPTER IX 

 PRODUCTION OF COMB HONEY. 



The successful production of comb honey requires more skill, 

 perhaps, than any other branch of agricultural pursuit. Under 

 certain favorable conditions it is a very easy matter and anyone 

 who will supply sufficient supers will get a good crop. Such 

 conditions, however, are of rare occurrence and the average season 

 in the average locality gives abundant opportunity to develop the 

 resources of the producer to the utmost. 



The man who specializes in comb honey will usually produce 

 small quantities of extracted honey also, while the extracted 

 honey producer will have no occasion to produce sections, unless 

 he especially wishes to have some of both. 



As to whether one should specialize in comb or extracted 

 honey will depend upon many things. The skill of the operator 

 is an important consideration, as extracted honey does not require 

 as careful attention to details as the production of comb honey. 

 The amount of the crop, source from which it comes, and the 

 market which is available, all should be taken into consideration. 

 Comb honey as a rule commands a more ready sale and does not 

 require the expensive machinery necessary to satisfactory pro- 

 duction of the extracted product. 



One of the most important factors is the nature of the honey 

 flow. If one lives in a region where the flows are long and very 

 light, it is difficult to get well-finished sections, and extracted 

 honey will nearly always prove more profitable. If, on the other 

 hand, the flows are short and very rapid, so that honey is piled 

 up so fast as to make the bees fairly dizzy with the excitement of 

 it, sections will be nicely finished and a large part of the crop 

 can be made to grade fancy or number one. Under circumstances 

 of this kind sufficient wax is secreted to build the combs with little 

 noticeable tax on the production, and comb honey will probably 

 be more profitable. 

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