COMB HONEY. 443 



works out the plan. ' ' — G. M. Doolittle, * * Gleanings, ' ' page 

 171. 1886. 



We have shown (238) that bees propolize eveiy crack, and 

 daub with this yellowish or bro"wnish glue every thing inside 

 of their hive. This is very hard to clean, and it can never 

 be removed sufficiently to restore to the sections their original 

 whiteness. 



**A11 four sides of the sections are scraped clean of propolis, 

 and the edges as well. It is not a difficult job for a careful 

 hand, but a very disagreeable one. The fine dust of the bee- 

 glue is very unpleasant to breathe. A scraper should be a 

 careful person, or in ten minutes' time he will do more dam- 

 age than his day's work is worth. Even a careful person seems 

 to need to spoil at least one section, before taking the care 

 necessary to avoid injuring others. But when the knife makes 

 an ugly gash in the face of a beautiful white section of honey, 

 that settles it that care will be taken afterward. ' ' — Dr. C. C. 

 Miller: *'A Year Among the Bees." 



To prevent propolizing, the sections should be fitted tightly 

 together, and as little of their outside as possible exposed to 

 the bees. The honey should be removed promptly, when 

 sealed, before the bees have time to do much glumg. 



Xot only is it necessary that the sections should be removed 

 early after they are filled, on account of the propolis brought bj' 

 the bees, but it is also useful to remove the other contrivances 

 employed, such as excluding honey -boards, separators or fences, 

 so they may not be so daubed with the sticky substance as to 

 become useless. Besides, in the present condition of progres- 

 sive bee-culture and close competition, it is necessary to have 

 honey which does not show any travel stains from the bees 

 and the whitest honey is often soiled in appearance by the 

 travel of the bees over it. An experienced eye will easily de- 

 tect combs which have been left on the hive too long and have 

 become travel-stained. 



735. 6th. Securing sealed comb honey. For this pur- 

 pose no more cases should be given than the bees are likely 



