AT $1.00 PER ANNUM. 



PUBLISHED EVERY WEEK 



37tlx Year. 



CHICAaO, ILL., JANUARY 14, 1897. 



No. 2. 



Production of Comb Honey vs. Extracted. 



nV R. C. AIKIN. 



The question of how much more extracted than comb 

 honey can be produced, remains unsettled. SVe have for years 

 been taught, aud have generally accepted as true, that two 

 pounds of extracted can be produced where but one of comb 

 can be. I have not believed this statement, and do not yet 

 think it proven. Many good apiarists — and who would not 

 knowingly represent an untruth — have asserted that they can 

 get double, and even more, of extracted over that of comb. In 

 order to show that there are some mistakes made in the esti- 

 mates, and to stimulate those so inclined to make more defi- 

 uite experiments, I write this article. 



It is now over 20 years that I have been producing honey. 

 I think, without exception, there has not been a year that I 

 Iiave not produced both comb honey and extracted, and in the 

 same apiary. Without any very close estimates I had always 

 thought I could get from 3 of comb to -Jt of extracted, to 2 of 

 the former to 3 of the latter. The last few years, however, I 

 have put the ratio at about 3 to 4 as more nearly correct, tho 

 this ratio would not apply at all times and in all localities ; 

 but in a series of years in most locations it would be more 

 nearly right than the higher ratio. 



It has always been my practice to keep strmiij colonics for 

 honey-qalherinri, the strength being maintained by discourag- 

 ing or preventing swarming, and by doubling. 



The general factors governing in the matter are strength 

 of colony, rapidity of flow and temperature. 



ILLUSTRATIONS FOR COMPARISON. 



1st, a weak colony. The flow slow and the temperature 

 low would confine the colony to the brood-chamber almost ex- 

 clusively. Raise the temperature and still they would be loth 

 to leave the brood-chamber. Increase the temperature and 

 flow both, and they would do fair to good super work, either 

 for comb or extracted. A good flow and low temperature 

 would give some honey in extracting-combs, and but little or 

 none in sections ; but the colony with sections would pocfc Hic 

 bmoil-chnmbcr more solidly than the one having the extract- 

 Ing-combs. 



'2nd, a strong colony. Flow slow and temperature low 

 would pack the brood-co-nbs and put some, possibly, in the 

 extracting-combs. Flow slow and temperature high would be 

 apt to \)ut ncnrly all honey in the extracting-combs, and pos- 

 sibly a little in the sections. Flow good and temperature 

 high would rapidly fill the extracting-supers and sections, 

 both ; and if unlimited room in both, nearly all the honey 

 would go into the extracting-combs, while the comb-honey 

 colony would pack the brood-combs and put the balance in 

 the sections. Flow good and temperature low would fill the 

 brood-combs well and do good work in the extracting-combs, 

 and fair in the sections. 



Now while the weak colony cannot build comb with the 

 temperature low, they can and do pack the brood-chamber 

 solid. If sections were on they would not work them, because 

 they caunot ; but the same colony having extracting-combs 

 would put some in them near the brood-nest. A rapid flow 

 and temperature high enough so they can build comb rapidly, 

 or go to any part of the hive, the comb-honey colony will put 

 all they can in the brood-combs, and work a corner or end of 

 a super of sections ; but if it had extracting-combs it would 

 put the honey mainly above and the brood below. 



If one keeps only weak colonies he may expect the per 

 cent, of extracted to be much above that of comb honey ; but 

 if good to strong colonies, they can preserve heat enough to 

 build comb most of the time. The colony that has to build 

 comb to receive tho honey as it comes in will almost always 

 pack the brood-chamber : but, on the other hand, if they have 

 combs ready-built they will — when given unlimited room — put 

 nearly all the honey above and fill the brood-combs with brood 

 and pollen. 



If the honey-flow be in the summer — basswood or clover — 

 the weather will nearly always be warm enough for comb- 

 building, hence strong colonies at such times will gather 

 about as much when run for comb as for extracted. I admit 

 there will not be as much in the sections as in extracting- 

 combs ; but right here is where nearly all are at fault in 

 their estimates. Only the honey in the super is counted, yet 

 the comb-honey colony has usually from 10 to 20 pounds more 

 honey in the brood-combs than has the other. The more room 

 with full sets of extracting-combs, the more the super will get 

 the honey to the disadvantage of the brood-chamber. The 

 stronger the colony and the warmer the weather, the more 

 the tendency to store in the extras and leave the brood-combs 

 light. If the weather be so cool as to interfere with wax-work 

 and still have a good flow, the ready-built store-combs give 

 the colony quite an advantage over the one that has to build, 

 heuce in such case the extracted-honey colony would do much 

 the best. I think right here is where my experience has been 

 so different from that of others. It lies in two facts : I keep 

 strong colonies — stronger than tho average apiarist — and my 

 honey season has been in the midsummer when the weather 

 was hot. My basis of calculation has been hot weather and 

 strong colonies. 



While at the Lincoln convention I learned from the 

 Nebraska people that their flow comes in the fall, with gen- 

 erally cool weather, and especially cool nights. These cool 

 days and nights would make it difficult to build comb, yet the 

 secretion of nectar went on and the daytime was warm enough 

 to let the bees gather. I remember a little experience in Iowa 

 on that line, when the cold at night drove the bees from the 

 sections or stopped work in them. 



There is also another condition that favors a larger yield 

 of extracted honey, and that is when the How comes very 

 siiddcnlii, and to some extent when it continues very freely. 

 An abrupt flow that would till the brood-combs in two or three 

 days before wax-secretion gets fully started, would result in 

 loss because there would be no place to store ; but I have 

 never but once had such experience. That one time filled the 

 brood-combs and 10 drawn sections, and the foundation in the 

 other sections was being workt, and new wax beginning to be 

 added. It is clear that in this case the ready-built combs was 

 again. It is now conceded by many that unfinisht sections 

 are good property. I consider them valuable to use even if 

 the honey in them were to be extracted. There are times 

 when the flow is abrupt and free, that they would be of ser- 



