Book 1%. xv. 6 lo 



honey-combs are also found ; for even if they hve in 7 

 harmony together, each community keeps to its 

 own manner of shaping and constructing its waxen 

 cells. All the combs, however, always hang down 

 from the roofs of the hives, adhering very little to 

 the sides and in such a way as not to touch the 

 bottom, thus leaving a passage for the swarms. But 8 

 the shape of the wax cells depends on the nature of 

 the bee-house ; for square and round and also long 

 dimensions impose their own shapes upon the honey- 

 combs as if they were moulds, and that is why the 

 honey-combs are not always found to be of the same 

 shape. But of whatever kind they are, they should 

 not all be removed ; for at the first harvesting of 

 honey, when the country still provides plenty of 

 food, one-fifth of the honey-combs must be left ; at 

 the later harvesting, when the winter is already 

 causing apprehension, a third part should be left. 

 This, however, is not a fixed rule for all districts, since 9 

 plans for the bees must be dependent on the abund- 

 ance of flowers and the I'ichness of the food available. 

 If the hanging waxen cells run into length, the combs 

 must be cut with the iron tool which resembles a 

 knife and must be received by putting your two arms 

 underneath them, and so removed ; but if they run 

 horizontally and keep close to the roofs of the hives, 

 then you must use the scraping instrument, so that 

 they may be cut down by the pressure exerted on 

 the side which faces you. But old and defective 10 

 honey-combs ought to be removed, and those 

 which are soundest and full of honey should be 

 left, as also those which contain young bees, so 

 that they may be preserved for propagating a 

 swarm. 



499 



