SCIIflyeS EONET. 189 



CHAPTER XXII. 



SURPLUS HONEY. 



455. Preparing in Time The honey flow (265), in this 



country, lasts for only a few weeks. To take full advantage 

 of it, and to secure a harvest as large as possible, the bee- 

 keeper should bring his stocks -up to their full strength by 

 stimulating breeding (192), and spreading the brood (193), 

 right up to the opening of the flow, and by uniting all weak 

 stocks (244). He should also have for every hive a supply of 

 crates (103) fitted with sections of foundation, or drawn comb ; 

 or a supply of super boxes (108) fitted with frames of wired 

 foundation, or of drawn comb — crates, if he means to work 

 for comb honey; super boxes, if for run, or extracted honey. 

 The crates, or super boxes, should be prepared, wrapped in 

 paper, and laid aside in a safe place well ahead of the opening 

 of the season. It is an expensive habit to defer the prepara- 

 tion of such appliances until they are actually required. 



256. Extracted Honey more Profitable than Comb Honey 



Whether he shall work for comb honey, for extracted honey, 

 or for both, each bee-keeper must decide for himself; and 

 his decision should be made sufficiently early to enable him 

 to make his arrangements accordingly. As between the two — 

 section, and extracted honey — the question of profit can be 

 answered only in favour of the latter. The output of extracted 

 honey, where strong stocks are employed, is greater by from 

 So% to ioo% than that of comb honey : the expenses are less, 

 the same combs serving for many years : the marketing is 

 simpler and cheaper, freights being lower, and breakages 

 infrequent : " depreciation " and risks are reduced to a mini- 

 mum : and the management of the stocks is simplified, tlierp 

 being fewer swarms (266), and, accordingly, less upsetting of 

 the bee-man's arrangements. If there be any extra trouble 

 in dealing with extracted honey ; there is less trouble in dealing 

 with the bees. If it be an objection that extracted honey 

 fetches a lower price ; there is the compensation that one has 

 about double the quantity to sell, and at a lower cost of pro- 

 duction. If the initial cost of an extracting outfit (134-136) 

 be 9 discouragement ; the yearly saving in the cost of sections 



