BXHIBITINO AND JUDQING BEK PRODUCTS. 



213 



completely sealed. Sections 2* wide and so filled and com- 

 pleted will weig-h 18 oz. or 19 oz. gross, including the wood, 

 or 17 oz. or 18 oz. net. The wood of a section weighs i oz. ; 

 therefore, a section of honey which does not turn the scales at 

 17 oz. is not entitled to full marks for weight, and is, accord- 

 ingly, unsuitable for competition. Bulging, or any uneven- 

 ness, of the comb is a fault which must be excluded from the 

 show bench; the surface of the comb should be quite flat 

 corresponding with the cut-away sides of bee-way sections, or 

 in the case of no-bee-way sections, about J" short of the edges 

 of the wood on both sides. " Travel stain," which is the 

 result of leaving sections too long in the hive, detracts from 

 the appearance and sacrifices marks in competition. Propolis 

 on the wood must be removed. Punctured cappings (394) are 

 to be avoided ; they are generally the result of a defective 

 method of clearing the bees from supers, — much smoke, or 

 excessive use of' carbolic or other intimidating medium, having 

 the effect of driving the bees to gorge at the cells, and thus the 

 appearance of the contents is injured and their value reduced : 

 this defect may be obviated by the proper use of super cle'arers 

 (274, 2T5, 394). " Weeping " describes the condition of a comb 

 that has been stored in a cold, damp place, the honey, with its 

 absorbed moisture, exuding through the cappings in minute 

 drops (302) ; to state the cause is to describe the necessary pre- 

 cautions to be taken; no weeping sections have any chance 

 with a moderately competent judge (303). 



398. Preparing Exhibition Sections. — Having made your 

 selection, prepare the sections for display on the show bench 

 (303). With a cabinetmaker's scraper, a piece of glass, or a 

 blunt penknife, scrape the wood of the sections thoroughly, 



avoiding any injury to 

 the comb, and finish 

 off with fine sand- 

 paper. No matter what 

 covering or ornament- 

 ation it is intended to 

 subsequently employ, 

 this cleaning of the 

 wood should invariably 

 be attended to because 

 it is right and seemly 

 in itself, and because 

 for it. The sections 

 (304), neatness, taste, 

 being essential 



rig. 11?. 

 QLAZED KXHIBITION CASE. 



any experienced judge will look 



may then be glazed, as described 



and the most scrupulous cleanliness 



here : the overlap of paper, or of lace paper, should not exceed 



