72 PRACTICAL BEE-KBEPDIG. 



Where the honey season is short, but abundant, the harvest obtained, 

 by the extractor is immensely greater than that which supers can supply. 

 Where the extractor is used the following plan works admirably : 

 From a stock take out all the beea (see Artificial Swarming, p. 45), 

 placing the swarm on the old stand, and putting the driven hive as 

 a super over another strong stock. As the beea hatch out, the enormous 

 working population, the progeny of two queens, will carry astounding 

 weights of honey, which they will store in the upper hive. Using the 

 extractor every four or five days will very generally prevent swarming, 

 which will be still less likely if the queen be one of the current year. 

 When the honey season flags the hives may be separated, dividing the 

 broo.d between them, and giving a queen from a nucleus (see Chapter X.) 

 to the queenless part. 



The process of running honey, as usually performed, is rather a tedious 

 one, but where there is an extractor or smielatore the housewife will be 

 saved much labour, since super combs, as well as those from hives, can 

 be better cleared by its means than by any other. Some gelatinous 

 heather honey forms an exception. Failing the extractor, the combs 

 must be assorted and all traces of brood cut out (which, by the way, if 

 worker, should be promptly, after removal, placed over some hive held 

 perpendicularly and at ^in. apart by little wooden uprights, and covered 

 up warmly under a super, when it wiU be tended until hatched, strength- 

 ening the hive and rendering the work of obtaining wax from the comb 

 the easier). Returning to our honey, the cells are sliced through and 

 draining commenced in hair sieves, colanders, or on strained canvas. 

 In three or four days, the operation being facilitated by a warm atmo- 

 phere, and the combs turned occasionally, most of the honey will be 

 secured, but not without much waste. 



By pressing the pure combs into a big jar, and raising all slowly to 

 a temperature above that of melting wax, when it can be run through 

 canvas and left to cool, the honey scarcely suffers at all in quality, less 

 of it is lost, and much time is saved. The wax now removed, the honey 

 is ready for filling into glasses, which should be securely tied over. 



If ivferior comb be treated in this manner, the dispersion of the pollen 

 wiU render the honey turbid, but by placing the latter in a covered vessel 

 in a quiet corner in the kitchen for a few months, the pollen will settle. 

 The honey, now clear and bright, although probably of a dark colour, 

 may be drawn off by a siphon until the sediment is reached, but care 

 must be taken that the leg of the siphon does not dip deeply, or cloudi- 

 ness will be the result. Give waste of all kinds (taking care that no 

 robbing is induced) to the bees, who wiU clarify, filter, and store as they 

 alone can.* 



* Waste may te used in tlie maldBg of vinegar, said to be of excellent quality, by 

 washing witb as little water as conveniently practicable, the broken combs after 



