SURPLUS HONEY. X33 



CHAPTER XXII. 

 SURPLUS HONEY. 



255. 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 lione.y. 

 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 tlian 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 arrang-ements 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 100% 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, there 

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

 the bee-man's arrangements. If there bo 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 a discouragement; the yearly saving in the cost of sections 



