HONEY. 347 



hives during the height of the gathering season, abound in 

 moisture, and this no doubt furnishes the bees, for the most 

 part, with the water they Uien need. 



Honey, when stored in a pint tumbler, just large enough 

 to receive one comb, has a most beautiful appearance, and 

 may be easily taken out whole, and placed in an elegant 

 shape upon the table. The expense of such glass vessels 

 is one objection to their use ; the ease with which they part 

 with their heat, another, and a more serious objection still, is 

 the fact that the shallow cells, so many of which must be 

 made in a round vessel, require as large a consumption of 

 honey for their wax covers, as those which hold more than 

 twice their quantity of honey. 



I prefer rectangular boxes made of pasteboard, to any 

 other : they are neat, warm and cheap ; and if a small 

 piece of glass is pasted in one of their ends, the Apiarian 

 can always see when they are full. When the honey is 

 taken from the bees, the box has its cover put on, and is 

 pasted tight, so as to exclude air and insects. In this form, 

 honey may be packed, and sent to market very convenient- 

 ly : and when the boxes are opened, the purchaser can al- 

 ways see the quality of the article which he buys. The 

 box in which these small boxes of honey are packed in 

 order to be sent to market, should be furnished with rope 

 handles, so that it can be easily lifted, without the least jar- 

 ring. Honey should be handled with just as much care as 

 glass. A box, four inches wide, will admit of two combs, 

 and if small pieces of comb are put in the top, the bees 

 will build them, of* the proper dimensions, and will thus 

 make them too large for brood combs, and of the best size 

 to contain their surplus honey. The use of my hives ena- 

 bles the Apiarian to get access to all the comb which he 

 needs for such purposes, and he will find it to his interest. 



