TAKING HONEY ANB WAX. 



185 



CHAPTEE XXXVII. 



ON TAKING HONEY AND WAX. 



"When we lived in Oxfordshire, we were pleased to find 

 tiie cottagers there could sell their honey in the hives. 

 Certain honey - factors came round 

 every autumn, and bought honey- 

 hives at sixpence per lb. gross weight, 

 after the bees had been killed by 

 brimstone. "We then thought, and 

 think still, that the cottagers got 

 a fair price for their honey, and 

 doubtless the factors got a fair mar- 

 gin of profit. 



It is not difficult to know pretty 

 accurately how much honey is in a 

 hive before the bees are removed 

 from it. Here is an illustration 

 of a German steelyard, which is a 

 handy instrument for weighing hives. 

 The dial or plate is figured on both 

 sides — one side for the large central 

 hook and ring, numbering from 1 lb. 

 up to 200 lb. The other side indi- 

 catiag from 1 lb. to 40 lb. only, is 

 used when the hive is lifted by the ^W ^"'""'" ^^"'r'"-'^- 

 small hook and ring seen on the left-hand side. 



