loo A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING. 



withdrawn and pegged as at the union, and the doorway 

 of the central box closed once more. 



"The colony may now be said to be fairly under 

 weigh, and should favourable honey-gathering weather 

 continue, a second honey-box may be placed on the first, 

 and all the slides of the first super withdrawn. To 

 induce the Bees all the more readily to take to the 

 supers, I have found it a considerable advantage to run 

 a strip of gummed paper round the juncture of the stock 

 with the super, as well as with it and succeeding ones. 

 Should it be taken to, or if honey be plentiful, a second 

 slide on either side of the top box may be withdrawn at 

 first, either partially or wholly. This is a nice operation, 

 dependent on the flow of honey ; and the Bee-master 

 must exercise his own discretion, so as, if possible, to 

 prevent the incursions of her majesty into the super. 

 The plan of admitting only the honey-gatherers of the 

 end combs to the supers, to the exclusion of the Queen, 

 the Nurses, and the pollen collectors of the centre, is a 

 most ingenious, original, and, indeed, one of the most 

 valuable features of the Stewarton system. A third and 

 other supers may still be called for, and the additional 

 super accommodation afforded, always uppermost ; and, 

 in exceptional cases, even additional breeding space, by 

 nadiring at the bottom, may be requisite, although a 

 strong colony was lately wrought with but eighteen 

 inches breeding space, while fiUing seven honey-boxes, 

 or supers, in various stages of progress. To get Bees to 

 take to supers at first, and to work in them steadily 

 through the vicissitudes of temperature, it is indispen- 

 sible that they be well wrapped up with some warm 

 woollen stuff. I generally employ old crumb cloths for 

 this purpose, four plies thick ; and need I add that the 

 Stewarton hive being formed of wood but 5-8ths of an 



