and its Economic Management. 209 



CHAPTER XXII. 



MANAGEMENT FOR HEATHER 

 HONEY. 



HAVING had considerable experience in former years, 

 between 1870 arid 1880, in sending my bees every 

 autumn to extensive heath-lands, the information placed 

 before my readers in this chapter will doubtless prove of 

 considerable value. Hitherto no work has given special 

 treatment for the production of heather honey]; and yet it is a 

 subject of the first importance to hundreds of bee-keepers, 

 nearly all of whom wish for some better method than they . 

 have had for making the most of this late harvest. 



Late in the season bees must be close to, or in the midst 

 of, the crop they are to gather from, and in the case of heather 

 large quantities of honey can be, and often are, secured ; but 

 in very many c^ses the stock combs receive, and are totally 

 blocked up with, what the ^.piarist desires to get stored in the 

 sections. 



Heather honey being so thick, it is quite impossible to 

 extract it unless removed as fast as gathered, and this|is not 

 desirable. It is usual for bees to crowd the stock combs late- 

 in the season, as many find to their cost ; but why is it so ? 

 It is not that the nights are cooler, as frequently the tempera- 

 ture at night is much higher in August than during May, when 



