17 



ture does not vary greatly. Honey gathered during a hot, dry 

 season keeps much longer than if gathered during damp or cool 

 weather. All pure honey will become solid in time if kept at a 

 low temperature. I am quite certain that in a temperature that 

 varies greatly from cold to heat, granulation takes place almost 

 as quickly as in a room which is cold all the time. The room 

 should be a reasonably clean one and one in which no bad odors 

 are present. It should be so piled that dust and flies cannot 

 get to it. 



When honey is sold, if to dealers, they should be instructed 

 as to its care. As a rule the consumer buys in such small quan- 

 tities that it is used before much harm can come to it. 



It is important however that the consumer does not place 

 honey in the cellar for many days before it is used, because 

 honey that has been kept in perfect condition may lose much 

 of its rich flavor even by a few days in such places. Keep 

 warm and dry until ready for use. A kitchen cupboard, if not 

 too near the range, is all right. By placing the honey in the 

 refrigerator a few hours before using, it is improved for most 

 people. 



Removing Honey From the Hive 



When one only keeps a few colonies, it is a good plan to leave 

 the surplus honey on the hives until the close of the season. 

 If a completed super is taken off and an empty, one put in its 

 place, the bees seem to resent it and do not readily enter the 

 empty one. By raising the nearly completed super and placing 

 the empty one under it, work begins without delay and con- 

 tinues in both supers. In a good season, if too many supers 

 have to be added, the top ones may be removed. 



To remove the supers, lift of?, put an escape board under- 

 ineath and put supers back in place. In twenty-four to thirty- 



Fig. 214. — ^Doolittle divisionJboard 

 ^^A^y. t„ ho hiiTup- in nlace of frames 



