78 AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF AN 



ing force by swarming, we could not have 

 harvested for them what we did. We had 

 filled and capped six supers of thirty-two 

 sections each, which made one hundred and 

 ninety-two pounds in one-pound sections. 

 This, I overheard them say, was doing first 

 rate, but have since learned that, although 

 this quantity is above an average yield of 

 one colony, even when Italian Bees are 

 manipulated by experts, there are many lo- 

 calities where the climate and flora permit 

 of colonies securing more, and considerably 

 more if they are regulated for the produc- 

 tion of extracted honey, in which case we 

 are suffered to spend no time, nor waste any 

 nectar, in secreting wax, except the very 

 small quantity utilized in capping honey. 

 For, when extracted instead of comb honey 

 is the object, previously built combs are 

 continuously furnished us, and all we have 

 to do is to store and seal our product. Our 

 combs are then removed, the capping shaved 

 off with a specially shaped knife which has 

 been dipped in hot water, the frames set 



