MANAGEMENT OF SUPERS. 27 



of wood must be prepared of the proper size to close all 

 open or uncovered spaces. All being in readiness, and not 

 forgetting the smoker, veil, or oil of wintergreen, a puff of 

 smoke is given as before, and the operator, standing so that 

 the frame-ends run towards him, removes the quilt, and 

 before the bees have made up their minds what steps to 

 take, he gently slides the super along the top bars into its 

 position, and places the slips of wood, if any are required, 

 close up to it, after which the quilt is placed on the super to 

 prevent the escape of heat, and the hive is closed, ■ If the 

 section frame just described is used, it will be found a very 

 good plan, when the bees have started working in the sec- 

 tions, to take them, with the adhering bees,, and put them 

 into the super crate, empty sections being placed in the 

 frame as before. Supering will delay, if it does not entirely 

 prevent, swarming ; but in warm weather, and with a very 

 prolific queen, the bees will very soon require more room, 

 which can be given by placing another section-crate either 

 under or over the first one. Sometimes the bees will swarm 

 before the sections are finished off, and where this happens 

 a little management is necessary to get them completed. A 

 second hive is got ready, and placed where it is to remain 

 permanently. The super is taken off the parent stock, and 

 placed on a board, while the frames of comb and brood, 

 with the bees, are transferred to the new hivej which is then 

 closed as usual. A sufficient number of frames filled with 

 comb foundation are placed in the old hive, the super is 

 placed on the frames as before, and the swarm is hived 

 back. By this means further swarming is prevented, and 

 the completion of the. sections is pushed forward, as, under 

 favourable circumstances, the bees in a newly-hived swarm 

 work' with more energy then than at any other time. In 

 order to stand the rough handling incidental to a railway 

 journey, sections should have the comb fully built cut, and 

 joined to the wood at all sides. This object can be attained 

 by lifting the sections out of the crate just ; after the bees 

 have begun capping the honey, and putting them back, top 

 downwards. If this inverting' is done too soon, the combs, 

 not being sufficiently worked out, are apt to turn over with 

 the heat and weight of the bees and honey. To bring top 



