250 WAX. 



CROOKED COMBS. 



Crooked combs do not seem to affect the prosperity of 

 the hive. Combs built in the Cross Bar or Movable Comb 

 Hive, are usually straight when the under side of each bar 

 is brought to an edge like a knife. But there are excep- 

 tions enough to almost annul the rule, in ordinary manage- 

 ment. It is found, however, that a smooth sharp edge is 

 followed much better than a rough one. Sometimes, after 

 Gombs are started straight, the bees will take some other 

 direction, and by the time the combs reach the bottom of 

 the hive, they may be at right angles with their course at 

 the top. 



STKAIGHT COMBS. 



I recently made the discovery, that if one end of the 

 hive was elevated 30°, straight combs would be the result 

 throughout, especially if the hive were perfectly level the 

 other way. 



Sometimes there will be comers and spaces not wide 

 enough for two combs, and too wide for one of the proper 

 thickness for breeding. As bees generally use all their room 

 to the best advantage, a thick comb will be the result, and 

 when used for breeding, the cells are cut down to the 

 proper length. 



QUANTITY OF HONEY TAKEN BY A SWABM. 



A large swarm will probably carry some five or six 

 pounds of honey from the mother colony. It is impossible 

 to determine the exact amount as the weight of the bees 

 is very uncertain. 



"I can tell you," some one exclaims, "I saw some 

 weighed — so many weigh just eight ounces. Are you 

 sure that nothing else was weighed — ^no honey, bee-bread, 

 foeces, or -other substances ? " Can't say, — never thought 

 of that." It is important, if we wish to know the weight 



