STEAIISING HONEY AND WAX, 381 



JIETHEGLIN AND YINBGAR. 



"When no more honey can be conveniently obtuined, a 

 still further saving may be made, by covering the comb 

 with boiling water, stirring well and draining ; when the 

 comb should be made into wax at once to prevent moulding. 



The sweetened water should be boiled and skimmed 

 til clear. If strong enough to raise a potato one-third 

 above the surface, it may be put away for metheglin, 

 which will be fit for use in twelve months, and improve 

 with age. By reducing it considerably, vinegar may be 

 made in the same manner as from other material. 



PEEDIKG BEFUSB HONEY. 



There is still another method of saving the honey re- 

 maining in the comb after draining. Take a large movable 

 comb-hive — it would pay to make one on purpose with a 

 large number of frames — full of empty combs or frames. 

 Make a second hive without top or frames ; cover the 

 bottom an inch thick with the refuse comb, and set the 

 first hive containing bees and combs over it. As the 

 bees have to work in comparatively cool weather, it is well 

 to make a strong swarm by uniting three or four condemned 

 colonies. They should not be allowed any queen to fill 

 the combs with brood, but may have a little brood to con- 

 tent them with the idea of raising one.' In a few hours, 

 they will lick up several pounds, leaving the comb per- 

 fectly clean, when more may be added, and this process 

 continued till all the comb is clean. By this time they 

 may have fifty or one hundred pounds of beautiful honey. 



K this honey is from hives that contained diseased 

 brood it would be best to secure it from the other bees ; 

 but if otherwise it would answer every purpose for win- 

 tering bees, and this swarm might remain. In this case, 

 it would be best to let them have a queen, by all means, 

 in order to have them build worker combs. 



