THE SYSTEM OF BEE-FJRMING. 7 



1 lb. of wax if the combs were all melted down. To 

 manufacture this quantity of comb the bees have con- 

 sumed 2olbs. of pure virgin honey. The loss we thus 

 sustain yearly is incalculable. It is a ruinous waste both 

 of the honey and of the time required by the bees to 

 manufacture it into waxen cells. Both the time and 

 honey are saved by this homely plan of Bee-farming. 



Having secured the right size of hive, the next point 

 is to obtain a honey-extractor. There are several kinds 

 of this machine in the market ; ours, which will be fully 

 described in a future page, is a cheap article as well as 

 serviceable ; if fairly used it will last and do the work of a 

 large bee-farm for many years. 



We advise all our readers never to use supers on the 

 hive ; let the bees manage their own affairs and send out 

 swarms as often as they like. Placing supers on the top 

 of the hive to secure a supply of virgin honey may seem 

 to a novice very pleasant, but it deters the bees from 

 swarming. Which is best, — a swarm that may be sold 

 for ten shillings or more, and may be worth three times 

 this sum to you, or two or three pounds of honey at 

 the most ? Our way never prevents swarming, for the 

 bees, ever active and industrious, go on storing honey day 

 by day ; then the plan is this, — about twice a week, in the 

 height of the honey season, puff a little smoke into the 

 entrance of the hive, just to terrify them and make them 

 quiet, then gently slip out the bar at each end of the hive, 

 and having very carefully, if it happens to be sealed over, 

 cut off the tops or caps over the cells by means of a sharp 

 knife kept for the purpose, place it in the extractor in a 

 cool place away from the hives ; two or three whirls round 

 completely empty it of all the honey ; then give it back 

 again to the bees ; the comb not being in the slightest degree 

 injured is again filled in three or four days, to be again 

 emptied out. At each operation not less than six pounds of 



