140 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



traders in tar-frame hives), there is the ring of common- 

 sense which always captivates. But do you think the 

 Slinger is likely ever to come into general use in this 

 country ? The present instrument, we think, wUl never 

 suit the hee-farmer whose object is profit, and therefore 

 will not come into general use. Some are, we are told, 

 endeavouring to improve the Slinger by making it more 

 efficient in action, and smaller in bulk. "We sincerely 

 hope they wUl succeed. Those who keep bar-frame hives 

 may find the instrument useful in taking honey in small 

 quantities from their hives, but there are many objections 

 that could be offered to the use of the Slinger. 



1. Honey and brood are generally found in the same 

 combs ; and it appears to me that the whirling of the 

 machine wHL cast out unsealed brood as well as honey. 

 If it does, the honey will be impure. The breeding sea- 

 son was over when we put the instrument to the test here. 



2. The Slinger is used to preserve combs two years old. 

 Young combs are too tender to stand the whirling of the 

 machine. Now we think combs quite old enough at the 

 end of their second year. At that age they are black and 

 tough, and moreover they are pollen-bound — that is to 

 say, their centre parts are clogged with bee-bread. The 

 bees cannot find empty cells in such combs for the eggs 

 laid by their queens. We hold that the preservation of 

 old combs in hives is neither wise nor profitable. Bees 

 thrive bettor and gather more honey in Combs young and 

 sweet than they do in combs two years old. A swarm 

 put into a good straw hive in May wiU. fill it with combs 

 and gather more honey in a good season than any kind of 

 hive managed on the non-swarming system. 



3. The combs of a large hive yield about five shiUings' 

 worth of wax. This sum would nearly buy sugar enough 

 for a large swarm, which, if properly given, would en- 

 able the bees to fiU an ordinary bar-frame hive or a 16- 



