and its Economic Management. 237 



When we consider that all cells are well cleansed and 

 polished by the bees before being used as receptacles for 

 honey ; and as it is self-evident that the tough combs 

 will keep in store to far better purpose than the new and 

 fragile combs, while the others may constantly be passed 

 through the brood chamber to keep them in condition, 

 there can be no question as to the greater economy in 

 using breeding combs for extracting purposes. 



With plenty of store combs and the " safety valve " 

 below, the bees cannot well be idle if there is anything to 

 be gathered. A common practice is to lift the upper 

 storey and place another under, but where excluder zinc 

 is used the brood nest is always retained at the bottom ; 

 hence the bee-keeper's manipulations are much restricted. 



When removing completed sets, let it be done during 

 the busy hours of the day, when the few bees therein will 

 soon leave if piled up in a room with large windows 

 arranged as explained under Bee-houses. This, to my 

 mind is far better than using bee-escapes to supers, and if 

 a bee-house is not available, a large box or other case can 

 easily be set up to answer the same purpose. Another 

 way is to shake the bees from the combs, using a feather 

 for the stragglers ; and still another, with shallow frames 

 when fixed securely, is that first adapted to modern hives 

 by James Heddon, of Dowagiac, Mich., who had not the 

 slightest knowledge that his " shaking o\ii " process had 

 been long practised in this country with fixed combs, 

 where we call it " throwing." 



Empty sets of combs must be in readiness to give the 

 bees where more room may be required, and when full 

 combs have been emptied they should always be returned 

 in the evening that all may be cleared up, and the conse- 

 quent excitement subsided before another day's work 

 commences. 



