HOW TO SECURE THE HARVEST 99 
brittle. It is generally advisable, therefore, to 
turn the handle very slowly at first, and, unless it 
runs very freely, not to extract all the honey 
from a comb at the first operation. By partially 
emptying the one side and then reversing the 
comb the pressure on it is relieved gradually 
and the risk of breakage avoided. When the 
greater part of the honey has been extracted, 
the speed of the revolutions of the cages 
can be increased without any danger to the 
combs. 
All honey should be extracted from the 
combs as soon as possible after they are taken 
from the hive, for it will run more freely then 
than after it has been allowed to stand and 
thicken, while its flavour will be better 
retained. 
When a large amount of honey has to be 
extracted, the cleanest combs with the lightest 
honey should first be dealt with, and before 
the darker honey is taken the other should 
be run through the strainer and put to ripen, 
so that each kind shall be kept absolutely 
separate. 
Ripening Honey.—After extraction, the 
honey should be placed in a suitable vessel in 
a warm room to ripen. After it has stood for 
a few days the surface will be seen to be 
