426 HONET PRODUCTION. 



and that, in consequence, they attach each small comb to 

 the sides, giving them more solidity. For the same reason 

 bees are also less inclined to make bulged combs, and separ- 

 ators may be set aside with less risk of lack of uniformity. 

 Another and very important point, in favor of these sec- 

 tions, is the increased facility to ripen honey by evapora- 

 tion, for the air can easily circulate from side to side, instead 

 of from top to bottom only, as when closed-side sections 

 are used. 



745. Before closing our chapter on the production of 

 comb-honey, in which we have tried to give our readers some 

 of the best known methods, we must warn them against using 

 too many contrivances, whenever they can possibly help it. 

 All improvements that are made must be based on a full con- 

 sideration of the instincts of the bees. Like Mr. Hutchinson 

 (" Production of Comb-Honey" p. 18), we " have seen bees 

 sulk for days during a good honey flow, simply because the 

 present condition of things was not to their liking." Use 

 as large sections as your market will allow. If you use 

 separators and honey-boards, at all, let them be light and 

 perforated. In a word, make your bees feel as natural and 

 as much "at home" as possible. 



Extracted Honet. 



746. To separate the honey from the wax, the bee- 

 keepers of old used to melt or break the comb and drain 

 the honey out. 



Beeswax, as a sweet-scented luminiferous substance, far 

 superior to oils or the crude grease of animals, was greatly 

 appreciated by the priests, and placed among the best offer- 

 ings required to please the gods. The custom of offering wax, 

 or wax candles, continued to this day by some churches, 

 especially by the Greek and Roman Catholic churches, 



