and ils Economic Management. 27 



she is slowly disgorging. In like manner each following bee 

 continues the process, until the cell is nearly full, and the mouth 

 of the same is gradually sealed over with pure wax. It will be 

 readily understood that were it not for this process of moistening 

 the sides of the cell, the honey would not always adhere to the 

 dry surface, and hence much waste space would be the result. 

 Much of the honey does not, however, remain where first placed. 

 If the bees have room it is distributed as much as possible, and 

 ■when the moisture is evaporated it is carried above. 



The bees which leave an air space just under the capping 

 are Blacks, Carniolans, and some hybrids. Ligurians give a 

 thinner sealing and are not always so careful to retain the clear 

 space, but their comb honey is quite presentable, though that of 

 the former is always preferred for its snowy whiteness. Cyprians, 

 Syrians, and Palestines, however, leave no space whatever ; in 

 fact it would appear that they even moisten the inside of the 

 cappings, and fill up the cell as tight as possible, hence their 

 comb honey is not at all saleable. The reader will therefore use 

 his own judgment in the matter, and work only those stocks for 

 comb honey that are known to produce the whitest comb surface. 

 As soon as the wants of the rapidly increasing brood nest are 

 supplied stores begin to accumulate, and presently we find the 

 upper portion of the central combs filled with honey and neatly 

 capped, while one or more of the combs at one or both sides will 

 often be a solid block of honey. Meanwhile the population, 

 has been entirely renewed by the brood hatching in successive 

 batches, but presently no more store is to be gathered, and then 

 the drones are destroyed ; the size of the brood nest is greatly 

 diminished, until by September brood rearing ceases entirely, 

 unless there be a queen of the current year, and in that case, with 

 plenty of food on hand, it will be continued until late into 

 October. The whole of the stores accumulated by a swarm thus 

 left to itself will seldom exceed 20 lbs., but let the reader compare 

 this with the product of a swarm worked as explained under 

 " General Management," and he will find that there is but poor 

 economy in the " let-'em-alone " policy. 



