COMB HONEY — PUTTING ON SECTIONS. 81 



pressure combined in some instances with heat. Fig. 40 shows one of 

 these. The simplest form consists merely of a sliding lever hinged to a 

 block. It is intended to be fastened by means of screws to a table or 

 bench, and is then ready for use when the lever is moistened with honey, 

 starch water, or soapsuds along the edge which is to touch the wax 

 sheets. The foundation is laid liat on the top piece of the section in 

 such a way that the straight edge passes the center line one-eighth of 

 an inch, and the whole is then slipped under the lever. The latter is 

 brought down with a sliding motion toward the operator and at the 

 same time the foundation is bent up at right angles to the top ])iece. 

 If the wax is slightly soft it will adhere firmly. A heated brick placed 

 before the pile of starters will keep the edges soft enough if the work 

 is done in a moderately warm room. 



Starters half to three-fourths inch in width are sometimes used at 

 the bottoms of sections to secure firm attachment of combs there. 

 Bees incline to gnaw these bottom starters away unless the top pieces 

 of foundation reach within one-half inch of them. Top starters an 

 inch or less in width may be used alone as comb guides when it is 

 desirable to avoid great outlay for foundation. 



The use of strii)s of tin or wood as separators (fig. 57, D) between the 

 sections insures straight combs Avith smooth surfaces, thus convenient 

 to handle and shii>. 



The sections furnished with starters or full sheets of foundation are 

 slipped with sei)arators into supers and piled away ready for use as soon 

 as the harvest opens. 



PUTTING OX SECTIONS. 



It is better not to put suri)lus honey receptacles on the hive until the 

 honey fiow actually begins, as, of course, no work Avill be done in them 

 until then. Moreover, all the heat is needed in the brood apartment 

 during the early part of the season. The bees might also become dis- 

 couraged by the large amount of empty space and might not begin 

 work in it at all before swarming. The sections would also be soiled by 

 the bees crawling over them and daubing them Avith propolis. 



The bee keeper who is familiar with the honej^-producing fiora of his 

 locality will note the development of the flower buds of any plant from 

 which he expects a crop and will be able to judge accurately by a glance 

 at the colony when sections are needed. The beginner will do well to 

 consult carefnlly the list of honey-producing plants given in the chapter 

 on ''Bee pasturage," and also endeavor by inipiiry in his neighborhood 

 to ascertain what other sources, if any, are within the reach of his bees. 

 The usual time of blooming of all ])rincii)al honey plants should be 

 noted, and the numagenient to secure i)opulous colonies having been 

 in accordance with the directions given in Chapter VII on "Spring 

 mani]mlation," the opening of the first blossoms of any one of the 

 important honey yielders shonhl be the signal for i)lacing supers with 

 sections on all hives intended for comb-honey i^roduction. Should 

 these indications not be sullicient, there is still another wliich no one 

 4o2(;— No. 1 (> 



