494 
BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 
(supers) for honey, and a full ijin. (nadirs) for 
brood. 
Of course, the process of adding empty and removing 
full tiers is limited by season and district, as well 
as the capabilities of the stock, and, these all being 
good, a fourth box of standards may be required ; but 
it is desirable, while securing to the bees abundant cells 
in which to deposit their gains, to make the accommo- 
dation no larger than this demands, or loss arises in 
many ways, while the combs at the close of the gather- 
ing, remain only partially filled. In working for comb 
honey, this would be disastrous — with extracted, it is not 
important, and for the following reason : Bees never 
seal cells until they are full, and so half-filled ones 
remain open when the honey yield drops to current 
consumption ; but, after three or four days, this un- 
sealed honey is as dense as the rest, and may be 
thrown out by the extractor without the least detriment 
to the general crop. 
In working thus for extracted honey, it is not room 
simply that is given, but comb with empty cells; so 
that the bees drawn away to the fields by breezes 
redolent with nectar, can, at their return, at once 
discharge their load, and start unhindered for another, 
without depriving their queen of the use of the brood- 
nest, by which the strongest predisposition to swarming 
is avoided ; but, in addition, our queens should be 
voung (see page 277), and, unless the hives have very 
non-conductive walls, they ought to be carefully shaded, 
while the entrances should provide abundant ventila- 
tion. My own run, by the removal of the sliding door, 
i6in. by fin. — none too much; lifting the hive from 
