THE MOVABLE-COMB FRAMES. 
131 
2d. That the best honey harvest comes early, and is com- 
. paratively of short duration ; hence, the ability of stocks to 
cast early swarms, and gather large quantities of surplus honey, 
depends upon their rearing thousands of workers early in the 
season. 
3d. A new swarm will often fill its hive in one or two weeks, 
and could store much more as well as not, could the bees be 
induced to commence and continue working in the honey -boxes. 
These advantages are gained by so constructing the frames 
that their top-bars form a chamber floor, with openings across 
the centre, through which the warm air from below passes 
directly into the honey-boxes, as a high temperature is requisite 
for comb-bnilding. The bees having no great distance to travel, 
or air space to cross to reach the boxes, readily ascend into 
them from any comb in the hive. The difficulty so often expe- 
rienced in getting the bees to commence in an empty box after a 
full one has been removed, is entirely overcome by using a double 
tier of boxes. Several small boxes may be uspd, or if but two, 
each should be large enough to cover the top of the hive. The 
bees are admitted into the lower box first, and when they have 
sealed up most of the cells, raise it up, bees and all, (bLowing 
under smoke,) and place the empty box with long opening 
through its top, directly under it, thus compelling the bees to 
pass through the empty box while finishing up the full one. By 
the time the upper box is finished, the lower one will usually be 
one-half or two-thirds full. The upper box may now be removed 
without the least interruption to the labors of the bees. When 
the lower box is ready to raise, place an empty one beneath it 
