The Production of Comb-Honey 
305 
work little or not at all in sections, for bees are induced 
to build comb and store honey in small sections with diffi¬ 
culty and there is often a loss before they begin work properly. 
A serious drawback is that if honey in the comb granulates it 
is almost a total loss, and usually the only way to save any¬ 
thing is to melt the wax and honey and market them sepa¬ 
rately. The section of honey is a difficult package for the 
retail merchant to handle and the careless clerk may often 
spoil a section by running his thumb into it. For this 
reason and also for the sake of cleanliness, comb-honey 
sections in sealed cartons appeal strongly to retailers and 
consumers. 
Restrictions in comb-honey -production. 
In view of the demands of the market and the tendency 
toward the production of only the best grades of comb-honey, 
there are certain restrictions which should apply in its pro¬ 
duction. Where the honey is dark or where honeys from 
various sources are mixed in the combs by honey-flows 
intermingling, extracted-honcy should be produced. Honeys 
which granulate quickly, although they may be of fine color, 
are undesirable for comb-honey production. The recent 
increase in the sale of alfalfa comb-honey has caused many 
grocers to hesitate to buy any comb-honey, for fear previous 
unpleasant experiences may be repeated and leave them 
with unsalable granulated comb-honey on hand. Where 
the honey-flows are slow or intermittent, extracted-honey 
production will be found more profitable. These general 
restrictions wall of course not apply in certain local market 
conditions. For example, there is demand for buckwheat 
comb-honey in some limited regions, whereas on the general 
market it lias no sale. It is evident from a survey of the 
whole field that many beekeepers who now produce comb- 
honey are doing it to their own detriment while an increase 
in the production of comb-honey in the more northern clover 
sections would be beneficial to the honey markets. The 
limitations in comb-honey production nail possibly increase 
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