COMB HONEY, APPLIANCES FOR 
231 
separators are put in alternation, one in a 
place between the several rows of sections. 
Each separator consists of a strip of wood 
or metal a little less in width than the 
height of the sections, and in length 
equal to four sections standing side by 
side, or the separator may be a fence made 
Separator. 
of the same size, but consisting of horizon¬ 
tal strips. The purpose of the separator 
or fence is to prevent the bees from build¬ 
ing their comb from one section to an¬ 
other. Without them the sections or combs 
would be irregular in weight and unmar¬ 
ketable. Some will be too lean, while oth¬ 
ers will be so fat that their surfaces will 
be bruised by coming in contact with other 
sections when they are put in a shipping 
case for marketing. 
Since the net-weight law went into effect 
(see Labels; also Grading Comb Honey) 
unseparatored comb honey cannot be 
graded satisfactorily. The law has in effect 
made the use of separators imperative. 
THE FENCE 'AND PLAIN-SECTION 
SYSTEM. ■ 
The sections and section-supers shown 
heretofore have been of the beeway type. 
Bi-ood-frames, when in the hive, must be 
placed a bee-space apart; so also must 
the sections. Almost the first honey-boxes 
that were introduced had the bee-space cut 
out of the top and bottom of the sections 
M 
Fence. 
themselves, so that they could be placed 
directly in contact with each other or the 
separator. This kind of section continued’ 
almost up to 1897, when there was intro¬ 
duced a section without beeways, having 
plain straight edges all around. This had 
been used for some 10 or 12 years pre¬ 
viously by various beekeepers who found it 
to be in every way satisfactory. But plain 
sections (even width all around, without 
beeways) necessitate some scheme for hold¬ 
ing them a bee-space apart while on the 
hive. Accordingly, a separating fence 
was devised, having transverse cleats at 
regular intervals on both sides, binding the 
series of slats together—cleats so spaced as 
to come opposite the uprights in the sec¬ 
tions. It will be seen that the fence 
system provides for a narrower section, and 
yet this same section holds as much honey 
as one % inch wider, because the extra 
width is taken up by the thickness of the 
cleats on the fences, as shown at A A A in 
previous cut or what would be in the old 
section two beeways of 3-16 inch each. In 
the cuts shown below there are specimens 
of beeway sections and no-beeway, the last 
being generally termed plain sections. The 
plain save a little wood, and consequently 
Beeway and plain sections. 
take somewhat less room in shipping cases. 
The twelve and twenty-four pound ship¬ 
ping cases can be made somewhat smaller, 
because it is not necessaiy to have each 
comb bee-spaced apart in the marketing 
cases, the same as while on the hive. More¬ 
over, the plain straight edges of plain sec¬ 
tions offer special advantages in the matter 
of scraping. There are no insets, often 
roughly cut (as in beeway sections), to 
work into and around with a scraping- 
knife. A single sweep of the knife on 
each of the four edges will remove the 
propolis, or, better still, if the blade of 
the knife is long enough, one can scrape 
