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22 CHAPMAN'S HANDY-BOOK

place the hive proerly in the situation where the stock is
intended permanently to remain; this should not be
delayed longer than the evening of the same day.
Varying from fifteen to twenty-five days after the
swarm is hived, the bees will have filled the stock hive
with comb, and in a great measure with honey; but as
this portion of the hive is intended for the breeding of the
bees, no part of the store should be removed therefrom.
As soon as the hive is found to be full of comb, the holes
on the top may be opened, and a glass or glasses placed
over the same, with the perforated tubes in them; or, if
one large glass should be preferred, it may be placed com-
pletely over the four holes; but care must be taken to
cover the glass or glasses with flannel or green baize, to
keep up a proper degree of heat. In three or four days
the bees will have commenced working in the glasses, and
from time to time the Apiarian can watch the progress of
the labours of these industrious and wonderful little insects.
It will often afford amusement to be able to watch the
daily progress of building the comb, and this is readily
done by sticking a small slip of paper on the glass at the
extremity of the comb; it is often found the work has
advanced more than an inch in twelve hours. As soon as
a glass of honey appears to be filled and sealed over by
the bees, it should at once be removed, and another sub-
stituted to be again filled, and the Apiarian need not be
afraid of taking the glasses away when full, for the stock
hive is always well stored before anything is done in the
glasses. To encourage the bees the more readily to com-
mence working in the glasses, attach small portions of the
edges of honey-comb (not brood-comb) at the top of the
glasses; this can be done by warming the glass on the
outside where it is intended to fix the comb, and then
place the piece of comb so provided inside the glass,
melting it slightly to cause it to adhere; the direction of
the guide-comb may be according to fancy, so that the
Apiarian may cause the bees to work in almost any way
he pleases.
To take the glasses when filled, it will be necessary to
proceed as follows, namely, - first to thrust between the