43

THE HONEY-BEE IN NEW ZEALAND 41

is the strength of the form made use of, that is possible
to lift a full comb without damaging a single cell. The
art seems to be in spreading your fingers as much as
possible in order to support the comb in many different
parts.
By the aid of the bee knife, honey may be taken in
the same manner as a common straw hive, if made of
a proper shape. Those which are straight sided, and
have a conical top rising to a point, are the very worst
pattern. The purest honey is deposited in the very
crown of the hive, which should be nearly flat, that each
comb may be as nearly square as possible: besides, the
bee knife will not work to advantage in a hive of this
shape; a large piece of comb will always be left in the
top: whilst in a box, or flat topped straw hive, it will
make clean work. Those also which are contracted at
the bottom are very difficult to get honey from. They
are made so, I believe, from a mistaken idea of giving
support to the combs. But trust your bees to know how
to fasten their combs securely to the top of a hive. They
are no bunglers, and make sure work of it. It is utterly
impossible to get a comb out of one of these bungling
hives, without previously cutting it down the middle;
and every cut spills honey and daubs your bees.
Cross sticks are equally pernicious. Many persons insist
on putting them into their hives from the same mistaken
idea of supporting the combs. The advocates of this
skewered system will also tell you that they are useful
for a new swarm to hang upon; but it is no such thing.
A new swarm hangs from the top of the hive, and
from live ladders, as it were, of their own bodies, up
which the labourers mount without needing the cross
sticks.
In describing the wooden boxes, I said that their chief
advantage was in the ease with which honey may be
taken from them. When a top box is quite full, and
the cells sealed over, remove the cover, and blow some
smoke wth the fumigating bellows down through the
bars now exposed. When the greater part of the bees
have gone into the lower boxes, remove the top one