The third, or driving system, saves the lives of the bees, by turning them out into a well-stored stock-hive, and need not give any great amount of additional trouble. It is thus described in the Naturalists’ Library:—“In the evening, when all are quiet, turn up the hive which is to be operated upon, fixing it in a chair from which the stuffed bottom has been removed; place an empty hive above it, wrap a cloth round the point of junction, to prevent the bees from coming out and annoying the operator; then, with a short stick or stone in each hand, beat round the sides, but gently, for fear of loosening the combs. In five minutes the panic-struck insects will hastily mount into the empty hive, with a loud humming noise, expressive of their trepidation. The hives are then separated; that containing the bees is placed on its usual pedestal, and the other, containing the honey, is carried off. The union is next to be effected. Turn up the stock-hive which is to receive the addition to its population,—with a bunch of feathers, or a small watering-pan, such as is used for watering flower-beds, drench them with a solution of ale and sugar, or water and sugar made a little warm. Do the same to the expelled bees; and then placing these last over the stock, mouth to mouth, a smart rap on the top of the hive will drive them down among the bees and combs of the undermost hive. Place this last on its pedestal, and the operation is completed. The strong flavour of the solution will prevent them from distinguishing between friend and stranger; and their first movement after recovering from their panic will be to lick the liquid from one another’s bodies. It will be an advantage, though a little additional trouble, to search for and destroy the queen of the expelled bees before the union takes place.” When the bees have been removed from the hives by one of the above processes, the operation of extracting the honey must commence immediately, while the hive is yet warm. The warmth may also be kept up by allowing it to flow in a room where there is a fire. The comb should be kept from the air as much as possible, for which purpose some cultivators make use of a tin-covered vessel, pierced with holes at the bottom, and made to fit into another similar vessel fit to receive the honey. Pieces of comb, sliced horizontally, are put into this covered vessel, and the honey filters through the bottom, being first passed through a filter of wire-cloth or muslin placed at a little distance above the other. This upper filter prevents the vessel from becoming clogged with particles of wax, and increases the purity of the honey. A spigot in the lower vessel allows the honey to pass out into store jars.