The chief value of the Stewarton hive consists in the boxes being shallow, so that the combs are more likely to be well filled down to the base. This is a great advantage with supers, particularly when required to be sent to a distance, as there is less likelihood of the combs breaking down. A fine super of honey, that would be valuable, is materially depreciated when it reaches its destination in a damaged state, with the honey running from the cells. For the same reason, when the weather is hot and the rays of the sun fall on the hive, the combs might part from their foundations if there were no intermediate bars, which is now the case in the stock-hive, composed as it is of two boxes. If these two boxes were in one, the depth of each comb would be twelve inches; and when filled with brood and honey, would probably weigh 10 lbs. This is a great weight to be supported in hot summer weather, when the wax is softened by the heat. Another distinguishing feature that the Stewarton hive possesses is the use of the box C, which, by giving increased room, as the season advances, prevents what is often an annoyance to the apiarian, viz., a late swarm--too late to be of any value, and impoverishing the stock by a division of its numbers, thereby perhaps impeding the completion of the super. A further advantage of the box c, is that it induces the bees (who frequently hang in dusters about the entrance) to carry on their labours instead of remaining in enforced idleness. We often receive from Scotland magnificent boxes of honey; the fine quality is no doubt to be attributed to good pasturage, and to the fact of keeping the stocks strong (see page 19), by adopting the means before hinted at; and thus having hives well stored and well populated early in the season, so that they may betimes take full advantage of supplies of nectar in the flowers. Early honey is generally the best in colour. The old proverb runs:--"It is the early bird that finds the worm." The hive that is strong is certain to produce the most honey. To make this plain, we will suppose that a bee-keeper has a weakly hive; it will take some weeks, if not months, to grow populous; and as soon as the strength of the hive has recovered, the honey season will have advanced, if not ended, whilst the strong stocks have been able to take full advantage of the supplies, having an abundance of labourers to collect the honey and store it in supers for their master. To induce the bees to build quickly, cover up the super with as much warm woollen covering as you can, as recommended for glasses, page 65.