Clean combs from hives that may have lost their bees are readily accepted, and cause a great saving in time and; material to the bees; these combs may easily be fixed by cutting them the proper size to fit within the frames, and making them firm by tying with tape or fixing them with pliable wire. In any case where the combs are too small to fit within the frame, a temporary bar may be fixed, and held firm by being sprung within the two upright sides of a frame, and thus pushed up until it presses the comb; then a piece of tape wound round, or a clip made of tin or zinc shaped to the top bar, prevents its falling out. All these supports may be removed[15] as soon as the bees have made the foundation secure; the comb will then be added to. In this way, every loose piece of comb may be economised.[16] [Footnote 15: They should be first dismembered from the comb by running a penknife between.] [Footnote 16: Artificial comb may be advantageously used, especially if a little time (say a couple of days) be allowed to elapse before it is put into the hive; because, at first, so eager is a swarm to push forward the work of comb-building, that the sheets are liable to become mutilated. For guide-comb, cut the sheets in strips of rather more than an inch in depth, and fix them as mentioned at page 154.] These preparations must be made prior to 'the bees being hived, so that when a hive is so prepared, a swarm may begin to adapt whatever advantages they find ready for them; and it is truly marvellous what a swarm will do when thus furnished with combs in their new habitation. In these the queen can immediately begin to deposit her eggs, and the workers to store their honey, without having to wait for the construction of combs, which is a laborious occupation for the bees. In some cases, fine white combs of honey may be taken from the stock-hive; the end frames are always the most free from brood. Care must be exercised not to rob this part of the hive too much; one comb may, perhaps, be removed in the course of the season without impoverishing the bees, but it is not wise to take more. PUTTING ON SUPER HIVE. A colony established a year or more is called a "stock," by way of distinction from a swarm of the present year. Supposing the hive to be a stock, the super should be given them at the early part of the season, say, if fine and warm, at the latter end of April or beginning of May; if the weather be then unfavourable, it is better to delay doing so until a more genial temperature. If the colony be a swarm of the present year, two weeks should be allowed to elapse from the time of tenanting a hive, before putting on the super; this delay is necessary to give the bees the opportunity of building combs in their new domicile, and of getting a store of honey for themselves before working for their master.