Fig. 4.—Plain section In super, showing method of spacing. (Original.)
Some of the advantages of the beeway sections ([fig. 3]) are: (1) The honey is somewhat less liable to injury by handling. (2) Being wider at the corners where folded, they are stronger. (3) Some markets, being accustomed to the larger cases necessary to contain a given number of beeway sections, object to the smaller package containing the same number of plain sections, simply because it is smaller.
Fig. 5.—Beeway section In super, showing method of spacing. (Original.)
DIMENSIONS OF SECTIONS.
Sections of various dimensions are in use by beekeepers, but the sizes in general use are the 41/4 inches square and the 4 by 5 inches. Some producers prefer the 4 by 5 sections because of the more pleasing appearance of the oblong package ([fig. 6]). The standard widths of the 41/4 by 41/4 inches section are 17/8 inches in the beeway style and 11/2 inches in the plain section. The extra width in the beeway style is for the purpose of spacing and does not add to the thickness of the comb. The 4 by 5 is 13/8 or 11/2 inches wide in the plain style and not much used in the beeway style. The 13/8 width of the 4 by 5 section contains practically the same amount of honey when filled as the 41/4 by 41/4 by 11/2 plain or the 41/4 by 41/4 by 17/8 beeway, assuming of course that all are used with separators and filled under like conditions. Since there are well-defined limits as to the thickness of the combs most profitable to produce, the area of one comb surface in a section weighing about a pound is usually from 16 to 20 square inches, the exact size and shape being an adaptation to given space in the super. The thinner combs, showing more comb surface, have the appearance of being larger and a greater number can be accommodated on a given hive. Honey in such combs may also be ripened sooner and possibly better than in thicker combs. They, however, require more foundation for each pound of honey produced and a slightly greater amount of wax, in proportion to the honey, to complete them. Also the thinner the comb, the greater the difficulty with the sheets of foundation swinging to one side on account of uneven work on the two sides or because the hives do not stand level.
Fig. 6.—Square and oblong sections. (Original.)