Vol. IV. No. 80. 



THE AGPaCULTUEAL NEWS. 



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BEE KEEPING. 



Preparation of Honey for the Market. 



The following i.-; the concluding portion of the 

 article on the Preparation of Honey" for the Market, 

 commenced in the last issue of the A(jricultural 

 Nc irs : — 



For glazing sections, glass cut to the correct .size may 

 be purchased of any dealer in bee aiiiiliances, together with 

 the strips of jiaper lace edging, wliich, w-hen pasted around 

 the angle formed by the glass and wood, serve to fix the 

 glass on. In country towns the local glazier will gladly cut 

 up waste glass to the small size (viz., 4 ^'j- inches by 

 4 j'V inches) required, and neatly printed bands of coloured 

 paper, 19 inches by .3 inches, can be used in.stead of the lace 

 edging : they cost about T.s. per 1,000. These bauds are 

 more easily t'f^sted on, and make much firmer and neater 

 work, besides giving an oi)portunity to place the names of 

 the apiary and retailer on each section. Neat cardboard 

 cases, plain or glazed on one or both sides, and glazed tin 

 bo.xes, are provided by appliance dealers for those who have 

 but a small number of sections to deal with ; where larger 

 quantities have to be handled, the printed band holding on 

 the two squares of glass will be found the best and most 

 economical. 



The modern method of obtaining 'e.\tracted' or 'run' 

 honey has greatly inqiroved its quality, but the use of the 

 centrifugal extractor demands the abandonment of the skep 

 system of Isee keeping, with its waste of bee life, waste of 

 combs, and taint of sulphur, and the adoption of the frame 

 hive which enables the gathered surplus to be stored in 

 frames apart from the brood-nest and removable at will by 

 the bee keeper. 



Honey improves in Havour and density while ripening 

 in the hive, therefore the super-frames should not be 

 removed until they are well sealed over. If the bees are 

 given all the storage room they can occupy, so long as there 

 is nectar to be gathered they will bring it home quite 

 irrespective of the quantity already in store. It is a mistake 

 to suppose that by extracting unriiiened honey and returning 

 the empty combs the bees are induced to work more 

 vigorously. 



Fermentation is the great enemy of extracted honey, 

 but it can only atfcct badl}- ripened honey or honey exposed 

 to moisture and warmth ; so, should it be necessary to extract 

 unriiie honey, it should be returned to the bees for re-storing 

 and ripening. Extraction is done by means of a machine 

 consisting of a tinned-iron can, within which is a vertical 

 spindle carrying a pair of cages to hold the frames of honey- 

 comb and made to revolve rajiidly by means of a simple 

 hand gear. Before placing the frames of comb in the cages 

 they must be uncapped. To do this quickly, and without 

 waste, special uncapping knives are used. They should be 

 heated in a tin of water kept over a small spirit or oil lamp. 

 The full frame, held by oi;e lug in the left hand, the other 

 ' lug resting on a large dish and with the top edge 

 overhanging, has its capping removed with the sharp, hot 



knife by a gentle, slightly sawing, downward cut, passing 

 just beneath the surface and removing as little as possible of 

 the honey. If held with sufficient overhang, the detached 

 sheet of capping will fall clear of tlie frame. A pair of 

 frames having been uncapped, tliey are placed in the cages 

 of the extractor, and made to revolve rapidly with their 

 bottom bars leading; the centrifugal force throws out the 

 honey, and when one side has been emptied, the frames are 

 reversed and the other side is treated in the .same manner. 



The full sealed frames of comlj having been carried into 

 the store-room, should be sorted by holding up to the light, 

 and all those containing dark or second-quality honey 

 separated from the better ones. 



Uncap and extract the contents of the best combs, and 

 then strain the honey through a bag made of cheese-cloth 

 which will remove all particles of wax. Tin cans, with 

 strainer and honey tap, made to contain -56 K). or 112 Si., can 

 be obtained, in which, if the honey is allowed to stand for 

 twenty-four hours after straining, it will be free from air 

 bubbles, and can then be drawn into whatever bottle, jar, or 

 tin will best suit the local market. Best honey is usually 

 put into 1 tt). or i lb. glass jars, with metal screw lids, 

 having a cork w-ad inside the lid. To prevent any leakage 

 the cork wad should bo dipi)ed in melted wax and placed on 

 the jar w-hile still warm, the lid being .screwed down upon it. 

 A neat label (of which a variety is always obtainable from 

 the appliance makers or of the secretaries of many of the 

 County Bee Keepers' Associations) will set off the honey jar 

 and make it a desirable occupant of a place in any retailer's 

 shop. The darker honey is more suitable for marketing in 

 its granulated state; when extracted and strained it should be 

 run into U lb. (or 2S &.) tins, the contents of these being 

 stirred gently, now and again, while granulating ; the stirring 

 tends to produce a more even and finer-grained honey. It 

 may also be run into wide-mouthed glass or earthenware 

 jars, covered down with parchment paper, and stored in 

 a cool, dry place. Dark and coarse-Havoured varieties can 

 be sold for manufacturing and confectionery uses, also for 

 that now almost forgotten purpose, the making of mead. 



BARBADOS. 



Government Industrial School. 



The foUow'ing extracts from the annual report on 

 the above institution for 1904 arc of agricultural 

 interest : — 



At Summervale plantation the area planted in first crop 

 canes for 190-5 is 2t<] acres, and that of ratoons is 20 acres. 

 The area for 1906 is 2-3f acres of first crop, and there will 

 be about 14 acres of ratoons. From 28 acres of first croit 

 canes and 22 i acres of ratoons the crop for 1904 realized 69 

 tons of sugar, of which 47 tons were from the first crop and 

 22 tons from the ratoons. The 28-} acres of first crop canes 

 for 1905 have just been reaped at Carrington plantation and 

 a little over 55| tons have been made. With the present 

 favourable prices for sugar, it is hoped that the revenue from 

 the crop will be very remunerative. 



The cotton crop has been a very abundant one, 8| acres 

 at the present moment averaging 846 tti. of seed-cotton per 

 acre as a first return. This average would have been higher, 

 about 976 tt). per acre, if the anthracnose disease had not 

 attacked one of the fields. There are also 3i acres of cotton 

 not yet matured, which should give an average of over 800 tt)., 

 as first return, per acre. There will be 1 4 acres planted in 

 cotton during 1905. 



