1264 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



Oct. 15 



We put these bags into an empty nive, as many 

 as we can conveniently get in. This prevents 

 them from tipping over. Then we carrv these 

 hives upstairs, open the windows so the honey 

 will harden the sooner, and, when fully solid, we 

 seal the bags. 



Now, of course, the bags will have to be left 

 open before being sealed; then my question is: 

 Will not the flavor be lost during this time be- 

 fore the bags are sealed.? We put the cover on 

 the hives; but I should judge the flavor would es- 

 cape any way. 



I like the method of putting up extracted hon- 

 ey in these bags. Honey is handy to handle, to 

 ship, and to serve in this way. But if the flavor 

 can not be retained, I for one will have to try 

 some other method. I should be glad to know 

 if there is there is any method by which the ex- 

 cellent flavor of well-ripened honey can be kept 

 in the honey when put up in paraffined paper 

 bags. Who can give the information.'' 



Hayfield, Minn. 



[We referred this to Mr. W. A. Sel er, of 

 Philadelphia, who replies:] 



The exceedingly delicate aroma of honey in 

 general is at its best when evaporated by the bees 

 very rapidly during the honey-flow. Nectar 

 gathered slowly, and placed in the same cells on 

 different days, will not have the intensity of 

 aroma that nectar has when placed in an individ- 

 ual cell, all within a few hours. This can be de- 

 tected by a careful observer testing the honey in 

 the middle of a frame and on other parts of the 

 same frame that has not been placed there by the 

 bees on the same day. 



I have made a series of special experiments in 

 this line by washing the honey in a glass-stopper- 

 ed, closed, filtered funnel with ether. After 

 drawing off the residue (of ether and honey) I 

 have been able to retain the aroma for a long 

 while. This is one of the experiments which will 

 enable one to distinguish which plant the bees 

 have gathered the nectar from. Quite often the 

 taste is deficient, and the aroma in honey more 

 distinct, or, sometimes, "vice -uersa. This would 

 indicate that the rapid evaporation of the ether 

 in contact with the honey extracts the aroma, and 

 it has made clear to the writer that, under perfect 

 atmospheric conditions (entire absence of humid- 

 ity), the same action takes place, only in a less 

 marked and rapid degree. 



The aroma of honey has often been spoiled on 

 account of the cappings of the cell not being air- 

 tight, or the honey left on the hive too long, and 

 the foreign smell of the bees is absorbed by the 

 honey if left on after it is capped. Therefore the 

 only way to retain the aroma is to exclude it from 

 the air as soon as it is capped. There is no way, 

 therefore, to retain the aroma of honey when put 

 up in bags such as Mr. Lunde is using. The 

 best honey, after it is candied, naturally does not 

 come in contact with the atmosphere except on 

 the surface. Therefore if the honey could be al- 

 lowed to candy in air-tight barrels or vessels, and 

 then dug out in its hardened condition and plac- 

 ed in paper bags, the desired results could be ob- 

 tained, but this, no doubt, is hardly practicable. 



Honey can be extracted, put up at once in air- 

 tight barrels, coated with paraffine, and shipped 

 a considerable distance, then immediately bottled. 



without any appreciable loss of the aroma. This 

 is why honey left to ripen in large tanks, from 

 the very nature of the case, can not be as finely 

 flavored as honey capped rapidly by the bees. 



W. A. Selser. 



PROPERLY PROPORTIONED SYRUP 

 FOR STIMULATIVE FEEDING. 



BY SWARTHMORE. 



Properly proportioned feed and its mixing is 

 quite important; in fact, it is a matter for serious 

 consideration. To secure the best possible re- 

 sults at the lowest expense the following recipe is 

 recommended: 



Place in a twelve-quart milk-can, for instance, 

 several pounds of best granulated sugar, and mark 

 to what point in the can the sugar comes. Then 

 pour upon the dry sugar boiling water, stirring 

 all the while until the syrup rises to the point 

 marked. Stir until thoroughly dissolved; then 

 cork the can and set it aside to cool. 



A CONVENIENT FEEDING-CAN TO HOLD SUGAR 

 SYRUP FOR STIMULATIVE PURPOSES. 



When feeding-time arrives draw off this sugar 

 syrup, a jar half full; add a little honey to flavor; 

 then fill the remaining space in jar with clear 

 water, using cold water if the weather is warm, 

 and hot water if the weather is cold. 



This we have found to be the safest, quickest, 

 and best plan for the mixing and keeping of feed 

 for stimulative purposes in a queen-rearing yard. 



If the can is provided with a gate for ready 

 drawing, so much the better. 



If much feeding is to be done at one time, mix 

 the syrup in a larger vessel and pour from that 



