1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



665 



the future we hope to see a much larger number of exhibitors, 

 and if need be smaller quantities exhibited, though we think 

 that bee-keepers 3an have all the space they will occupy. 



In conclusion we may say that we suppose no other State 

 can boast of finer Fair Grounds than those at Springfield, 111. 

 Nor are there any larger or better equipped buildings. It 

 seems to us that no pains should be spared to make it the 

 greatest annual event in the West, so that all the railroad 

 companies would make at least a one-half rate. It is already 

 the great World's Pair on a smaller scale. 



Letters Soliciting: Honey have been sent out 

 quite liberally the past month or two. One of our subscribers 

 writes that he has received no less than four within one 

 month, all being the same wording, but signed by supposedly 

 different Chicago firms. Of course it's a "ring" letter — one 

 used by several so-called " honey-firms," but all probably hav- 

 ing the same backing, as stated in the Bee Journal last week. 



We hope that our readers will send us all such letters, and 

 also anything out of the ordinary that they may receive, so 

 that we can look them up and report on them in the Bee 

 Journal. We must work together in such matters if we ex- 

 pect to stop fraudulent firms from fleecing bee-keepers. After 

 a few more "rounds" like we have given them lately, we 

 think they will find it doesn't pay to send "baity" letters to 

 bee-keepers. They of course think that bee-keepers are all 

 thick-headed dunces, and will " bite " at anything. But they'll 

 find out pretty soon that the bee-keepers who read the bee- 

 papers are not such fools as they supposed them to be. 



Granulation of Honey. — In the British Bee Jour- 

 nal for July, 1896, there appeared an interesting editorial on 

 the granulation of honey, which we take pleasure in reproduc- 

 ing for the benefit of our readers : 



The considerable variation in time during which honey 

 will remain liquid is a constant source of puzzlement to bee- 

 keepers, and the cause of a regular repetition of the inquiry. 

 How long a time elapses before honey granulates or becomes 

 solid? Those who have had much experience of the matter, 

 however, know that the length of time cannot possibly be 

 fixed. A fairly accurate calculation may no doubt be made, 

 under certain circumstances, by those who have handled 

 honey gathered In various districts where special kinds of 

 bee-forage are regularly grown, as to whether a particular 

 crop is likely to granulate soon, or keep liquid for a year or 

 so. But it is little beyond a more or less safe guess in any 

 case ; a guess ventured upon in view of the weather conditions 

 at the time of gathering and the source from whence the 

 honey is obtained. This is about all that can be done in 

 "timing" granulation without the need for dipping more 

 deeply into the science of the subject than the ordinary bee- 

 keeper cares to do. 



We may, however, just touch upon the scientific view of 

 the question by observing that honey consists of two distinct 

 saccharine portions, viz.: dextrose (grape-sugar) — this may be 

 termed the crystalline portion — and levulose (fruit-sugar), 

 which is incapable of crystallization. Chemically, however, 

 these two substances, though dissimilar In the respect men- 

 tioned above, are identical in composition. Both containing 

 particles of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen in the proportion 

 of six to twelve to six ; the chemical formula being Cb H12 Oe. 

 They are also identical in most of their chemical reactions, 

 while possessing widely different physical properties. The 

 crystalline portion (dextrose) turns a ray of polarized light to 

 the right, and the non-crystalline (levulose) turns the polar- 

 ized ray to the left. 



The great bulk of normal honey consists of almost equal 

 parts of dextrose and levulose — or invert sugar as it is usually 

 called — water, and a minute quantity of formic acid ; but the 

 actual proportions sometimes vary, and, according to the 

 source from whence the nectar is gathered, one may pre- 

 dominate over the other, thus either retarding or accelerating 

 granulation. Another cause of variation in the time during 

 which honey granulates may be brought about mechanically, 

 as It were; as whenever it happens that honey, while in the 

 comb, begins to granulate, and is afterward extracted, some 

 portion of the crystals may remain behind in the comb, thus 



causing the non-crystallizable sugar (or levulose) to predomi- 

 nate. Such honey — from which the dextrose is partially sep- 

 arated — will, no doubt, remain liquid for a long time. 



The widely-varied action of time so far as affecting gran- 

 ulation, is also shown by noting its effect on honey gathered 

 from different sources. To illustrate the point let us take 

 two types of honey, each having distinctly different character- 

 istics in this line, viz.: that from white clover and from mus- 

 tard. Clover honey — collected in a good season for that prod- 

 uct, %. e., one of continuous warm, dry weather during the 

 gathering time — will, if well kept in a suitable place, generally 

 retain its liquid condition for one or two years (often more) 

 without any appreciable deterioration in quality, whether in 

 comb or in jars. (Within the last few days we partook of a 

 section of clover honey gathered in 1894, the condition and 

 quality of which was simply perfect in every respect.) But 

 the same variety of honey gathered under different weather 

 conditions will, in some seasons, granulate before the end of 

 the same year. 



On the other hand, honey from the mustard-fields in Lin- 

 colnshire, gathered in the finest and driest of weather, will 

 become quite solid in a couple of weeks after being extracted. 

 The difference, then, in time of granulating largely depends 

 on the component parts of the honey dealt with, and for the 

 rest upon the weather condition at the time of gathering. 

 And these facts should make clear the impossibility of fixing 

 the time for granulation by rule of thumb. 



Regarding the temperature for keeping comb honey liquid 

 as long as possible, about 65° to 75° is generally considered 

 best for the purpose. To store it either at a much higher, or 

 at, say 10° lower than the temperature stated is not nearly so 

 effectual as a preservative. 



But the keeping properties of extracted honey are largely 

 dependent on the bee-keeper himself, so far as knowing what 

 samples are likely to remain in good condition, and those in 

 which fermentation is sure to be set up if kept beyond the 

 season in which they are gathered. Thin honey — we mean 

 thin extracted — never keeps well. Moreover, the watery por- 

 tion which rises to the top of honey in bulk, should never be 

 mixed along with that intended for keeping. A small portion 

 of such thin, watery stuff, instead of being itself ripened by 

 blending with ripe honey of good consistency, will rather tend 

 to spoil the lot by setting up fermentation. 



Against Foul Brood in Minnesota.— At the 



meeting of the Southeastern Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Associa- 

 tion at Winona, Sept. 15, the following resolutions were 

 unanimously adopted : 



Whereas, There now exists in several localities in this 

 State, and in our near vicinity in neighboring States, a disease 

 in our colonies known as foul brood, which has proven to be 

 very destructive and contagious, completely destroying bees in 

 large territories ; and. 



Whereas, It is the unanimous desire of the Southeastern 

 Minnesota Bee-Keepers' Association that this infection shall 

 be stamped out ; now, therefore, be it 



Resolved, That a committee of three be appointed by our 

 President (of which he shall be ex-o(ficio chairman) to attend 

 the annual meeting of the Minnesota State Bee-Keepers' Asso- 

 ciation ; and that they be instructed to co-operate with said 

 Association in any measures that may be decided upon to pre- 

 vent and control the spread of this disease ; and be it further 



Resolved, That said committee be instructed to compile 

 the names of bee-keepers of the State of Minnesota, in order 

 that printed copies of this resolution, together with a paper 

 setting forth in detail the method it is found most desirable to 

 pursue in obtaining legislation ; and urging them that they 

 each individually either see or write their Representative, 

 asking his aid in our behalf. 



In compliance with the foregoing, a committee was ap- 

 pointed composed of the following: John Turnbull, of La 

 Crescent, Chairman Ex-officio ; S. W. Judge, of Pickwick ; W. 

 J. Stahmann, of Weaver ; and Joseph H. Bolton, of St. Paul. 



It is hoped that the bee-keepers of Minnesota will heartily 



co-operate with the committee in their efforts to rid the State 



of foul brood. 



< . > 



Honey-Recipes. — We wish to request all who know 

 reliable recipes in which honey Is used (and that are not now 

 found In the pamphlet, " Honey as Food and Mediciene "), to 

 send them to us, as we desire to put them in the next lot we 

 have printed. We want especially any good recipes for mak- 

 ing honey-candies. We will also publish in the Bee Journal 

 all that are sent in. Kindly let us have them at once. 



