214 



THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



tracted when "green" and evaporated 

 in the open .lir, is not only lacking in 

 the element that comes trom the secre- 

 tions of the bees, but its blossom-tlavor 

 is half lost by evaporation. To be 

 sure, evaporation must take place if 

 left in the hive, but evaporation in the 

 open air, and evaporation in the 

 aroma-laden air of the hive iiroduce 

 different results. 



One reason why comb honey is, in so 

 many instances, fonnd to be more de- 

 licious than the extracted, is because 

 the former is more thoroug'hly ripened, 

 and then sealed up from the air. Sel- 

 dom do we find extracted honey equal 

 to that dripping from and surrounding 

 the section of comb honey that is being 

 carved upon the plate Many of those 

 who produce extracted honey in large 

 quantities, extracting before it is 

 thoroughly ripened, admit that such 

 honey is inferior, as a table sauce, to 

 that ripened by the bees, but they say 

 they cannot afford to produce the best 

 article possible. The quantity of 

 honey is not materially lessened by 

 thorcughl}' ripening it; if larger crops 

 are secured by extracting it "green," 

 it is the result of the stimulus given the 

 bees by furnishing them such an 

 abundance of empty combs. By the 

 use plenty of store combs and supers, 

 the same results, or nearly the same, 

 may be obtained, and the ripening of 

 the honey secured by tiering up. The 

 interest upon the cost of extra combs 

 and supers is a small thing compared 

 with the putting of unripe honey upon 

 the market. By the use of plenty of 

 combs, tiering them up, the work of 

 extracting may be put off until the 

 busy season is over. The great trou- 

 ble is the lack of incentive for produc- 

 ing well-ripened honey for the general 

 market. The production of extracted 

 hone3' to be shipped away for some 

 commission merchant to sell, is much 

 like making butter to be sold at a 

 country store. All brings the same 

 price. White clover honey brings so 



much; buckwheat so much. The honey 

 with the fine, delicate flavor, the 

 thoroughl}' bee-ripened, wel'-preserved, 

 superior article, will not bring one 

 cent more in the general market than 

 the ordinary, pretty good hone}'. Per- 

 haps, for manufacturing purposes, 

 there is no advantage in having such a 

 superior article, but for table sauce 

 there is; and the only way in which 

 the man who produces a really super- 

 ior article can hope to receive pay for 

 his extra trouble, is by selling direct 

 to consumers, or by establishing a 

 reputation for his hone}' among dealers 

 and their customers. The only secret 

 in producing a superior grade of ex- 

 tracted honey, honey that will be the 

 equal of that that drips from the deli- 

 cate morsel of comb at the tea table, is 

 that of leaving it on the hive until it is 

 sealed and thoroughly ripened. Leav- 

 the honey on the hive a few weeks 

 after it is sealed seems to give an 

 addted ripeness or richness. Of course, 

 robbers are ready to give trouble after 

 the close of the season, but the use of 

 bee escapes overcomes this difficulty. 

 When the supers are freed from bees 

 by the use of bee escapes, the honey is 

 usually cold bj' the time it is off the 

 hive, it having lost the heat imparted 

 to it by the bees, and it does not extract 

 nearly so easily as though the bees 

 had been brushed off and the honey 

 extracted immediately. The proper 

 course is to stack the supers up in a 

 warm room, one heated by a stove, 

 until the honey is warmed through, 

 when it may be thrown out vvith the 

 greatest ease. I am aware that this 

 system is not the one usually followe3, 

 but I believe it has decided advantages 

 over other sj'stems, and results in 

 honey of a superior quality. Have 

 plenty of combs and supers; tier up the 

 same as in the production of comb 

 honey; leave the combs on the hive until 

 the honey is thoroughly ripened; re- 

 move the honey by the use of bee 

 escapes, and warm it up artificially 



