1872.] 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



103 



Dzierzon. The apiarian has therefore to strive 

 to obtain : 



1. Fundamental, theoretical knowledge of the 

 nature, the life and habits of the bee. Baron 

 von Berlepsch, says truly : "Before all, learn 

 the theory, otherwise you will remain practical 

 blunderers all your lives." 



2. Rational bee-culture, viz. : a knowledge 

 based on a thorough understanding of the na- 

 ture and object of handling bees. 



3. A skilful separation and selection of the 

 various species of honey as regards their quali- 

 ties and effects, when it is gathered from the 

 hive. 



4. The greatest care in gathering, purifying, 

 and preserving of honey. 



5. Conscientiousness as regards the faithful 

 performance of these things. 



a. Concerning the obtaining, purifying, and 

 preserving of honey. 



Order is the soul of all work, and especially 

 in the manipulation of honey ; and not less valu- 

 able is purity. (1) Since the mixing of honey 

 with flour, bread, milk, fat, or acids produces 

 fermentation and sourness ; hence knives, to 

 which the yeast of bread clings, should not be 

 used by the apiarian. 



In harvesting the honey, the combs should be 

 assorted immediately upon their removal from 

 the hive, in the following manner : 



No. 1. Virgin honey. 



No. 2. Honey in older combs. 



No. 3. Combs, containing either bee-bread 

 or dead brood. 



No 4. Empty combs. 



Each of these species of combs will come into 

 use. From the honey combs, will all cells con- 

 taining bee-bread or dead brood be cut out, and 

 thrown with the refuse of No. 4. 



Now we begin with the honey. Take a large 

 dish, place over it two sticks or a wooden frame, 

 and place upon this a tin or earthen colender, or 

 a sieve of brass wire. 



Then take comb No. 1 — the virgin honey ; 

 remove with a sharp knife the caps of the cells 

 and the comb on the dish, with the uncapped 

 side upon the sieve. When the honey has run 

 out, uncap the opposite side and treat it in the 

 Bame way. When this is also emptied, the 

 combs can be cut into quite small 'pieces, and 

 these placed in the sieve to drain. 



The cold honey collected in this manner, is 

 not yet in a state fit to be preserved ; it should 

 be placed in vessels, and allowed to rest for some 

 days, when it will come to the top, from whence 

 it can easily be removed. 



Honey thus obtained is the best, remains good 

 for many years, and should alone be used as a 

 medicine. 



Now honey No. 2 is to be extracted in the 

 same manner as No. 1 ; this species is generally 

 very good. 



No. 3 is never used by me, but mixed with 

 the remains of Nos. 1 and 2, and sold to the ba- 

 kers and distillers, who put it all into one kettle, 



(1) Emperor Charles IV. commands purity when 

 refining honey and wax: Cap. de V., 34. 



pour water upon it, evaporate it, and press it out 

 and use it in their manufactures. 



When one desires to use the remains of Nos. 

 1 and 2, and the honey combs of No. 3, place 

 all together in a glazed earthen pot ; place this 

 in a larger pot or in a vessel with water, which 

 should be gradually brought to the boiling point. 

 During this time the mass should be stirred with 

 a wooden spoon, until it becomes a homogenous 

 mass. Now take the pot out of the water and 

 let it remain quiet for 24 hours, during which 

 time the wax, &c, will come to the top and har- 

 den. Now cut with a knife at the edge of the 

 wax an opening, and allow the honey to run out 

 gradually ; let it remain for some days, skim it 

 often, and then place it in vessels. * 



Honey that has crystallyzed in the cells will, 

 by this means, be liquified. 



The pot can also have at its bottom a tap 

 hole, into which a cork or wooden stopper could 

 be inserted, through which, after cutting a hole 

 in the wax for the admission of air, the honey, 

 bright and pure, can be immediately tapped into 

 the vessels or jars in which it is to be kept. 



Others render the honey in a simpler manner. 

 They take the combs and mash them to a jelly 

 either with a spoon or with their hands, and place 

 it as may be convenient, in a vessel on the window 

 in the sun, or in a roasting oven somewhat warm 

 (usually, after the cooking is done and the fire 

 checked), or upon the stove, or in the bake oven, 

 after the bread has been removed, and is then 

 managed as before described. I must also add, 

 that the hands must be washed before begin- 

 ning this work, and the vessels and instruments 

 used for nothing else. 



The methods of purifying the honey with 

 chalk, wood, bone charcoal, white of an egg, 

 alum, tanin, milk, oak bark, nitric acid, gall- 

 nuts, thorough filtering, casting red-hot iron 

 into it, adding brandy, thinning with water and 

 afterwards evaporating, removes in some meas- 

 ure the acids contained in it, and the false taste, 

 but also weakens the other worthy qualities of 

 honey, so that honey treated in such a manner 

 is often nothing but a sweet material, devoid of 

 any healing, balsamic qualities. Also by being 

 purified by heat, the honey loses much of its 

 true color, taste, and virtue. 



It was so easy for me to prepare and purify 

 my honey, that it was free from all false taste, 

 and was sweet and pleasaut tasted ; and as this 

 unpleasant taste is often the necessary attribute 

 of this balsamic ambrosia, and by its removal, 

 the healing virtues of honey are more and more 

 lost, one must accustom himself to the taste. 



I render and purify my honey upon a quite sim- 

 ple and natural manner, upon the cold plan, with- 

 out any pressure or force. Since through pres- 

 sure, heat, or the usual methods of violently 

 emptying the combs, injurious substances are 

 introduced into the honey. I obtain from 100 

 pounds of sealed honey hardly 60 pounds of pure 

 honey, which is of the best quality, and contains 

 the true balm of life. 



The residue I sell to the cake bakers at a very 

 low rate. 



In taking the honey out of the vessels, do not 



