1894. 



77/ /•; .1.1/ /•: in i a x n /•; /•:- 1< /•: /•; / • /•: /,• . 



89 



braces all the constituents of honey in 

 their highest state. One, and only 

 one, of the conditions that constitute 



perfection in honey is agreed u] 



and accepted as a standard of quality, 

 that is that it shall weigh at least \'.\\ 

 lbs. to the gallon. But the specific 

 gravity of honey is not the only test 

 of perfection. Flavor and aroma are 

 quite as important. Its density may 

 decide its nutritive property; but it is 

 the other two that make it grateful or 

 otherwise to the sense of the taste and 

 smell — in a word, that make it palata- 

 ble. But people's tastes differ and 

 honey collected from different classes 

 of flowers has a corresponding divers- 

 ity of flavor; hence the difficulty in 

 fixing a standard of quality for honey. 

 I am now speaking of extracted hon- 

 ey, because its quality is determined 

 by the three properties above named; 

 not so comb honey, however, because 

 trfe flavor of the beeswax it contains 

 masks the inherent flavor and aroma 

 of the honey with which it is partaken. 

 I do not mention color in this connect- 

 ion because I am treating of the ripen- 

 ing of houey, and the ripening process 

 has no appreciable effect upon its 

 color. 



I define unripe honey as that in 

 which there is an excess of water; 

 and ripe honey as thai which has been 

 brought to the recognized standard of 

 density and possessing the highest 

 possible degree of its inherent flavor 

 and aroma. I say the highest degree 

 possible, because the ripening pi 

 whether carried on in the hive, or by 

 artificial means, prejudicially affects 

 both flavor and aroma. 



Must honey when it is first stored 

 has an excess of water in it. If the 



flow be scant, and it remains a suffici- 

 ent length of time in the unsealed 

 cell.-, this excess of water will evapo- 

 rate. The high temperature of the 

 hive faciliating the work of curing. 

 If rapidly gathered it is quickly seal- 

 ed, and will remain unripe till the 

 excess of water escapes through the 

 pores of the cappings in the form of 

 invisible vapor. If extracted before 

 the excess of water has passed oil', the 

 honey will be unripe honey. The 

 fact of its having been sealed is 

 not a proof of its ripeness. A little 

 experience will enable one to tell if 

 honey is up to the standard of density 

 (without an instrumental test) provid- 

 ed its temperature is not too low. But 

 it is not so easy determining this if 

 the honey is cold, therefore the man 

 who is in the habit of curing his hon- 

 ey outside the .hive is more likely to 

 put a uniformly good article on the 

 market, than he who is governed by 

 the sealing test. 



We may now consider what changes 

 honey undergoes in the process of cur- 

 ing, apart from bringing it to the req- 

 uisite density by evaporation. The 

 principal change, other than the above 

 is the partial dissipation of its aroma. 

 What then is aroma? I think it may 

 be defined as the property imparted 

 to honey by the flowers in which it is 

 secreted, manifesting itself mainly 

 through the sense of taste, and this 

 ha- something to do in constituting 

 flavor but only so tar as the sense of 

 smell manifests itself through the me- 

 dium of the mouth. It is chiefly by 

 it.- aroma we are enabled to determine 

 the class of flowers from which the 

 honey has been gathered. Aroma i- 

 fleeting in its nature. Time and ex- 

 posure will destroy it to a great ex- 



