122 AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL 



tons of clover honey, and it was so successful that I 

 have continued the method since, both as a private bee- 

 keeper and as Director of the New Zealand Govern- 

 ment Apiaries with equal success. 



As I have already pointed out, during a heavy flow 

 of honey, when it is left in the hive to ripen it is 

 necessary to keep adding top boxes to take advantage 

 of the flow, as the honey w^ill be stored faster than it 

 can be ripened. This means the providing of a large 

 quantity of extra material and combs at considerable 

 cost. Each top box would be worth at least 2S. 6d., 

 and the nine frames of comb at is. 3d. each, us. 3d., 

 making a total of 13s. gd. ; and two of these extra 

 boxes may sometimes be needed for each hive if full 

 advantage is to be taken of the conditions mentioned. 



RIPENING AND MATURING TANKS. 



The most effective method of ripening and maturing 

 honey is to expose a large surface of comparatively 

 shallow mass to a warm, dry, atmosphere. Even when 

 the honey is allowed to ripen within the hive it is 

 necessary to have shallow tanks to mature or clarify 

 it, for, no matter how small in the mesh the strainer 

 may be or how carefully the honey is strained, it is 

 impossible to prevent very fine particles of wax and 

 pollen-grains running from the extractor into the tank 

 with the honey. If the body of the honey is deep these 

 particles cannot rise to the surface as they do in a 

 shallow tank, forming a scum, which, when skimmed 

 off, leaves the honey in the very best form for market. 

 Air-bubbles, which in themselves may contain moisture 

 (and it is absolutely certain that honey containing air- 

 bubbles quickly deteriorates), cannot rise or escape 

 through a deep mass of honey. 



The tank shown in Fig. 76 is, as indicated, 6 ft. 

 long, 4 ft. wide in the two compartments, and 20 

 in. deep, outside measurements ; and calculated to 

 hold about 1,250 lbs. of honey in each compartment. 

 It represents those in use at the Government Apiaries, 

 which are made of i^ in. timber, and lined with stout 



