GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



one apiaries and over 2800 colonies. Twen- 

 tj'-three apiaries were diseased. Of the 2803 

 colonies I found 375 diseased, of which 215 

 were burned and 160 treated. All bees in 

 box hives were transferred to movable- 



frame hives. With the work so well under 

 way, and an increased apportionment for 

 this district, we are hopeful of very bene- 

 ficial results. 

 Salem, Ida. 



NOTES FROM GERMANY 



Horey; Some Qualities Not Generally Known. Reason why Very High Tem- 

 peratures Should be Avoided when Liquefying Honey 



BY J. A. HEBERLE, B.S. 



Honey is not a substance with a constant 

 definite cliemical composition, but a very 

 complicated compound varying considerably, 

 because it is derived from a large variety 

 of nectar-secreting blossoms and plants. 



Dr. Haenle, in his "Chemistry of Honey," 

 gives as an average for a large number of 

 analyses of pure honey from different parts 

 of Germany tlie following: 



Dextrose, 42 per cent; levulose, 35 per 

 cent; saccharose, 2 per cent, making it a 

 sugar content of 79 per cent, water about 

 20 per cent ; nitrogenous matter 1 per cent ; 

 mineral constituents, 0.2 per cent ; phos- 

 phoric acid, 0.02 per cent. 



Of the 79 per cent of sugar content in 

 honey, 77 per cent is in a form that, with- 

 out any action on the part of the digestive 

 organs, is immediately assimilated and goes 

 into the blood. 



Any one who, because of much physical 

 exertion, becomes so tired that he feels com- 

 pletely exhausted, will find that, by taking 

 a spoonful or two of honey direct, or with 

 water or a little bread, in a few minutes he 

 will be relieved of his fatigue: his strengih 

 is restored, so that he can again undertake 

 a task that requires much exertion. 



Because this sugar in honey is in a form 

 to be assimilated without .taxing the diges- 

 tive organs, Dr. Feehlmann (Schw. Bztg.) 

 called it " physiological " sugar. 



For the mineral constituents and their 

 importance to the human body, see Glean- 

 ings, p. 797, 1915. 



ENZYMES IN HONEY. 



In addition to the sugar, mineral matter, 

 ethernial, and albuminous bodies, there is 

 something very important in honey that has 

 received but little attention. Dr. Thoeni 

 said in a lecture (Schw. Bztg.) that, years 

 ago, Erlenmeyer and Planta, two eminent 

 investigators, showed that in the prepara- 

 tion of honey from nectar cane sugar was 

 converted into invert sugar, and starch into 

 dextrin and sugar. This change is caused 

 by enzymes or ferments. Auzinger showed 

 later that, besides the ferments which made 



the invert sugar called " invertose," and 

 those which change starch into dextiine, and 

 sugar called " diastose," there is still anoth- 

 er farment in the honey called " catalose." 

 This ferment has the power of converting 

 hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen. 

 Marpmann claims to have found still other 

 enzymatic bodies in honey ; but this has not 

 yet been corroborated. 



The nature of these ferments is not quite 

 understood. They seem to be bound to the 

 albumen molecules. Only the effect they 

 produce is known, but not how they come 

 into existence — how they are produced. It 

 is only known that they are derived from 

 living cells. 



Ferments, for the live process of all 

 plants and animals are of the utmost impor- 

 tance. For instance, in the digestion and 

 nourishing of the body they are indispensa- 

 able since without them assimilation is not 

 possible. The ferments are very susceptible 

 to heat. Tempeiatures less than 212 F. 

 injure tliem ; and if the heat continues for 

 a longer period they are destroyed. Because 

 the ferments are derived from living cells, 

 their functions are called biological. 



From the importance of these enzymes in 

 the process of digestion and assimilation it 

 is obvious that honey, not only on account 

 of the " physiological " sugar of which it is 

 composed, but also for the j^resence of these 

 ferments, is far superior to all other sweets, 

 no matter how costly they are nor how 

 pleasant they may be to the palate. 



At present it is not possible to produce 

 these ferments in a pure state ; besides, their 

 production would be so costly that they 

 could not be added to any of the sweets on 

 the roarket. 



Besides these ferments there is a specific 

 albumen present in honey ; but whether this 

 is altered by high temperature is not men- 

 tioned. 



I have for years recommended to my pa- 

 trons in liquefying honey not to heat above 

 122 degrees F., believing that a consider- 

 ably higher temperature would have an un- 



