GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



November, 1921 



for use in queen-mailing cages on the other. 

 It is clear from this experience that the 

 cooking of the candy during the process of 

 making introduces variations which made 

 the method wholly unreliable. 



In the first series of experiments under- 

 taken the honeys were sterilized under pres- 

 sure of 15 pounds at a temperature of 250 °F. 

 for 30 minutes. A second lot of the same 

 honeys was sterilized by boiling in the open 

 air at 250 °F. for 30 minutes, and still a 

 third lot of the same honeys was diluted 

 with an equal quantity of water and evap- 

 orated by boiling until the temperature 

 reached 250 °F. It was found that during 

 the process of sterilization under pressure 

 there was a loss in the amount of levu- 

 lose in the alfalfa and white clover honeys, 

 which, however, did not show any serio\is 

 decomposition, as evidenced by discolora- 

 tion. In the case of the sage honey, how- 

 ever, there was a loss of 7.5% of the levu- 

 lose content and the sage honey became 

 quite discolored. When the honeys were 

 sterilized in the open the loss in levulose 

 for each one amounted to 7.5%, showing 

 that the effect of heating in the open tends 

 more toward the destruction of levulose 

 than when the heat is applied under pres- 

 sure. Candies were made of all these honeys 

 and whenever the mixing was done with 

 both the sugar and the honey at room tem- 

 perature the candies stayed soft. 



The reason for determining the loss of 

 levulose, which is a very unstable sugar 

 when heated at such a high temperature 

 and in the presence of a slight percentage 

 of acidity which is present in honey, was 

 due to the fact that levulose has the prop- 

 erty of absorbing moisture from the air, 

 and it was assumed that this was* perhaps 

 the reason why candies made of boiled hon- 

 eys often do not remain soft. 



Having determined that the levulose in 

 boiled honeys is partly decomposed, it was 

 thought advisable to try adding some levu- 

 lose to replace that which had been de- 

 stroyed. A candy was then made of 19 

 parts powdered sugar, 5 parts of boiled 

 honey, and 2 parts of invert sugar. When 

 this was mixed in the usual way, the re- 

 sulting candy was satisfactory. The mix- 

 ing was done while all the ingredients were 

 at room temperature. 



Other candies were made by using a 

 small amount of glycerine, which has even 

 greater ability to retain its moisture than 

 has levulose. As has been stated earlier, 

 this method had previously been used by 

 some queen-breeders. Due to the low den- 

 sity of the glycerine, more sugar can be 

 mixed in than when invert sugar or boiled 

 honey is used, and 6 parts of boiled honey, 

 1 part of glycerine, and 22 parts of pow- 

 dered sugar were used with success. How- 

 ever, unless there is no other way to obtain 

 a satisfactory candy, glycerine will not be 

 used for this purpose. The effect of gly- 

 cerine on bees has not been determined. 



Various Candies Given Severe Test. 



In order to give the various candies made 

 in these experiments as wide a range of 

 conditions as possible, some samples were 

 kept in the laboratory at ordinary room 

 temperature and humidity conditions, and 

 another lot was kept in an air-tight cabinet 

 where these conditions could be controlled. 

 The air was kept dry in this cabinet by 

 means of sulphuric acid as an absorbing 

 medium, and the relative humidity was re- 

 duced to 20%, which is as severe a test as 

 any candy in a shipping cage would encoun- 

 ter for any considerable time. The tem- 

 perature of the cabinet was maintained at 

 about 80 °F. by means of a carbon electric 

 lamp. Under these conditions, which rep- 

 resent an exceedingly dry climate with a 

 moderately high temperature, the candies 

 made by the formulae that proved the most 

 useful remained soft for three or four 

 weeks, at the end of which time they were 

 removed. 



At the beginning of the series of tests, it 

 had not come to our attention that so many 

 queen-breeders were mixing their candies 

 under heat; and, as a result, all the candies 

 were made by first sterilizing the honeys, 

 then allowing them to cool, and then mix- 

 ing the candies at room temperature. It 

 was found that practically all of the candies 

 so made remained soft enough for use as 

 long as the tests were continued. Later, 

 when we had consulted the literature more 

 thoroly tests were made by mixing the ster- 

 ilized honey with sugar at higher tempera- 

 tures, and the unsatisfactory results of 

 this method have already been explained. 



Honey at 140° or Lower for Mixing. 



The conclusion to be drawn as to ingredi- 

 ents which can be used is that boiled honey, 

 commercial invert sugar, boiled honey and 

 invert sugar mixed, or sterilized honey and 

 glycerine can all be used for the making 

 of a satisfactory candy, so far as the soft- 

 ness of the product is concerned. As for 

 the temperature at which the mixing should 

 be done, the conclusion is clear that prac- 

 tically all the trouble which the queen- 

 breeders have encountered has arisen from 

 mixing while the honey or invert sugar is 

 too hot, or in maintaining a high tempera- 

 ture during the mixing process. No harm- 

 ful results seem to follow from heating the 

 honey to about 140 °F., just before mixing 

 with cold powdered sugar. 



In conclusion, the proper way to make a 

 soft candy for queen-cages is to pour a good 

 quality of sterilized honey, or commercial 

 invert sugar, into a quantity of finely pow- 

 dered sugar, while both are at ordinary 

 room temperature. Stir the honey or in- 

 vert sugar into the powdered sugar until 

 it is no longer possible to stir with a spoon 

 or stick. Then remove the mixture to a 

 mixing board, such as the housewife uses 

 in making bread, and knead the mass thoro- 

 ly, adding more powdered sugar as it can 

 be taken up. The proper density of the 



