114 AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL,. 



and sure method to assist the bees in 

 this work. 



For this purpose there were con- 

 structed a series of six shallow pans 19 

 by 28 inches in size, with partitions 2 

 Inches in height, open on alternate ends, 

 similar to the partitions in a maple- 

 syrup evaporator. These were arranged 

 in a cabinet, one above the other, so that 

 honey entering at the top was obliged 

 to flow some 75 feet before passing out 

 at the bottom. An oil-stove was placed 

 beneath the whole, and a pipe at the 

 top caused a current of heated air to 

 pass upward over the honey. The fumes 

 of the stove were carried off by means 

 of a second pipe, in order to avoid all 

 danger of their injuring the flavor of 

 the honey. Honey of average body with 

 10 per cent, by weight of water added 

 was reduced again to the normal condi- 

 tion by passiag twice through the pans 

 at a temperature of 120°, and about 

 100 pounds per day was evaporated at 

 that temperature. Thin nectar, ex- 

 tracted from the hives very soon after 

 being gathered, was evaporated to the 

 thickness of good honey at about the 

 same rate. 



This apparatus was kept in operation 

 about ten days upon honey of various 

 thickness, and upon clear water with 

 the above definite results. The flavor 

 of the first honey was injured — probably 

 by the first acid action of the honey 

 upon the outer coating of the tin. After- 

 wards this was not as apparent. The 

 color was also somewhat affected. 



The heat of the sun was also tried for 

 purposes of evaporation. A shallow pan 

 28 by 54 inches in size was filled 3 

 inches deep with thin honey. This was 

 covered with glass 6 inches above the 

 honey, and left in the sun for four days, 

 when about 5 per cent, of the moisture 

 was evaporated. As the honey lies at 

 rest the water rises to the top, somewhat 

 aiding evaporation. The flavor and 

 color are not affected as much as by the 

 method of running through pans. In 

 this way honey wiih 30 per cent., and 

 even 40 per cent., of water added was 

 evaporated to the consistency of very 

 thick honey in three weeks' time, so 

 thick that it has not at this date showed 

 any signs of granulation. 



During favorable periods of sunshine 

 a temperature of 165° was reached. By 

 this method a tank 4 by 6 feet, with 6 

 inches of honey, and weighing 1,300 

 pounds, should be evaporated 10 per 

 cent., or from the consistency of freshly 

 gathered honey to that of average body, 

 during about two weeks in July or 

 August. 



The common method of exposing to 

 the air in open vessels in the rt^armer 

 upper story of a building was also tested 

 with honey to which 10, 20, 30 and 40 

 per cent, of water had been added. That 

 having 40 per cent, added became 

 strongly fermented in a week's time, 

 while only a slight change had taken 

 place in the 30 per cent, dilution, and 

 at the end of a month it tasted like a 

 very poor quality of commercial ex- 

 tracted honey, or like honey-dew. The 

 20 per cent, dilution was not nearly as 

 bad, and the honey, with only 10 per 

 cent, of water added, was during the 

 month returned to the consistency of 

 very fair honey. 



Nectar extracted two or three days 

 after the combs were placed in the 

 hives contained, during the dry weather 

 of July and August, from 10 to 15 per 

 cent, of water above the amount always 

 found in honey that has been sealed in 

 the comb by the bees. This was deter- 

 mined by evaporating in test tubes in 

 hot water. 



Summary. — 1. The method at present 

 promising best results for artificial evap- 

 oration is that by solar heat under glass 

 well ventilated. A small portion of a 

 greenhouse or forcing-house arranged 

 for conserving the heat of the sun, and 

 so located that honey could be run into 

 the shallow vats directly from the 

 mouth of the extractor, and drawn off 

 from the bottom of the vats into market- 

 ing receptacles, should give good practi- 

 cal results. 



2. Very thin honey or nectar will not 

 sour as quickly as supposed by many, 

 and may be safely kept during any peri- 

 od of cloudy weather we may have dur- 

 ing the hot summer months. 



3. The method of exposing to air in a 

 warm room cannot be depended upon to 

 ripen very thin honey, although it may 

 be serviceable for evaporating a very 

 small percentage of water. 



4. The method of evaporating by arti- 

 ficial heat of stove or furnace is expen- 

 sive and troublesome, requiring constant 

 watching and care, and not giving as 

 good results as had been hoped for. 



5. The possibilities in the line of 

 evaporating honey /or the purpose of 

 increasing the yield and preventing 

 granulation are very great. A series of 

 experiments to determine the increase 

 in production by extracting freshly- 

 gathered honey would be next in order 

 and value. When the utility of this 

 method is fully demonstrated, supers 

 with fixed frames and extractors holding 

 whole cases will be used, and other ap- 



