U. S. D. A.. P». R. Bui. 75, Part I. A., December 19, 1907. 



MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



PRODUCTION AND CARE OF EXTRACTED HONEY 



By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D., 

 In Charge of Apiculture. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Since the invention of the centrifugal honey extractor, in 1865, and 

 its introduction into America, a constantly increasing proportion of 

 the honey of the United States has been put on the market as ex- 

 tracted. Formerly honey was rendered free from comb by mashing 

 full combs of honey and straining the liquid through a cloth. This is 

 * strained honey," but the same name still clings, in some quarters, to 

 the article removed from the comb by centrifugal force. The pro- 

 duction of extracted honey requires much less labor on the part of 

 the bee keeper than does the production of comb honey, and it has 

 several advantages over the latter. The principal reason why ex- 

 tracted honey, is more generally produced in the United States than 

 formerly may probably be found in the increasing demand for honey 

 for baking and confectionery purposes; considerably more than half 

 of the honey put on the markets is used in this way. 



The ease with which extracted honey may be adulterated has, how- 

 ever, made the general public sceptical as to its use for table purposes; 

 glucose, cane sugar, invert sugar, and other adulterants have been 

 very extensively used, and are still used to some extent. However, 

 the passage of the food and drugs act of June 30, 1906, and the recent 

 work of this Department in the inspection of the honey market have 

 resulted in much good, and persons who have openly adulterated ex- 

 tracted honey in the past are now generally obeying the law. While 

 there is still some cause for complaint, the percentage of adulteration 

 must gradually decrease. The effect of pure-food agitation can not 

 but result in great good to the honest honey producer and bottler. 



The chemical detection of honey adulteration has been made more 

 certain by the recent investigations of Dr. C. A.. Browne, of (he 

 Bureau of Chemistry, and because of the improved methods advo- 

 cated by him the detection of infringements of pure-food laws will 



l 



