x 92 PROFITABLE BEE-KEEPING • 



The honey should be drawn off into a honey- 

 ripener. This is a tall, cylindrical vessel, shaped 

 something; like a milk churn, and is fitted with a 

 strainer and lid. Its purpose is to ripen the 

 honey. When honey is extracted there is a con- 

 siderable quantity thrown out of the cells which 

 has not been sealed over by the bees. This 

 honey is unripe, and if it is bottled along with 

 the ripe honey will cause fermentation. 



The ripener i§, for the purpose of separating this 

 thin honey, which should not be sold, but may 

 be fed back to the bees. Having filled the ripener, 

 then, place it in a warm corner and- allow it to 

 stand for a week. It will now be found that the 

 thin honey has risen to the top, and as all ripeners 

 are fitted with valves at the bottom the good 

 honey may be drawn off, leaving the thin behind. 



We now come to the putting up of honey for 

 sale, and the methods employed are various. First 

 let me say that cleanliness and neatness, combined 

 with good taste, are the great secret of it all. 

 Take whatever form of package you like, but your 

 ultimate success in finding a market rests in the 

 main on your observance of the qualities men- 

 tioned. 



For the retail trade, or for shopkeepers, ex- 

 tracted honey is usually sold in pound and half- 

 pound screw-cap jars. These jars are fitted with 

 a cork wad, and if tastefully, labelled they are 

 particularly attractive. For the wholesale market 



