282 Care of Extracted Honey. 
and still have the honey thick and nearly ripe, as it is styled. 
I have proved over and over that honey may be extracted 
when quite thin, and artificially ripened or evaporated, and 
equal the very best. However, as there is danger of imper- 
fect ripening, it is wisest to leave it in the combs till the 
bees commence capping it. Many tier up and leave all in 
the hive till the busy season is over, then extract all, when 
the honey is of course thick and of the best quality. This 
is the method advised and practiced by such able authorities 
asthe Dadants. Ifthe honey granulates, it can be reduced 
to the fluid state with no injury, by heating, though the 
temperature should never rise above 200° F.. This can 
best be done by placing the vessel containing the honey in 
another containing water, though if the second vessel be 
set on a stove, a tin basin or pieces of wood should prevent 
the honey vessel from touching the bottom, else the honey 
will burn. As before stated, the best honey is pretty sure 
to crystallize, but it may be prevented by keeping it in a 
temperature which is constantly above 80° F. If canned 
honey is set on top of a furnace in which a fire is kept burn- 
ing, it will remain liquid indefinitely. If honey is heated 
to 180° F. and sealed, it will generally remain ever after 
liquid. Granulated honey, if reduced will often remain 
permanently liquid. It is a curious fact that unripe honey 
is quicker to granulate than is honey that is thoroughly 
evaporated. 
The fact that honey granulates is the best test of its purity. 
To be sure, some honey does not crystallize, but if honey 
does we may pretty safely decide that it is unadulterated. 
To render the honey free from small pieces of comb or 
other impurities, it should either be passed through a cloth 
or wire sieve—I purposely refrain from the use of the word 
strainer, as we should neither use the word strained, nor 
allow it to be used, in connection with extracted honey—or 
else draw it off into a barrel, with a faucet or molasses gate 
near the lower end, and after all particles of solid matter 
have risen to the top, draw off the clear honey from the 
bottom. In case of very thick honey, this method is not 
so satisfactory as the first. I hardly need say that honey, 
