BEEKEEPING FOR CONNECTICUT. 439 



day or two. This allows small particles of wax to rise to the siirface 

 to be skimmed off. It is then bottled or put into cans as desired. 



Honey and Its Uses. 



Honey is made from a very thin nectar gathered from the 

 flowers by the bees, and carried into their hives. It is so thin that 

 sometimes it takes over two pounds of nectar to make one pound 

 of honey. . Different flowers produce different flavors and colors, 

 as, for example, the very light and mild-flavored honey from 

 linden or sweet clover, and the dark and strong-flavored honey 

 from buckwheat. 



The chemical analysis of honey shows that it is practically all 

 invert sugar, though small proportions of fruit sugar and sucrose 

 are present. Granulation occurs quickly in some honeys and takes 

 place only after long keeping in others. Nearly all honeys granu- 

 late at the approach of cold weather and granulation is an indica- 

 tion of purity rather than of adiilteration. 



IJoney is an excellent food, being almost pre-digested, and is 

 especially recommended for children, invalids and consumptives. 

 The common belief that honey, unlike sugar, can be used safely 

 by diabetics seems not to be supported by facts. 



Bakers have found that cookies and cakes, when sweetened with 

 honey, will keep moist and palatable for a-long time, and as it is 

 in a sense a preservative, they will not mold. Fdr this reason it is 

 used in canning fruits, immense quantities of the cheaper grades 

 being employed. It is used extensively by biscuit manufacturers 

 and confectioners, one firm alone buying hundreds of tons each 

 year. 



For cooking recipes requiring honey, the reader should consult 

 Farmers' Bulletin No. 653, U. S. Department of Agriculttu-e, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Honey Plants. 



Some of the principal honey and pollen plants of Connecticut, 

 mentioned in* about the order in which they commence to yield, 

 are as follows : -. 



Skunk cabbage, willow and elm tre^, March and April. These 

 are valuable for early pollen but furnish little nectar. • 



Maples; April, pollen and nectar. 



