HEATING HONEY 183^ 



BLENDING HONEY. 



There are very few bee-keepers who find the practice 

 of heating honey from the extractor to be the best one. 

 Experience decides against it. First, study the market 

 before shipping the honey. Perhaps the honey may be on 

 hand for months ; it may candy, and this would necessi- 

 tate heating it again. Second, suppose it should happen 

 that a crop of "Red-box" honey is secured in early spring 

 (this is a white honey) and a flow from "Stringy-bark" 

 is gathered during late autiunn — of course the latter is 

 amber coloured. Had all the honey been heated when 

 extracted, the apiarist would have to make two grades of 

 it, because it is found impracticable to blend cold honey. 

 Sometimes as many as five flavours are gathered in one 

 season. Third, it is found unpayable to sell three or four 

 separate grades. Make a blend and stick to it for the 

 entire season. Other places, other practices. This is 

 perhaps against the orthodox versions of marketing 

 honey, but stick to the thing that pays. 



Here is a good practicable plan for Australasia. As 

 the honey is extracted it is put into % ton tanks without 

 straining, and left to settle. When this is accomplished 

 remove the large covers of the tanks and take off the 

 scum that has risen to the surface. This leaves the honey 

 very clear. It is then run into 60 lb. tins, sealed down, and 

 marked according to its origin. For instance, adopt the 

 initial of the plant, e.g., Y.B. for "Yellow-box," S.B. for 

 ' ' Stringy-bark, ' ' and so on. It is then packed away until 

 a favourable selling time. 



STEAM FOE HEATING. 



' ' When the winter time comes round, ' ' with high prices, 

 then is the time to sell, so proceed thus. Stoke up the 

 boiler until 30 or 40 lbs. pressure is registered, and clean 

 out the wooden vat which is made out of 1% inch kauri- 

 pine; calculate the various flavours, and the number of 

 tins of each, and ascertain, by tasting and trying colour 

 in glass, a good blend. Compute the number of tins of 



