4) 
As soon as the sugar has begun to dissolve, prior to boil- 
ing, the spoon or paddle used in stirring should be removed 
from the kettle. The candy should not be stirred while cook- 
ing; to do it will cause a coarse grain. Remove from the 
“stove and cool to 125°-130° F. (or 51.6°-54.4° C.), when 
the specified boiling point has been reached. While cooling, 
in order to equalize the temperature, the mass may be 
stirred; or preferably, when cooled to the specified degree, 
it should be stirred until it commences to grain. “Mr. Ful- 
ler’s directions are to stir vigorously until the mass appears 
in color and consistency like boiled starch or paste. At once 
pour into molds or feeders and cool. 
Fine-grain Fondant for Queen Cages. — Another way to 
cool the candy is to prepare a marble slab 2 or 3 feet square 
with bars of square iron, making a form. The candy may 
be poured upon the marble, and with broad putty knives, 
similar to those used by paper hangers, the mass may be 
beaten or worked upon the marble. Experience teaches that 
this, which is virtually a confectioner’s method, produces a 
finer grain and usually a whiter fondant than when stirred 
in the kettle. This is the process in preparing candy for 
use in queen mailing cages, or the transportation of bees. 
By it, a firmer consistency is usually obtained. 
As a warning or explanation it may be said that the higher 
the temperature at which the candy is boiled the harder it 
will become; consequently, by varying the boiling point at 
which the candy is removed from the stove, the hardness or 
softness of the product may be governed. Furthermore, as 
is the experience of confection makers, candy should be 
boiled to one or two degrees higher on cloudy or humid days 
than on a clear, dry day. By means of a thermometer and 
a little experience, these features are readily learned. 
Storing the Candy.— The fondant is best stored in 
earthen crocks, either as a mass or in the feeders. These 
preserve the normal moisture.- Over the mass should be 
placed a sheet of paraffin paper upon which is.a moist cloth 
or towel. The crock should be covered. Queen-cage candy 
should always be kept in this way in order to preserve its 
