212 THE HONEY-BEE. 



top bar of the grate is let down, so as to permit of its 

 nearer approach to a greater heat. Should there be 

 any irregularity of the fire, it should now be corrected, 

 but flame should be prevented, as the mixture, having 

 parted with its water, will be liable to take fire if 

 brought into contact with flame. It will be well 

 here to remark that so long as the scum remains on 

 the syrup there was a tendency in the whole to boil 

 over, since the water evolved in the form of steam 

 while the boiling was going on, accumulating in a 

 body, would lift the scum above the saucepan to 

 enable it to escape, but when the scum was gone 

 the water would be evolved in bubbles of steam, 

 which would crackle but not boil over unless a very 

 intense heat were applied. The duration of the 

 boiling of the clarified syrup, before it becomes 

 liquid barley-sugar, will depend upon the amount of 

 heat and the consequent evolution of water to which 

 it is subjected ; but trials may from time to time be 

 made by dropping a little on some cold sui'faces, to 

 see if it becomes brittle, and when that state is arrived 

 at it is done. Pour it into a tin dish, set it in a dry 

 cool place until it becomes hard, and then, by striking 

 the tin on its under side, the whole of the barley-sugar 

 will be splintered into fragments, when it may be 

 placed in bottles and corked up for use as required." 



We have thought it advisable to quote these 

 directions in extenso, as the feeding material thus 

 made is cheaper — by about half the cost — than what 

 is bought in shops, and being, moreover, not twisted 

 like ordinary barley-sugar, it can more conveniently 

 be placed on the top of frames, or over the feeding- 

 hole of a skep. 



