36 



tess. On tlie other hand, we have the experience and testimony of some 

 very eminent beekeepers who have practised with great success and advantage 

 the ripening of honey outside the hive. 



ElPENING INSIDE THE HiVE. 



This can readily be done, and is, no doubt, the best plan for those who 

 are not prepared to exercise great care — that is, who ar somewhat careless. 

 All that is needed is to leave the honey in the hive until all the cells are 

 sealed or capped over before removing the comb for extracting. The cap- 

 ping of the honey-cells denotes that the contents are ripe. There are some 

 beekeepers, however, who think this is not so in all cases, and that the honey 

 is better when allowed to remain in the hive for some time after it is capped. 

 The time elapsing between the storage and the capping of the honey depends 

 in a great measure on the state of the weather and the condition of the 

 honey when stored ; it may be several days before the honey is capped, 

 or in dry warm weather only a few hours after the cells are filled. Even 

 honey that is ripened in the hive should remain in a shallow tank after 

 extracting, to mature before tinning it. But more of this later. 



Ripening outside the Hive. 



It there were no disadvantages in the foregoing process, or no other 

 method of reaching the same end without disadvantages attached to it, 

 we should, as a matter of course, have to follow it ; but I maintain, in the 

 absence of direct chemical proof to the contrary, that we can produce as fine 

 honey for marketing purposes by ripening outside as within the hive, and by 

 80 doing effect an enormous saving of time, labour, and material, and secure 

 a larger crop of honey. Nothing has yet been brought forward to refute 

 the theory that the ripening of honey, as previously stated, is simply a 

 mechanical process — evaporating the surplus moisture by means of heat, 

 whether inside or outside the hive. 



Dr. E. F. Phillips, in a letter to me on this subject, says that in addition 

 to the evaporation of the water the sugars are modified very decidedly 

 in the ripening. Further, he says, " We have found that honey is subject 

 to some peculiar changes in its sugar-content after it has been throughly 

 ripened, and an efiort is now being made to find out what these changes are, 

 and their causes." 



In the season of 1883-84, after much thought, I determined to give the 

 process a trial, and had shallow tanks made, such as I recommend now. 

 The crop was ten tons of clover honey, none of which was more than par- 

 tially capped on the upper parts of the combs, and plenty was not capped 



