63 



percent added became strongly fermented in a week's time, while only 



a slight change had taken place in the 30 per cent dilution, and at the 

 end of a month it tasted like a very poor quality of commercial 

 tracted honey or like honey dew. The 20 per cent dilution was not 

 nearly as bad, and the honey, with only 10 per cent of water added, 



was during the month returned to the consistency of very fair honey. 



Nectar extracted two or three days after the combs wen- placed in 

 the hives contained, during the dry weather of July and August, front 

 10 to 15 per cent of water above the amount always found in honey that 

 has been sealed in the comb by the bees. This was determined by 

 evaporating in test tubes in hot water. 



Summary. — (1) The method at present promising best results for 

 artificial evaporation is that by solar heat under glass well ventilated. 

 A small portion of a greenhouse or forcing-house arranged for conserv- 

 ing the heat of the sun, and so located that honey could be run into the 

 shallow vats directly from the mouth of the extractor and drawn off 

 from the bottom of the vats into marketing receptacles, should give good 

 practical results. 



(2) Very thin honey or nectar will not sour as quickly as supposed 

 by many, and may be safely kept during any period of cloudy weather 

 we may have during the hot summer months. 



(3) The method of exposing to air in a warm room can not be 

 depended upon to ripen very thin honey, although it may be service- 

 able for evaporating a very small percentage of water. 



(4) The method of evaporating by artificial heat of stove or furnace 

 is expensive and troublesome, requiring constant watching and care 

 and not giving as good results as had been hoped for. 



(5) The possibilities in the line of evaporating honey for the pm pose 

 of increasing the yield and preventing granulation are very great. A 

 series of experiments to determine the increase in production by ex- 

 tracting freshly gathered honey would be next in order and value. 

 When the utility of this method is fully demonstrated supers with 

 fixed frames and extractors holding whole cases will be used and other 

 apparatus conformable to the needs of the new system. 



FEEDtNG BACK. 



Feeding back extracted honeytosecure the completion of unfinished 



sections at the close of the harvest is practiced by some apiarists, but 

 with varying financial success. Extracted honey can be transported 

 long distances with much greater safety than can comb honey. For 



this reason it has been thought it might be profitable to fcr.l bees I \ 

 tracted honey costing 7 or 8 cents per pound to product 1 comb honey 

 selling at 13 to 15 cents, locating the apiary designed for this purpose 

 near a large city or other favorable market With the idea oi' adding 

 light upon this subject, extracted honey was fed to a number of colonies 

 under the following conditions: The hives were contracted and the 



