THE PRODUCTION OF HONEY. 
487 
containing dextrose having frequently been added in 
bygone days with this very object. The candying or 
granulation can be removed by heating, and the best 
plan is the water-bath — i.e.^ a double vessel, like a 
glue-pot, the outer one containing boiling water, the 
inner the substance to be heated. In this way the 
honey cannot be appreciably injured; from which it 
follows that new comb honey, in the absence of an 
extractor, may be melted down. Carry the heating 
only far enough to thoroughly liquefy the wax, and 
then allow to cool : if the vessel has taper sides, the 
wax can be most readily removed. 
The beautiful, rich-coloured, and highly-flavoured 
honey obtained from heather, the pride of the Scotch 
hills, is, for the two or three days following gathering, 
extremely limpid, dropping on the slightest jar from 
the comb, if the latter be held in a horizontal position ; 
yet it becomes so gelatinous when ripened that the 
contents of a single cell, if successfully removed, will 
retain its hexagonal figure for some time, and this 
apparently from the presence of one or other of the 
pectose group of bodies allied to arabine. The ex- 
tractor is now unable to dislodge it, and Mr. Raitt, 
whose name is so closely associated with heather honey, 
has met the case by devising the honey press (Fig. 12 1 ), 
respecting which he has favoured the Author with the 
following particulars. The usual method hitherto em- 
ployed in getting drained heather honey has been by 
mashing the combs, and then expressing the honey 
by means of strainer cloth ; and to do so with any 
degree of success the broken-up combs had to be 
heated. Even then the process was both uncleanly 
