GRANULATED HONEY 
429 
As will be seen from the following cut, 
Mr. Dayton makes use of second-hand 60- 
pound square cans. He cuts off the top at 
a convenient height, then washes out the 
cans thoroly. For the purpose of liquefy¬ 
ing he uses eight on top of an ordinary 
cookstove. To keep the honey from burn- 
Dayton’s outfit for liquefying honey. 
ing he gets some band iron, % x 3-16, at 
some hardware store, and makes a series 
of hoops on which the cans are to stand 
while heating. Eight of them are placed 
together as shown; then, to conserve the 
heat further, a tin cover large enough to 
slip down over the whole is provided. 
With the help of this outfit Mr. Dayton 
says he can melt up 200 lbs. of honey in a 
very short time. These cans would be 
more convenient to handle, were he to take 
heavy wire, make some bails and hook 
them into holes punched on two opposite 
sides. He would then have a very service¬ 
able pail at a small cost. When the honey 
is melted, he could lift it off the stove and 
pour it into some other receptacle from the 
corner of the cans. This corner makes 
the finest kind of pitcher mouth. 
pouder’s method of liquefying. 
Undoubtedly the best arrangement for 
liquefying granulated honey in square 
cans is that formerly used by Walter S. 
Pouder. Here is what he says of it: 
For years I have depended upon the hot- 
water tank for melting five-gallon cans of 
granulated honey, but have found many in¬ 
conveniences connected with the method, 
and have been obliged to adopt a safer and 
speedier method. To take care of the ex¬ 
pansion I have used siphons, coal-oil pumps, 
funnels soldered to perforated screw caps, 
and other methods, but have always found 
a lack of tidiness; and in some instances we 
have ruined very superior honey by over¬ 
heating. If we overlooked a nail-hole near 
the bottom of the can we would find a can 
of sweetened water instead of honey; and 
in lifting heated cans from the water I have 
had the handles pull off; and the can, in 
falling back, would cause the hot water to 
slop over and scald my toes till I have se¬ 
riously wished I did not have to dabble in 
honey at all. 
I have longed for a method in which the 
liquid honey would flow away from the heat 
as fast as it became fluid, and at last I have 
such a device in use, and I believe many 
readers of this work will be interested. It 
is simply a gas oven, made of heavy galvan¬ 
ized sheet iron, and of a capacity for six 
cans, three on each side of the gas burner, 
cans to be suspended on brackets in an in¬ 
verted position with caps removed. When 
in use the honey-gate at the bottom of the 
oven is left open; and as fast as the honey 
becomes liquid it flows to the outside tank. 
Considerable experimenting was required in 
order to maintain proper temperature, and 
we have learned to regulate the temperature 
by using a thermometer before we place any 
honey in the oven. Naturally the highest 
temperature is nearest the top of the oven, 
and we are able to keep within 180 and 190, 
and the temperature declines toward the bot¬ 
tom of the oven, hot air being circulated 
thruout. Some heat is slightly radiated 
against the lower part of the cans, and I 
find this in my favor, as it tends to prevent 
openings of cans being clogged with granu¬ 
lated honey. 
The two round openings in the front are 
for ventilation, and to secure perfect com¬ 
bustion. There is a three-inch space between 
the burner and the bottom of the oven; 
cans are suspended with a 12-inch space 
between the bottoms of the cans and the 
bottom of the oven, and a two-inch space 
over the tops of the cans; and there is also 
a 12-inch space between the two rows of 
cans. We also find the device very con¬ 
venient in melting jars of granulated honey 
without so much as injuring the label by 
simply inverting the open jar on a heavy 
wire screen. 
Such an oven could be constructed for any 
capacity—for two, four, or six cans at one 
time, and could be used over a gasoline 
stove where gas is not obtainable. A ther¬ 
mostat could be added, thus making it an 
automatic arrangement; but in my business 
I have not found it necessary. The honey, 
as it flows into the outside tank, is just 
right to be strained into our bottling-tank, 
and there is no deterioration, because it 
could not be overheated. 
Visiting beekeepers pronounce the entire 
arrangement a model of perfection, and I 
submit the above description by request. 
Under Bottling Honey will be found a 
description of a similar oven using' steam. 
