770 
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF HONEY 
THE QUESTION OF THE MAN. 
Some men who do well with a small busi¬ 
ness would make a failure with a large one. 
Going into beekeeping extensively requires 
not only capital and brains but a large 
amount of business ability. With the ele¬ 
ment of business ability comes the question 
of experience. Certainly no one should 
engage in the bee business in an extensive 
way unless he has had a large amount of 
practical knowledge of a kind that starts 
from the bottom and works upward. (See 
Beginning with Bees; also Backlot 
Beekeeping.) A large business gradually 
built up from a small beginning is much 
more sure of success, especially if the man 
who made the start is still the presiding 
genius of the large business. While one 
can sometimes hire a man of wide experi¬ 
ence, it is better for the boss to have the 
know how himself; otherwise, if his man 
leaves him for any cause he would be sadly 
crippled. Moreover, if he knows the busi¬ 
ness himself, his help can not impose on 
him by pretending to “know it all.” 
capital. 
Capital is another important requisite. 
This need not, however, be a serious obsta¬ 
cle if one would be willing to start with a 
small beginning and make the bees pay 
their own way, as is taught all thru this 
work. One will be much more likely to 
meet with success if he gradually enlarges 
his business, bearing in mind the danger of 
trying to expand too fast. 
specialist beekeepers; where located. 
The number of persons who make bee¬ 
keeping a specialty is constantly increas¬ 
ing; but most of the specialist beekeepers 
are located west of the Mississippi and 
north of the Ohio. Where alfalfa and sweet 
clover are grown extensively there will be 
found beekeepers who number their colo¬ 
nies by the thousand. The mountain-sage 
and orange districts of California make 
specialized beekeeping a possibility. As a 
general proposition, however, it may be 
stated that where there is one specialist 
beekeeper there are a thousand who com¬ 
bine the business of honey production with 
some other profession or business. 
SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF HONEY.— 
Ordinary well-ripened honey when ready 
for the market should run about 12 pounds 
to the gallon, normal temperatures, which 
would mean a specific gravity of from 1.40 
to 1.45, or on the Baume scale from 41 to 
43. (See Baume Hydrometer under Honey 
Analysis.) It should, however, be noted 
that a gallon can that will hold ; '-12 pounds 
of ripe honey at normal temperatures Vill 
hold only 11 pounds 12 ounces' when that 
honey is heated to 160 degrees to prevent 
granulation. When, however, this honey 
cools, 4 ounces more of cold honey can be 
added, but as a rule most gallon cans of 
honey contain that amount less than the 
12 pounds, and should be so labeled to 
conform to state and federal laws. 
There are some honeys that run about 
11 Y 2 lbs. to the gallon, but they should 
never be put in sealed cans nor marketed 
when as thin as that, as they are almost 
sure to sour. They should rather be stored 
in open vats or cans in a dry room for a 
few weeks, so that the excess of moisture 
can escape. Honey exposed in a damp at¬ 
mosphere will take on more moisture. It 
is, therefore, important that the artificial 
ripening process take place in a warm dry 
room, heated artificially if necessary. As 
a rule, it is not wise to extract honey in the 
eastern States unless three-fourths of all 
the cells are capped over; and sometimes 
then the honey should be left on the hive 
until all the cells are sealed. In the west¬ 
ern States where there is a drier atmos¬ 
phere, or during extremely hot dry weather 
in the East, a larger percentage of un¬ 
sealed cells may be permissible at the time 
the combs are extracted; but it is best to 
store in open cans for a short time before 
shipping. See Honey, Analysis of. 
When honey is not thoroly ripened—- 
where it runs a little short of 12 lbs. to the 
gallon, the thinner portion is apt to rise 
to the top while the heavier part will settle 
to the bottom (see Extracted Honey). The 
top will have a tendency to sour, and it will 
not be long before the whole mass will be 
involved. If the souring or fermenting pro¬ 
cess has not gone too far, the honey may be 
saved by heating, thus destroying the yeast 
plant. But if it has gone too far, nothing 
can be done but convert it into vinegar. See 
Vinegar. 
SPIKEWEED (Centromadia pungens). 
—A branching annual with spinescent 
sweet-scented leaves. The yellow flowers 
