The Globe-republican., 1896-12-03
Gr.nul.tion OF Honey.

Grsnulation OF Honey.
In the British Bee Journal appears
the following article: The consider
able variation in time during which
honey will remain liquid Is constant
source of puczlcment to bee-keepers,
and the cause of a regula. repetition OF
the inquiry, How long time elapses
before honey graduates or becomes
solid? Those who have had much ex-
perience Of the matter, however. know
that the length Of time cannot posi-
bly, be fixed. A fairly accurate calcula-
ton may no doubt be made, under Ger.
tain circumstances, by those who have
handled honey gathered in various dis
tricts where special kinds of bee-forage
are regularly grown, as to whether
particular crop is likely to granulate
soon, or keep liquid for year or so.
But it is little beyond more or less
safe. guess in any case; a guess ven
tured upon in view of the weather con-
ditions at the time of gathering and
the source from whence the honey is
w
done in timing granulation without
the need for dipping more deeply into
the science of the subject than the or
binary bee-keeper cares to do. We
may, however. just touch upon the
scientific view of the question by OBJ
serving. that honey consists Of two
distinct saccharine portions, viz, dex-
trose (grape-sugar)-this may be term
ed the crystalline portion-and levu-
lose (fruit-sugar), which is incapable
OF crystalliZation. Chemically, how
ever, these two substances, though dis
similar in the respect mentioned above,
are identical in composition. Both con-
tanning particles of carbon, hydrogen.
and oxygen in the proportion Of six to
twelve to six; the chemical formula
being CO H12 O6. They are also iden-
teal in most Of their chemical reac-
tons, while possessing widely differ
ent physical properties. The crystal
line portion (dextrose) turns ray Of
polarized light to the right, and the
non-crystalline Qevulose) turns the
polarized ray to the left. The great
bulk Of normal honey consists of al
most equal parts of dextrose and levu-
lose-or invert sugar, as it is usually
called-water. and a minute quantity
Of formic acid: but the actual proper
tons sometimes vary, and, according
to the source from whence the nectar
is gathered, one may predominant over
the other. thus either retarding or ac-
celebrating granulation. Another cause
of variation in the time during which
honey graduates may be brought about
mechanically, as it were; as when
ever it happens that the honey, while
in the comb, begins to granulate, and
is afterward extracted, some portion Of
the crystals may remain behind in the
comb, thus causing the non-crystalli-
Fable sugar Tor levulose) to predomi-
nate. Such honey-from which the
dextrose is partially separated-will,
no doubt. remain liquid for a long
time. The widely-varied action of time
so far as affecting granulation, is also
shown by noting its effect on honey
gathered from different sources To
illustrate the point let us take two
types of honey, each having distinctly
different characteristics in this line,
viz, that from white clover and from
mustard. Glover honey-collected in
a good season for that product, viz,
one of continuous warm, dry weather
during the gathering time-will, if
we'll kept in a suitable place, generally
retain it's liquid condition for one or
two years (often more) without any
deterioration in quality, whether in
comb or in jars. (Within the last few
days we partook of section of clover
honey gathered in 1894, the condition
and quality of which was simply per-
feet in every respect) But the same
variety of honey gathered under differ
ent weather conditions will, in some
seasons, granulate before the end of
the same year. On the other hand,
honey from the mustard-felds in Lin
colnshire, gathered in the finest and
dryest of weather. will become quite
solid in a couple of weeks after being
extracted. The difference, then, in
time of graduating largely depends
on the component parts of the honey
dealt with. and for the rest upon the
weather conditions at the time of
gathering. And these facts should
make clear the impossibility of fixing
the time for granulation by rule of
thumb. Regarding the temperature for
keeping honey liquid as long as pos
sible, about IS to Is degrees is gener-
ally considered best for the purpose.
To store it either at much higher, OF
at, say 10 degrees lower than the tenn
perature stated is not nearly so effect |
ual as . nr,%arvative. But the keeping |
properties of extracted honey are large |
ly dependent On the bee-keeper him |
self, as far as knowing what samples |
are likely to remain in good condition,
and those in which fermentation is |
sure to be set up if kept beyond the |
season in which they are gathered. |