. Beekeeping in Illinois. Bees; Bee culture. Summer Management : Honey Production 67 called the Pfund Color Grader, a wedge-shaped glass trough is filled with honey and matched in color with a colored glass wedge. The matching area on the wedge, measured in millimeters, gives a color rating for the honey sample. The moisture content, or soluble-solids content, of honey can be measured with a refractometer or a honey hydrometer. Refractom- eters cost $100 or more but are essential items of equipment for any- one dealing in large quantities of honey. Only a drop of honey is needed to obtain a di
. Beekeeping in Illinois. Bees; Bee culture. Summer Management : Honey Production 67 called the Pfund Color Grader, a wedge-shaped glass trough is filled with honey and matched in color with a colored glass wedge. The matching area on the wedge, measured in millimeters, gives a color rating for the honey sample. The moisture content, or soluble-solids content, of honey can be measured with a refractometer or a honey hydrometer. Refractom- eters cost $100 or more but are essential items of equipment for any- one dealing in large quantities of honey. Only a drop of honey is needed to obtain a direct reading of the moisture content. An attached thermometer indicates any needed temperature correction (Fig. 45). The honey hydrometer is a simple and inexpensive instrument capable of giving an accurate reading when carefully used. It is a weighted glass float that indicates the moisture content of honey by the depth to which it sinks in a warm sample of honey. The readings are corrected for the temperature and converted to percent moisture by using a table that comes with the instrument. Beekeepers who have a considerable quantity of honey for sale each year should routinely sample each lot of honey as it is extracted or put in containers (Fig. 46). Several samples should be taken from a day's output to get a reasonably accurate representation of the honey. All samples and the cans or drums must be clearly marked to relate them, and a record kept of the number of containers in each lot. A 1- or 2- pound sample will provide enough honey to send small samples to several buyers. If the beekeeper sends samples and knows the color and the moisture content of his honey, he is prepared to bargain for the best possible price for his honey. The Department of Agriculture provides valuable information about current prices and production in its Honey Market Nezvs. This publication is available without charge from the Fruit and Vegetable Division, Consumer and Marketing Ser-. Hand
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