NEW ZEALAND HONEY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21249, 1 August 1932, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND HONEY

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH CAWTHRON INSTITUTE'S WORK. The complaints which have been levelled Against the quality of some samples, of 'New Zealand honey may not he heard in the future. Professor T. H. Easterfield, director of the Cawthron Institute, reported to the annual conference of the National Beekeepers' Association of New Zealand, held in Wellington last week, that experiments had been carried out at the institute in treating inferior honey in order to remove colour and unpleasant flavour. A series of experiments, he said, liad been carried out in the laboratories of the institute by Mr. Fitzgerald, of Canterbury College, in 1931. It was found, said Professor Easterfield, that manuka honey' procured locally and pennyroyal and birch honey, which the association had secursd for the institute some years ago, were amenable to dilution with water, treatment with charcoal, filtration and vEicuum evapi>ration. On a large scale, the cost would be small, but on a small scale tlip oust would be comparatively heavy, as the smallest plant which could be considered would probably need to stand idle for several months in the year. On the other hand, the same plant could be used i» connection with fruit-preserving or milk sugar concentration in summer, and could run for honey work during the winter, when little fruit or milk was available.