HOETICULTUKAL SOCIETY. 151 



ing establishment in I'J'ew York, lie said: "We don't make that 

 kind of syrup now." Said he "that is the best I have ever seen; 

 it is as good as ever was made by any of the old sugar houses." 



In Amber cane there is a larger proportion of what is called 

 grape sugar than there is in sugar cane; hence, we shall have a 

 larger proportion of syrup. And it will be of very great im- 

 portance to the country. The amount of glucose brought to this 

 country at the present time is almost beyond computation. We 

 hardly know or realize the immense demand. Eeally there is 

 no pure syrup except what little my friend Kenney and these 

 other makers of Amber cane syrup make at home. 



To make glucose a large steam vat is used ; it is partly filled 

 with water and say 6,000 pounds of corn and about one hundred 

 and fifty pounds of sulphuric and nitric acids, which is boiled 

 with the corn and forms the starch, or glucose substance that is 

 made. Glucose may be chrystalized and may be mixed with 

 sugar. It is very white when chrystalized, but it is largely sold 

 as syrup. It is used in a great many ways, largely however in 

 fruits. The persons who have been engaged in selling this pro- 

 duct as a food for years past have been devising all sorts of means 

 to take out or to destroy the effects of the suljihuric and nitric 

 acids ; they are giving their attention to it. " And that is com- 

 mendable, of course, because a man that has a conscience ought 

 to be able to do something if he is going to sell an article to be 

 dealt out to the family ; he ought to be able to convince "himself 

 that he has not sold them an adulterated substance for food. The 

 law in Michigan provides that it shall be examined ; that the 

 purchaser shall know whether it is adulterated or not. 



When we get a law of this kind, glucose will cost a good deal 

 more than it does now. Amber cane will have an opportunity 

 to seek its own place in the market when it shall be necessary to 

 make glucose a perfectly pure article. With a careful chemical 

 process there is no doubt it can be. But when you are running 

 through a thousand bushels of corn, the concern that does the 

 handling may be instructed to put in so much material to take 

 up the sulphuric acid, or some other agent; possibly they do put 

 it in and possibly they do not. If they do they may take up a 

 larger proportion of the deleterious substance used in the pro- 

 cess of manufacture; but if they don't you get it if you buy the 

 syrups, and your children have the benefit of it during their 

 natural life; for it is not to be supposed that sulphuric acid is 

 fit for food. 



