1893 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



that a number of the samples of honey sent by 

 him were of plant-louse origin; but the num- 

 bers representing these samples are not yet 

 known to me. I have, however, found in the 

 number sent by him. six which are peculiar in 

 their optical properties, showing a slight right- 

 handed rotation not due to cane sugar, and 

 which I would class as suspicious honeys. It is 

 more than probable that it will be found that 

 these honeys are of plant-louse origin. 



Prof. Cook doubts whether or not a honey 

 made from pure cane sugar, which has been 

 stored for some time in the hives, can be de- 

 tected from a genuine floral honey gathered 

 and stored by bees. In the present state of our 

 chemical knowledge, the doubt of Prof. Cook is 

 well founded. lam confident that it will not 

 be long before we shall be able to discriminate 

 dehnittly between such articles of artificial 

 honey and genuine honeys as those above men- 

 tioned. Investigations in this line have not 

 gone far enough to enable any definite state 

 ment to be made now; but I can only say that 

 the results are very hopeful, and lead to the 

 just expectation of soon formulating a. method 

 of discriminating between the honeys men- 

 tioned. 



One property of pure invert sugar will be 

 found very valuable in such an investigation; 

 viz., the fact that pure invert sugar, made from 

 cane sug.ir. when examined in a polariscope 

 at a temperature of about SS° C, is optically 

 neuter— that is. neither deflecting the plane of 

 polarized light tp the right nor to the left. In 

 every case of a pure floral honey which has 

 come under my observation so far, it was found 

 that, at the temperatui'e mentioned, it showed 

 a right-handed polarization. In two of the 

 samples sent by Prof. Cook it was found that 

 the honey examined at 88° showed a left-handed 

 polarization. Now, this is due probably to the 

 fact that the honey was partially crystallized, 

 and the samples sent were the liquid portion, 

 consisting almost exclusively of levulose, while 

 the solid portion not sent would consist almost 

 exclusively of dextrose. This is only a supposi- 

 tion on my part, as I have not yet learned from 

 Prof. Cook the nature and origin of the samples 

 mentioned. But every one will agree that a 

 honey obtained by drawing off the liquid por- 

 tion from a partially granulated honey would 

 not in any sense of the word be a pure normal 

 honey, any more than the residue would be. It 

 is possible, however, and that must be mention- 

 ed here, that the nectar of some flowers con- 

 tains naturally an excess of levulose. in which 

 case the honey gathered therefrom, although 

 left-handed at 88°. must be considered pure. 

 These are matters which subseq uent investiga- 

 tions will m ake clear. : Z : — ~-^ czTIj 



Another important factor in "the examination 

 of honey is in the amount of reducing sugar, 

 so-called, which it contains; that is, the quan- 

 tity of sugar in it which is capable of reducing 

 a copper salt to the condition of a sub-oxid. In 

 all pure floral honeys it has been observed that 

 the percentage of reducing sugar in the dry 

 substance does not fall in any case below 85, 

 while in general it reaches nearly to 90 or 

 above. When, therefore, a honey is examined 

 in which the reducing sugar is decidedly less in 

 quantity than 85 percent of the dry substance, 

 it must at once be regarded as suspicious. 



The percentage of ash is also a matter of 

 some importance. It has been found so far, 

 that, in the suspicious honeys in the samples 

 sent by Prof. Cook, the percentage of ash is 

 greater than in the honey which seems to be 

 pure. Further investigations, however, will be 

 necessary to determine whether this is a general 

 rule or not. 

 Strange as it may seem, one of the most difti- 



cult things in the analysis of honey is to de- 

 termine the amount of water which it contains. 

 One of the simplest methods consists in drying 

 a small portion of the honey in a flat-bottom 

 platinum dish for about fifteen hours at the 

 temperature of boiling water. Determined in 

 this way, the average percentage of water in 

 the samples of honey examined was found to be 

 about 18. The lowest percentage found was 

 13.76 in a clearly adulterated sample, and the 

 highest percentage found was ;i3.75 per cent in 

 one of the samples which was abnormal in hav- 

 ing still at 88° a left-handed polarization. 



In general it maybe said that it is possible 

 for any one, who is disposed, to make a mixture 

 of pure honey with a small .quantity of certain 

 adulterants in such a way that the chemist 

 would be unable to detect the fraud; but such 

 a method of adulteration v/ouid never be prac- 

 ticed commercially, because it would not be 

 profitable. On the other hand, we may boldly 

 say that, in all comm(>rcial adulteration, the 

 chemist will be able to find the fraud, and that 

 the skill of the chemist will doubtless keep 

 pace with or excel the skill of the adulterator. 



In the general examination made by the De- 

 partment which has been referred to above, 

 two particular samples of honey deserve a 

 special word. In almost every market of the 

 United States were found samples of honey 

 labeled " Pure Old Virginia Honey," manufac- 

 tured by Geo. K. McMechen i^- Son. In no in- 

 stance was a sample of this honey found to be 

 pure. All samples purchased in the open mar- 

 ket were adulterated. Another peculiar sam- 

 ple of noney was labeled " Hoge's Horehound 

 Honey," good for coughs and colds, and said to 

 be gathered from a certain region in California. 

 This sample was accompanied with the most 

 enthusiastic testimonials, and also had a cer- 

 tificate of a justice of the peace in regard to 

 the nature of the locality where it was sup- 

 posed to be gathered. Several samples of this 

 honey were obtained, and they were found to be 

 pure fabrications, consisting of cane-sugar 

 syrup with about 3 per cent of alcohol. They 

 contained no honey whatever. 



I have thought the members of the associatiorr 

 might be interested in seeing some of the ap- 

 paratus and reagents which are employed in 

 the analysis of honey, and in looking at some of 

 the operations of a chemical nature. I have on 

 the table here the principal apparatus and 

 reagents employed in such examinations, and 

 which I shall take pleasure in showing the 

 members. 



(The polariscopes and chemical apparatus 

 used in honey anlyses were exhibited and ex- 

 plained to the audience). 



In conclusion, permit me to say that the work 

 of the Department has shown that, of the liquid 

 honeys on sale, bought in open market, nearly 

 45 per cent are adulterated. Every bee-keeper 

 can see at once how greatly enhanced in price 

 the product of his industry would be should 

 such adulteration be prohibited and prevented. 

 It is necessary that all should work together in 

 harmony and in earnest to secure this result. 

 The bee-keepers will find the Department of 

 Agriculture hereafter as heretofore doing every 

 thing in its power to detect and prevent the 

 adulteration of honey. 



Tu be concluded Feb. 1. 



MOVING HIVES TO STRENGTHEN WEAK 

 COLONIES, ETC. 



Dli. MILLER AND MANUM CRITICISED. 



In "Stray Straws,'" found in the December 

 15th issue of Gleaninc4S for 180'3, I find this: 



