JULY 1, 1912 



and thus frustrating at once its very pur- 

 pose. 



To make my position clear, allow me here 

 to introduce the much "cussed" and dis- 

 cussed "Karo corn syrup." Wliy are such 

 immense quantities of this syrup consumed ? 

 First, because of the able and persistent ad- 

 vertising of its merits; second, because, to 

 the average taste, it is palatable; third, and 

 chiefly, because it is cheap. It is not my 

 purpose to advertise Karo, albeit we may 

 as well admit that it is here to stay. Noth- 

 ing is gained by shutting our eyes to the 

 truth, nor will misrepresentation or detrac- 

 tion alter the facts. What is "corn syrui^"? 

 A vai'iable mixture of glucose, or grape su- 

 gar, and other invert sugars, etc., manufac- 

 tured from corn starch by the action of di- 

 lute acids. Karo and other cheap syrups 

 consist essentially of corn syi'up with a 

 small percentage of cane-sugar syrup added 

 to intensify the sweet. The only valid ob- 

 jection to pure glucose 

 or any sugar of its class 

 is its inferior sweeten- 

 ing jDower, it being only 

 about half as sweet as 

 sucrose or ordinary cane 

 sugar. According to the 

 best authorities it is not 

 injurious to health; on 

 the contrary, being (like 

 honey) " inverted " — 

 predigested, as it were 

 — it is more readily as- 

 similated than cane or 

 beet sugar. It is the 

 form in which sugar 

 generally exists in 

 fruits, etc., and the sub- 

 stance into wliieh the 

 starch of our food is 

 converted by the diges- 

 tive ferments before it 

 can be utilized in the vi- 

 tal economy. 



As to palatability, 

 that is another question ; 

 and, as a Latin profes- 

 sor used to remark, "De 

 gustibus non est dispu- 

 tandum," there is no 

 disputing about tastes. 

 I must confess that per- 

 sonally I am not averse 

 to the use of the lighter- 

 colored of these syrups 

 rs an occasional change 

 from more pronounced 

 sweets, though I freely 

 grant that the best of 

 them is a far call from B. B. Hogaboom's c 



white-clover honey. But mix them — take 

 half horey and half wJiite Karo — and see 

 what you get. "Lickin' good!" Try it for 

 \ uuiself. 



Now, instead of running down these syr- 

 11] s and attempting to bull the honey mar- 

 ket without regard to the ratio of demand to 

 supply, would it not be wiser to publish 

 bi'oadcast such a recipe as the foregoing, if 

 by so doing the demand for honey could be, 

 as it undoubtedly would be, materially in- 

 ci'eased? If honey is ever to have its right- 

 ful place as a staple along with bread and 

 butter and sugar and meat, it must be pop- 

 ularized. Tlus can be accomplished only 

 by systematic advertising of its virtues, and 

 by its production on a scale that will alloAV 

 delivery to the consumer at a reasonable 

 price. 



What is needed is not higher prices re- 

 gardless of any and all other considera- 

 lions. The situation demands, instead, more 



ombiued gravity strainer and automatic device for clos- 

 ing the gate when the tan is full. 



