those bee men tliat liave tliis great secret, to 

 give it to us without delay. There can be 

 no niistalve about it, for this man has learn- 

 ed it from experience. L. G. Punvis. 



[Those wlio do not take the trouble to 

 keep posted, by reading the accounts of the 

 new experiments and ideas, as they daily 

 come to the front— always know it all. — 

 This is true in politics, religion, and every 

 department of science. Hence we should 

 expect these "know-alls" to be found, 

 once in a while, among apiarists. But it is 

 consoling that we have, perhaps, fewer 

 than many other depai'tments of science. — 

 Those who really know the most are never 

 wise in their own conceits. Having, by 

 hard work, obtained the knowledge they 

 possess, they view the vast sea of knowl- 

 edge before them— and realize that they are 

 yet close to the shore, with an unmeasured 

 ocean of knowledge beyond. — Ed.] 



For the American Bee Journal. 



Glucose or Grape Sugar. 



In the January number of the American 

 Bee Journai., Mr. iS. C. Dodge narrates 

 how starch can be converted into glucose or 

 grape sugar. Liquid glucose contains only 

 33 per cent, of sugar. Solid glucose con- 

 tains but 40 per cent. Therefore, it takes 3 

 pounds of liquid glucose to have an equiva- 

 lent of 1 pound of cane sugar, {dubeunfant, 

 jyayen, nuilcpeyre. 



Liquid glucose, at 3%e. per ft., including 

 cost of transportation, is as dear as honey 

 at 10c. Ten lbs. glucose contains 3.30 lbs. 

 sugar, and the price is $'3.7h. For the same 

 price, we get 3% fts. honey, at 10c. , and 

 this honey contains 88 per cent, of sugar, or 

 as much as 3.30 lbs.; just the quantity con- 

 tained in 10 lbs. of liquid glucose. 



Glucose can be produced in three differ- 

 ent conditions: Li()uid, solid and granu- 

 lated. The production of granulated glu- 

 cose is forbidden in france, on account of 

 the facility of mixing it with brown sugar, 

 which it resembles. In Europe they legis- 

 late against fraud. Here, our legislators 

 can find no time to attend to such small 

 ^natters. 



To detect granulated glucose in brown 

 sugar, dissolve some of it in water, and add 

 3 or 4 per cent, of caustic potash, and then 

 cool the liquid. K the sugar contains glu- 

 cose, the licpiid will turn brown. Even as 

 little as 5 per cent, of glucose can be detect- 

 ed by this means. Five cents' worth of 

 caustic potash is enough for the experi- 

 ment. Of course, those who buy brown 

 sugar adulterated with 40 or (50 per cent, of 

 glucose, pay very dear for a poor article. — 

 Glucose is manufactured with sulphuric 

 acid (oil of vitriol). This acid is removed 

 with carbonate of lime, (chalk). But it is 

 impossible to free, entirely, the glucose of 

 the sulphate of lime produced, and a part of 

 it remains in dissolution; sulphate of lime 

 is pure plaster of Paris. Is such a substitute 

 wholesome? 



In France, glucose is manufactured with 

 potato starch. This gives the best kind of 

 glucose. It is not as bitter as that made 

 with corn. When glucose was first manu- 

 factured in France, the hospitals of Paris 

 resolved to use it to sweeten the beverages 

 of the patients. But as the sickness grew 

 worse by its use, glucose was abandoned. 



Bees cannot live on glucose in winter, 

 when eold weather retains them in their 

 hives for weeks. Of course, glucose can be 

 given in summer; but bees seem not to relish 

 it, when it is mixed with honey; and as it 

 contains only 33 per cent, of sugar, to feed 

 it to our bees is a poor investment; for 

 being 67 per cent, glucose, it does not serve 

 as food, and tills their bodies with f?eces, 

 and dysentery is produced, if they cannot 

 void these fseces. Besides, jilaster of Paris 

 has a deleterious action on their organs. 



Glucose is sold in innuense quantities in 

 the United States; but never retailed by its 

 real name. It is the same with the oil of 

 cotton seed. Who has seen cotton oil in our 

 market ? It is caprera or olive oil. 



Brown sugar, maple sugar, golden drips, 

 golden sirup, maple sirup, confectionery, 

 preserves, beer, wine, honey : in fact, all the 

 produce in which sugar exists, or is used, 

 are now adulterated with this drug, in the 

 United States. 



Is there not, in this country, some law to 

 punish such crimes? If so, why is infringe- 

 ment so audacious, and with such impunity. 



In every country of Europe there are 

 officers appointed to examine the articles 

 offered as food, in groceries, bakeries, drug 

 stores, etc. Let bee-keepers obtain from 

 Congress the appointment of similar offi- 

 cers, and see that they attend to the duties. 



To sell our lioney is now diflicult. Why? 

 Because our cities' are flooded with honey 

 mixed witli glucose, and sold as pure! Of 

 course, this article is no better than glucose 

 sold as sirup, and sells slowly. 



But suppose that all grocers, who sell 

 glucose under a false name be prosecuted, 

 what would be the result? Sugar sirup 

 would bring a price in harmony with the 

 (luantity of sugar it contains, and our pure 

 honey would sell readily at good prices. 



We produce as fine honey as can be 

 obtained in Europe. We can therefore sell 

 our surplus there; but to obtain such a 

 result, it is indispensable that we send a 

 pure article. The honey dealers of Paris 

 pay from 17 to 18 cents for white, strained, 

 sninfoin honey; from 13 to 16 for white 

 mixed; 91^ to 121^ for honey from Chili. — 

 Then what kind of honey was sold by an 

 American firm, at Breman, for the small price 

 of 97 cents per gallon, or 8 cents a pound. — 

 (See Ameuican Journal for December). 



It is not by sending adulterated, or inferi- 

 or articles that we will see the foreign mar- 

 kets opened to our products. European 

 honey dealers will know that honey remains 

 liquid only because it is impure or because 

 it has fermented. The American dealers, 

 who sent adulterated honey to England, 

 made a costly blunder for them and for the 

 Americans at large. 



Let us all take steps to prosecute all the 

 venders of adulterated honey, and our 

 efforts will be awarded by good prices and 

 prompt sales. Chas. Dadant. 



