BEE KEEPERS. 435 



ical examination, however, the suspicion is aroused that much of the pure native 

 Swiss honey could trace its origin directly to Buffalo, N. Y. 



I can only find a record of the analyses of two samples of Swiss honey, and both 

 of these are made up mostly of starch syrup. 



It is a genuine pleasure to abuse the foreign dealers who thus abuse the public 

 confidence and empty the private purse. But I fear denunciation, like charity, 

 ought to begin at home. 



So extensive has the use of substitutes for honey become in this country that 

 our honey has acquired a reputation in the markets of the world which is a contin- 

 ual injury to the honest men engaged in producing the genuine article. 



Blyth, in his work on the "Composition of Foods," page 131, says: "There is 

 indeed a commercial American artificial honey which is entirely composed of glu- 

 cose syrup, while the comb is also artificial and made of paraffine." 



Hehner says in the Analyst IV., 103, p. 183 : " In America especially, the pro- 

 duction of starch sugar has been developed to perfection, and even as substitute 

 and adulterant for cane sugar the article is used to a large extent. As was to be 

 expected, corn syrup is actually most frequently found in honeys imported from 

 America, although Switzerland is striving hard to carry off the 'honor' attached 

 to the production of artificial honey. 



" As far as my exj)erience goes there is no regular English factory of spurious 

 honey ; only when the American element asserts itself corn syrup may be suspected. 

 As to Swiss honey, I have seen it stated in corroboration of my results, that every 

 exporter of Swiss honey adds to the natural product a more or less considerable 

 quantity of starch eyrup, the alleged philanthropic object being to obey the desire 

 of the public for clear and uncrystallizable honey. 



" Of forty-two samples of honey obtained by purchase from retail dealers, twenty- 

 six were English, nine American, and four Swiss. Of the nine American samples, 

 seven were adulterated, while of the four Swiss samples not one was genuine." 



So much for the opinion of Mr. Hehner. 



The trouble is that we can not object to these statements because they are 

 backed up by the chemical analyses. To the scientific aspersion of the honor of 

 American honey I am compelled to add its legal condemnation 



At the central police court of Glasgow, lately, Malcolm Campbell, grocer of 89 

 George street, was charged with having, on the 22d of August, sold to Alexander 

 Johnson "Walker, three jars of honey, which were not of the nature, substance and 

 quality demanded. 



The samples were taken to Dr. Clarke, public analyst, who found that they 

 contained fifty-seven per cent, starch glucose. Campbell said in defense that the 

 honey was sent to him warranted to be genuine American honey, and he believed 

 it to be so. 



The magistrate, however, found the charge of selling adulterated honey proven, 

 and imposed a penalty of £2, with an alternative of seven days' imprisonment. 



The report does not say whether Mr. Campbell paid the fine or went to jail. 



I fear that if in this country we had an adulteration of foods and drugs act, 

 and it were enforced as against the innocent Mr. Campbell in Glasgow, there would 

 be an awful commotion among the retail grocers. 



