436 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



I confess that it is with a feeling of-sliame that I recite these condemnations of 

 American products ; but I know of no way to awaken the public conscience on such 

 matters and thereby prevent them in the future, except by bringing before the pub- 

 lic statements showing the magnitude of the evil that besets them. 



Every adulteration of honey is not only a fraud upon the purchaser, but is 

 downright robbery of the honey growers. 



The peculiar fecundity of commerce that makes ten pounds of honey for the 

 consumer for every one that comes frcm the apiary, cheapens and vulgarizes the 

 most delicate sweet that a generous nature has produced. 



How much more profitable it would be for the apiarist, how much more satis- 

 factory to the consumer were the people to rise in the majesty of public opinion 

 and ®f law and say to the world "the adulteration of American honey is a thing 

 of the past." 



KINDS OF ADULTERATIONS. 



Three methods are commonly- practiced in the adulteration of honey. One is 

 the admixture of starch glucose. 



The glucose that is made from starch is a mixture of dextrose, maltose, and 

 dextrine, and I have nothing to say against its wholesomeness when it is pure. 



The dextrose which it contains is identical in composition with that of real 

 honey. The maltose is a kind of sugar, isomeric, with sucrose. The dextrine is a 

 kind of soluble starch or mucilage. The quantity of the adulterant added is gen- 

 erally large, only enough genuine honey is left to give flavor and odor to the 

 mixture. 



Of the ten samples of honey analyzed in the foregoing tables, Nos. 1, 2, and 9 

 are adulterated with starch glucose. By the polariscope this adulteration is most 

 easily detected. Pure honey either has no effect on polarized light or else turns 

 the plane of polarization to the left. Dextrose, maltose, and dextrine are on the 

 other hand strongly dextrog'yratory. This is seen by referring to the table above. 



Another method of adulteration is the admixture of cane sugar syrup with 

 honey. This adulteration is also easily detected. Such a honey will turn the plane 

 of polarization strongly 1o the right as in the case of glucose. But after heatin'g * 

 this syrup for a short time with hydrochloric acid and repolarizing, it will be found 

 that the plane of polarization "is turned towards the left. When treated with cop- 

 per solution, moreover, such a honey will give very little reduction to suboxide, 

 whereas, after treatment with the dilute acids, it will give an abundant one. In 

 the table, sample No. 7 has been adulterated with cane sugar, and also with invert" 

 cane sugar syrup. 



The third method is t© mix the honey with cane sugar syrup, which has already 

 been inverted by warming with an acid. 



This adulterant is also easily detected. It will turn the plane of polarization 

 strongly towards the left, and the more so as the temperature is lower. 



By polarizing, therefore, at a low temperature and afterwards at as high a 

 one as possible, the character of the adulterant will at once become manifest. 



There are other methods by which the spurious articles of honey are discovered, 

 but I have mentioned the best, and an account of the others would have no inter- 



