1888 



GLEANINC4S IN BEE CULTUEE. 



751 



found than levulose, with the greatest variation of 

 45f5 of dextrose to 34ri of levulose. In 37 samples, 

 more levulose than dextrose was found; the great- 

 est variation again being 3i'/ of dextrose to 47 of 

 levulose. 



Cane sugar was found in less quantity. In 27 

 samples out of the 60, no cane sugar at all was 

 found; 31 samples contained less than 2:., and 12 

 samples more than 2;/. In maximo, 8.8/i of cane 

 sugar was found. Water was found in the honey to 

 the amount of 10 to 25:V, and other ingredients (non- 

 sugar) 1 to 9;, . 



1 n the nectar of flowers is more cane sugar, some- 

 times cane sugar only. \. Planta proved, that in the 

 nectar itself is a ferment which is able to change 

 the cane sugar to reducible or invert sugar, so the 

 nectar itself, if only evaporated, would by and by 

 change the cane sugar. But we are neai-ly sure, 

 that this changing of the sugar in honey is mainly 

 caused by the saliva of the bees. So, newly gather- 

 ed and not quite ripened honey may contain more 

 cane sugar; but by the presence of the said ferments 

 in the honey, the cane sugar is by and by changed 

 half to dextrose, or grape sugai", and half to levulose, 

 or fruit sugar. The older the honey, the less cane 

 sugar will be found. Nevertheless, it is possible 

 that some kinds of honey contain more cane sugar 

 than 8.8^1, so we can And a correct answer to the 

 question, " What is honey?" by a large number of 

 analyses, only done by quite the same method. 

 Hereby some points should not be overlooked. For 

 instance, from what flower is the honey? is it ex- 

 tracted or strained, warm or cold? from capped or 

 uncapped cells? how old is the honey? etc. Here is 

 a great field for chemistry. 



Prof. Cook tells us that 12 and 16;. of cane sugar 

 has been found in honey. So we see it is not possi- 

 ble to tell with certainty that honey is adulterated 

 by cane sugar except we find a large quantity, say 

 25 'X or more. 



Another difficulty arises here. It is possible to 

 change the cane sugar to dextrose and levulose be- 

 fore adulteration, at least partially, and then the 

 adulteration is quite impossible to find out. Fortu- 

 nately, adulteration by cane sugar will not pay 

 nowadays. If the honey is adulterated, it is certainly 

 by glucose, produced by boiling starch with water 

 and a mineral acid. Hereby the starch is changed 

 at first to dextrine, and then to dextrose, or grape 

 sugar, and no levulose will originate. If the com- 

 mercial glucose were entirely pure, we could not 

 find out the adulteration, except by finding a surplus 

 of dextrose, and would meet the same uncertainty 

 as with cane sugar. 



The lower grades of glucose contain a small quan- 

 tity of gypsum, and this is easily proved by pouring 

 barium chloraticum into the solution, which gives 

 a precipitate. But the best commercial glucose is 

 never entirely pure. It is supposed that glucose 

 contains 66 «j dextrose, 14;^. dextrine, and 20 "i water. 

 But Dr. Sieben found another ingredient which 

 ferments like dextrose to nearly the same quantity 

 of alcohol, but has less reducible power. This is 

 maltose. He found 22% dextrose, 16% maltose, 42% 

 dextrine, and 20% water. This is glucose manu- 

 factured in Europe, from potatoes; our American 

 glucose made from corn may be different, and it is 

 necessary at first to know exactly what is the com- 

 position of this commercial glucose. 



The adulteration by glucose is proved if we find a 

 certain amount of dextrine. For this purpose the 



honey is solved in water, and then alcohol will 

 precipitate the dextrine. But sometimes pure hon- 

 ey, too, gives a precipitate, so this way is not quite 

 sure. If we boil the honey two hours with 2% 

 sulphuric acid, the dextrine is changed to dextrose, 

 and so we can find how much »io»"e sugar is in the 

 solution after boiling. But by this process a part 

 of levulose is decomposed. 



The polaiiscope is very uncertain, not only be- 

 cause cane sugar, dextrose, and dextrine, deflect 

 the rays to the right, so we can't say which it is, or 

 what caused this deflection, but the non-sugar in 

 the honey too, changes the deflection in different 

 ways. Nevertheless the polariscope is a help, and 

 honey with a deflection to the.rightis very probably 

 adulterated. 



Dr. Sieben gives four new different waj's to find 

 dextrine with certainty, in his article, " Ueber die 

 Zusammensetzung des Staerkesirups, des Honigs, 

 und die Verfaelschung des letzeren," in the Zeit- 

 schrift des Vereines fiier Rnebenzucheiindiistrie des 

 deutschen Reiches, 34, pages 837-883, Berlin, 1884, by 

 Kayssler & Co. 



Unfortunately I am not in possession of this 

 article, and so I can't reproduce these new methods, 

 but they are of interest to the chemists only; but if 

 the chemical department of the Agricultural College 

 is willing to experiment in this matter, much 

 troublesome labor may be saved by reading the said 

 valuable article. 



We bee-keepers can learn many other things by 

 these analyses for practical use. For instance, 

 Prof. Cook asks: "Why will bees die on the purest 

 commercial glucose, and thrive on good honey?" 

 Sometimes the gypsum may be fatal to them, then 

 the dextrine has to bo changed to sugar, and this is 

 done at the expense of bee-vitality in the winter- 

 quietude, or.the dextrine may not be digested at all, 

 and so cause dysentery. Further, glucose contains 

 no levulose, and this seems to be the best winter 

 food. We do not know which is the correct answer. 



Cane sugar, I believe, is a good and sure winter 

 food, if changed to invert sugar artificially by the 

 bee-keeper, by boiling with a small quantity of acid, 

 or by the bees in the fall before capping. Non- 

 invert cane- sugar would crystallize, and the bees 

 would need water to dissolve it, and then it needs 

 more digestive power. 



What causes the crystallization of honey? If the 

 bees have candied honey for winter food, do they 

 need some water to dissolve it, or is the temperature 

 of the cluster always sufficient to make the honey 

 liquid? If so, by what circumstances? Has candied 

 honey of the same source another chemical compo- 

 sition than liquid honey? 



In other journals the question was discussed: 

 "Can sugar be made out of honey "r" The chemistry 

 gives an answer to this question. To extract the 

 few per cent of cane sugar from the honey is poS' 

 sible, but would never pay. We could extract the 

 grape sugar, or dextrose, and get about 40%. This 

 sugar for commercial use would hardly be worth 

 more than a good grade of corn sugar, and the 

 reader will see that it is impossible to make the 

 business pay. To change the dextrose and levulose 

 to cane sugar again, we know of no way as yet. 



Selma, Tex. L. Stachelhausen. 



Friend S., you seem to be at home in this 

 matter of the chemistry of the different 

 sugars. I remember, when a boy, expressing 



