SUGAR, MOLASSES, CONFECTIONS, AND HONEY. 795 



ANALYSES BY DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CHEMICAL DIVISION. 



Honeys were polarized as is described under molasses and sugars. 

 Glucose was determined in a 1 per cent solution by titration, using 

 Violette's solution. Water and ash were found in the same manner as 

 with molasses, using kieselguhr in determining the former. In a few 

 samples the degree Brix was determined after dilution. The process 

 was: 



Weigh a 50 cc flask, drop in 20 or 30 grams of honey, reweigh, fill up 

 to the mark with water, again weigh, and shake violently. After stand, 

 ing some time to allow bubbles to escape, take the apparent specific 

 gravity of tiie mixture by means of a pyknometer. The correspond- 

 ing degree Brix is found from Stammer's table and corrected for tem- 

 perature. This is taken as representing the per cent of solids in the 

 mixture of honey and water. The weight of the mixture multiplied by 

 this per cent gives the total amount of solids in the weighed amount 

 of honey placed in the flask. 



The following samples were found to be adulterated with glucose, 

 viz : Nos. 8517, 8523, 8525, 8526, 8533, 8538, 8539, 8540, 8679, 8682, 8683, 

 8687, 8691, and 8698, in all 14 samples, equivalent to 28 per cent. 



Two samples, Nos. 8517 and 8678, contained some sugar as an adul- 

 terant. 



Six samples, Nos. 8532, 8535, 8683, 8691, 8697, and 8754, are difficult 

 to classify. They may contain small quantities, 15 to 30 per cent, of 

 glucose, or they may belong to the natural right-handed honeys gath- 

 ered from pine forests. 



The percentage of samples certainly adulterated is therefore 32, and 

 if the 6 doubtful samples are included, that number rises to 44, or since 

 one sample has been counted twice as adulterated, 42. 



No. 8517 should hardly be included in the list of honeys used for 

 foods since it is clearly designed only for medical use. 



No. 8525 comes under the attractive title of " Choice Extracted Clover 

 Honey," and presumably all the way from Massachusetts. Such sophis- 

 tications being prohibited in the home markets, they naturally seek an 

 outlet where the laws are more lenient and consumers more indifferent. 

 Nowhere else are these conditions so favorable as in the District of 

 Columbia. 



In 8526 we meet our old friend, " Pure Old Virginia Honey," put up 

 by that enterprising firm of George K. McMecheu & Sou, who seem to 

 have left very few of the markets of the country untried with their 

 products. 



In 8533 " Choice Clover Honey " is again made to do duty in securing 

 favorable consideration for the inversion product of corn starch. 



"Choice Extracted Northern Honey" is the label under which No. 8538 

 deceives the innocent purchaser. 



" Pure California White Clover Honey" is the label applied to the glu- 

 cose mixture No. 8539. Had a skilled botanist been doing this mixing 



