86 
son,—are perfectly imitated by this sirup of hone 
Bretagne. It has become a very considerable article of 
commerce; and the famous epicures and gastronomes 
Rocher de Concale, at Paris, who daily indulge in it at the 
close of their banquets, swear by the rum of Martinique. — 
All sorts of comfits are perfectly prepared with the same - 
sirup. ‘The skill of the artist contributes more to the 
goodness of the composition, than the difference of the ma- 
terial, when the honey sirup is well prepared. But con- 
fectioners and distillers ought to be silent, lest they awake 
a prejudice which would otherwise soon cease. eae 
——— : 
“CHAPTER XXII. as: 
PROCESS FOR PURIFYING HONEY IN SMALL QUANTITY. 
Take honey, six pounds; water, one pound; powdered 
chalk, two ounces and a half; pulverized charcoal, washed 
and dried, five ounces; the whites of three eggs, beat in — 
three ounces of water, for each pound of honey. 
Put the honey, water, and chalk, into a copper vessel, 
and boil it about two minutes. ‘Then add the charcoal, 
stir and mix it well with a spoon or spatel, and the boiling 
continued about two minutes more. ‘Then take the vessel 
off the fire, and let the liquor cool about a quarter of an 
hour; and then strain it through a hair sieve, taking careto 
return the first drippings into the sieve, because they al- 
ways take with them a little of the charcoal. The liquor — 
thus filtered, is sirup properly prepared. 
4 
f 
; 
i 
CHAPTER XXIII. 
ON DISEASES OF BEES. 
Bees are not subject to any habitual disease. The only 
one with which they are sometimes, but not often, danger- 
ously attacked, is the dysentery. And this only happens 
_ accidentally, when early in spring, they forage on plants 
which are familiar to them in summer, and at that season 
nourishing; but whose juices at so early a season, not 
being proper for the fabrication of honey, corrupt on the 
stomach of these insects. This never occurs except in 
