Under this heading I find an article from Mr. W. M. Hoge, who
says that he has invented a way of preparing liquid honey so
that it will not congeal. He adds that this discovery will
be beneficial to bee-keepers, and he explains how we will
profit by it. The tendency of honey to candy, for all the
adulterators of honey, has proved to be a great impediment;
while, for the producers, it is a good characteristic, for it
is the best stamp that a bee-keeper can put on his product—a
stamp that the adulterators are unable to counterfeit.
Now that the consumers at large begin to give their
preference to candied honey, the adulterators, seeing
their sales decreasing, try to invent some means to stop
this result, and incite us to help them to continue their
fraudulent practice.
Let us remember that the candying of honey is the best test
of purity thus far; that, by preventing honey from candying,
we lower it to the level of glucosed honey; and that, as
long as liquid honey can be found on our markets, we will be
compelled to compete with adulterated honey, for the profit
of this adulteration will always tempt the unscrupulous
dealers, while we will be unable to compete with them for the
price.
A few years ago we could find liquid honey, in glass jars,
in every good grocery. Three years ago I produced, at the
Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa Convention, held at
Burlington, Iowa, one of these bottles, bought in St. Louis,
labeled “Pure Extracted Honey, from John Long, New York.” Mr.
Hoge, who resided in New York at that time, probably knows
“John Long.” This “pure honey” was analyzed by an expert
chemist and found mostly glucose. These jars and tumblers
are now of slow sale, for the consumers begin to have
confidence in candied honey. We are, therefore, in a fair
way for selling our product. Let us go on, and turn the cold
shoulder to the advice of those who have, so far, caused more
prejudice than profit to bee-keepers.
Mr. Hoge, who has visited the old continent, knows, as well
as I do, that in Europe liquid honey is unsalable, for
the consumers are accustomed to buying candied honey. Let
us persist in our efforts to educate the people on this
question, and we will drive all spurious honey from our
markets.
Hamilton, Ill., Feb. 2, 1881.
For the American Bee Journal.
Colchian Honey.