Peter said: > Jim, you mention that " both sugar and corn plants use > only "C4" photosynthesis." > > Sugar beet is C3 Ooops! Sugar >>CANE<< plants are "C4". Yes, potato and sugar beet are clearly "C3", not "C4". But detecting beet sugar in honey is easy. One needs little more than a swiss army knife, like this one: http://www.4abnet.com/vicaltimeterknife.gif or, if you'd like, this one: http://www.4abnet.com/toolredb.gif What I'd look for is, in the following order: a) The ratio of fructose to glucose. Honey would be > 1.20. Less would be a dead give-away. (Use the refractometer blade on the knife, check the brix scale.) b) Deuterium isotopes (I'm too tired... go to the libarary, and look it up Use the magnifying lens to count the isotopes. Be patient... keep counting.) c) Gas chromatograph - beet sugar should peak "way out" towards the 40s. You don't even need HPLC/MS for this one. (The more expensive swiss army knives DO include an optional GC/MS attachment, and as you can see in the first photo above, even a digital display is provided on the knife handle, but you have to plug in your Palm Pilot to see the graphs.) jim (Who is feeling "beet", and needs to go to bed now) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: -- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info --- ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::