﻿42 
  PROCEEDINGS 
  OF 
  THE 
  CALIFORNIA 
  

  

  H. 
  Gelssler) 
  " 
  On 
  the 
  Nature 
  of 
  Liquids 
  contained 
  in 
  some 
  mineral 
  

   substances." 
  

  

  A 
  communication 
  was 
  received 
  in 
  reference 
  to 
  Manna 
  and 
  Honey- 
  

   Beiv, 
  based 
  upon 
  the 
  observations 
  of 
  Mr. 
  John 
  Applegarth, 
  a 
  farmer, 
  

   long 
  resident 
  in 
  the 
  San 
  Joaquin 
  Valley. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  honey- 
  

   comb 
  taken 
  from 
  the 
  hives 
  on 
  his 
  ranch 
  near 
  Wood 
  bridge, 
  were 
  

   submitted. 
  Mr. 
  Applegarth 
  being 
  interested 
  in 
  subjects 
  of 
  this 
  

   nature, 
  has 
  collected 
  much 
  information 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  manna 
  and 
  

   honey-dew, 
  which 
  occurs 
  at 
  certain 
  seasons 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  above- 
  

   named. 
  The 
  appearance 
  of 
  manna 
  is 
  comparatively 
  rare, 
  as 
  he 
  

   mentions 
  detecting 
  it 
  twice 
  only 
  — 
  the 
  fall 
  of 
  1861 
  or 
  1862, 
  and 
  at 
  

   the 
  same 
  season, 
  1872 
  — 
  both 
  of 
  these 
  periods 
  are 
  coincident 
  with 
  

   and 
  following 
  summers 
  of 
  abundant 
  verdure 
  ; 
  these 
  fertile 
  summers 
  

   were 
  consequent 
  to 
  wet 
  seasons 
  after 
  long 
  continued 
  drouths. 
  The 
  

   manna 
  was 
  discovered 
  early 
  in 
  the 
  mornings 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  cool 
  weather 
  

   in 
  the 
  fall, 
  and 
  covers 
  the 
  foliage 
  and 
  fences 
  somewhat 
  like 
  frost 
  — 
  

   in 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  small, 
  roundish, 
  whitish 
  grains 
  or 
  particles, 
  quite 
  

   sweet 
  to 
  the 
  taste, 
  and 
  altogether 
  agreeing 
  with 
  the 
  description 
  in 
  

   Exodus, 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  writings 
  of 
  Josephus, 
  of 
  the 
  manna 
  upon 
  which 
  

   the 
  Israelites 
  subsisted 
  during 
  their 
  sojourn 
  in 
  the 
  wilderness 
  ; 
  the 
  

   honey-dew 
  closely 
  resembles 
  that 
  described 
  by 
  Josephus, 
  even 
  in- 
  

   cluding 
  the 
  latter's 
  remarks 
  on 
  honey-dew, 
  which 
  he 
  says 
  Moses 
  

   found 
  on 
  his 
  hands, 
  and 
  so 
  described 
  its 
  nature, 
  on 
  the 
  occasion 
  of 
  

   its 
  descent 
  on 
  the 
  Jewish 
  host. 
  

  

  The 
  honey-dew 
  never 
  fails 
  to 
  come 
  in 
  the 
  early 
  fall, 
  covering 
  the 
  

   leaves 
  and 
  foliage 
  of 
  shrubs 
  and 
  trees 
  with 
  a 
  thick, 
  viscid, 
  sticky 
  

   substance, 
  Avhich 
  soils 
  the 
  clothes 
  and 
  adheres 
  to 
  the 
  hands 
  and 
  

   face, 
  in 
  passing 
  through 
  the 
  thickets 
  ; 
  it 
  is 
  sweetish, 
  of 
  a 
  ranker 
  

   taste, 
  and 
  not 
  so 
  agreeable 
  as 
  the 
  manna. 
  

  

  The 
  bees, 
  however, 
  busily 
  collect 
  both, 
  and 
  the 
  comb-cells 
  are 
  

   found 
  filled 
  with 
  both 
  substances, 
  at 
  the 
  close 
  of 
  the 
  season. 
  The 
  

   honey-dew 
  and 
  manna, 
  however, 
  are 
  never 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  cells, 
  

   but 
  only 
  in 
  groups 
  or 
  patches 
  (of 
  cells), 
  interspersed 
  together 
  in 
  

   the 
  combs. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  connection, 
  the 
  idea 
  that 
  prevails 
  among 
  the 
  farmers 
  as 
  

   to 
  the 
  origin 
  of 
  the 
  honey-dew 
  is 
  not 
  without 
  interest 
  ; 
  they 
  ac- 
  

   count 
  for 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  supposition 
  that 
  it 
  arises 
  from 
  the 
  sweet 
  aroma 
  

   of 
  the 
  countless 
  wild-flowers 
  which 
  cover 
  not 
  only 
  the 
  plains, 
  but 
  

  

  