ILLINOIS STATE BEE-KEEPEES" ASSOCIATION'. 39 



with dew on top. Till then I believed it was produced by the exudation 

 of the leaves, but this was evidently not from the leaves themselves, 

 since it was on top of dead leaves. In reading of lice I found that the 

 winged lice, plant lice, winged insects of that species, dropped the dew, 

 and I had the good luck at one time, of seeing it done ; standing about 

 10 o'clock in the morning turned towards the sun in front of a tree, 

 the tree was between me and the sun, and I saw the little drops come 

 down, like very light rain. I could not have seen it if I had not been 

 facing the sun. They were very small drops, but they were evidently 

 dropped by those insects. The lice without wings, were on the under 

 side of the leaves. They did not cause it because the drops came from 

 above; those winged insects dropped the dew. The lice without wings 

 never, or at least rarely produce it. It is the winged lice. 



Mr. Kildow. — The lice on the under side of the leaves would drop 

 it on the leaves below. 



Mr. Dadant. — Yes, but from watching the winged lice, I am 

 of the opinion that they dropped the honey dew. As to plant secretion. 

 Bonnier, the French scientist, wrote a book on the subject. He ex- 

 plained how a Hquid sweet could come outside of the blossoms, especially 

 in the joints of the leaves and in certain parts of the joints, but it 

 was always in some joints of the plants. That is very rarely seen. 

 The Swiss bee-keepers harvest a great deal of dark honey, honey dew, 

 from evergreens, from pines, and they say it is very good, they say it 

 sells at the same price as the light colored honey. When I was in 

 Switzerland I did not get to see that honey, but I have very little faith 

 in it. 



The President. — What do you think of the so-called honey dew 

 as a food for bees to stimulate brood rearing? 



Mr. Dadant. — It is deadly in the winter time, but I think they 

 will assimilate it all right in the summer time. I know it is much sweeter 

 than glucose, the bees prefer it. 



The Secretary. — Is it not more stimulating than honey to the 

 brood? 



Mr. Dadant. — I don't know. 



Mr. Kildow. — I cannot see why it is not good for the spring of 

 the year, or during the warm weather when bees are flying every day 

 or two. I know it is very sweet and, I have some at home, probably 

 800 or 1,000 pounds that I have had for eight years. It is candied and 

 hard as maple sugar and I cannot see why it would not be good. I 

 have fed it a time or two in the spring and it looks to me as though there 

 would be more carbon in it than in granulated sugar and I think it 

 would stimulate more, come nearer honey than anything else I know. 

 But it should not be fed for winter stores. 

 , The President. — We are all aware of that. 



Mr. Kildow. — It would bring dysentery, but for spring feeding 

 I think it is pretty good stuff. 



Question. — What is the easiest way to stimulate brood rearing, 

 that is, a simple way to feed? 



The President. — Does any one care to answer that, the simplest 

 plan to feed for brood rearing? 



