THE FARMER'S MANUAL. 



elucidation of it, nor has demonstrated either its 

 destination or utility, in the vegetable economy of 

 flowers. On this account, the solution of this question 

 appears to be wholly abandoned to the researches of 

 our successors. From the supposition that honey 

 transpires from the plants and trees, by the action 

 and admixture of heat and humidity, our surprise 

 need not be great to find it at the bottom of the nee- 

 tarium of the flower, which is the proximate part to 

 the bark or peel, and it may, therefore, be easily con- 

 ceived, why, in certain days, it is abundant, in others, 

 scarce; because it follows the motion, more or less 

 strong, of the sap. Also, why certain vegetables sup- 

 ply a greater quantity than others ; because they are 

 more favoured with a soft humidity, and are more 

 abundant in sap. Why the honey possesses quali- 

 ties so various in different climates ; from the diver- 

 sity of the vegetables. Why the cold rains, north 

 winds, frost and snow, are unfavourable to honey ; 

 because they impede the circulation of the sap. Why 

 this mellifluous liquid can abound without dew, pro- 

 vided the sap circulates freely ; why, with an ardent 

 sun, the harvest of honey can be great, when the ve- 

 getables are full of humid juices, and why, during ex- 

 cessive heat, honey is scarce ; because, from the avi- 

 ' dity of the soil, all the vegetable juices are checked 

 in their circulation. It is evident there are two kinds 

 of honey, the one contained in the nectarium of flow- 

 ers, arid the other an exudation on the leaves of trees. 

 The oak and the laurel, are particularly abundant ia 

 the latter, and on the first view, it appears paradox- 

 ical, that the juice of a plant which is so very dele- 

 terious should produce an exudation of a saccharine 

 and wholesome nature. This circumstance has been 

 one great ground on which certain persons found 

 their argument, that the saccharine matter observed 

 on the laurel, cannot possibly be an exudation from 

 the plant, but must have fallen upon it in some other 

 shape. The homogeneousness of this liquid, is an- 



