340 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



It is in the leaves especially, that the 

 elaboration of suitable food for the plant 

 or tree is carried on. 



"We ought, therefore, to know some- 

 thing of the structure of a leaf in order 

 to understand our subject ; but time for- 

 bids a close investigation of it ; sufdce it 

 to say that its pores and cells are what 

 we are more particularly concerned with 

 — the cells especially— because it is in 

 the cells honey is elaborated. The epi- 

 dermis or outer skin of a leaf is closely 

 studded with pores, these pores range in 

 number from 800 to 170,000 to the 

 square inch of surface, and it is through 

 these pores the carbon of the atmosphere 

 is absorbed and received into the cells, 

 where it is worked into honey. Cells 

 also abound in the inner bark of the 

 branch and stem, they are especially 

 active in the interposed Cambum-lmjer 

 lying between the newest strata of wood 

 and bark. These are annually renewed 

 and maintain a living communication be- 

 tween the rootlets on the one hand and 

 the foliage on the other. These cells — 

 wherever found — contain protoplasm, 

 which has definite relations with neigh- 

 boring cells, and with the outlying car- 

 bon of the atmosphere. Protoplasm is 

 the active, working, living matter of the 

 plant or tree. 



When the carbonic acid of the atmos- 

 phere is received into the protoplasmic 

 cells of the leaves of plants and trees it 

 undergoes three changes before it is fitted 

 for cell building. It is first converted 

 into starch — the basis of honey— then 

 into sugar, or honey if you like, after- 

 wards into cellulose, which is fully elab- 

 orated plant food. Every green plant 

 contains starch, therefore every living 

 plant has in it the basis of honey. Who 

 then will dogmatically assert what are 

 and what are not honey-producing 

 plants? But this is not germain to my 

 topic. 



I have said when the carbon of the at- 

 mosphere is absorbed by the living plant 

 it is first transformed into starch through 

 the agency of protoplasm and leaf-green, 

 and then into sugar. We stop at this 

 stage of the elaboration of plant food be- 

 cause it is then, and then only, we get 

 our honey, and we get it in greater or 

 less quantities in proportion to the re- 

 served store of starch. If plants had no 

 power to store up more starch than is 

 necessary for their immediate wants, 

 we would have no abnormal honey-flows. 

 But they have the power to store up 

 more of this article than they can work 

 into tissue, and do so occasionally. It 

 is under these circumstances we get the 



big honey crops, if we have the working 

 force to collect it. 



The excess of food over the require- 

 ments of the plant is, while in the sugar 

 stage, determined by the flower, or oozes 

 through the pores of the leaf, flowing 

 over its surface. The former is called 

 "nectar" and the latter "honey-dew." 

 They are substantially one and the same 

 thing — the main difference existing in 

 the fact that that in the flower absorbs 

 a portion of its essential oil which gives 

 to the nectar its aroma, hence the ex- 

 pert can readily tell the class of flowers 

 from which honey has been collected. 

 Honey-dew is destitute of this aroma, 

 but is just as healthful and nutritious as 

 that collected from the flowers. Per- 

 haps some of you will be ready to hold 

 up your hands in holy horror at the pro- 

 mulgation of this theory, and be ready 

 to declare me as great a heretic as those 

 who are by some believed to be who gave 

 to the world the pollen theory, the trowel- 

 sting theory and the sugar-honey theory. 

 I am content to be so considered if you 

 can disprove the statement. 



Understand me, by honey-dew I do not 

 mean the vile stuff, vulgarly denominated 

 "bug-juice." That is a different thing. 

 When honey-dew is present it is fre- 

 quently devoured in large quantities by 

 the little insect you are familiar with. 

 The little "beastie" is a glutton of the 

 worst kind and devours a great deal 

 more than it can assimilate. The excess 

 is voided in the form of excreta. This 

 is "bug-juice" pure and simple, and not 

 honey-dew. We are often deprived of a 

 good crop by the presence of these crea- 

 tures, and the fact that their voidings 

 co-mingle with what would otherwise be 

 a pure, healthy article of food. 



I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for 

 the attentive hearing you have accorded 

 me while giving expression to the few 

 crude remarks I have been able to offer 

 in the short time allotted me. Before 

 taking my seat I desire to thank Mr. 

 Pringle, because it is to him indirectly I 

 am indebted for what I know of the sub- 

 ject. It came about in this way: A 

 few years ago when he was President of 

 this Association, he asked me to prepare 

 an essay to be read at our then coming 

 meeting, on the "Honey-producing plants 

 of Ontario." In acceding to his request, 

 I was led to look into a branch of natural 

 science, from the study of which I have 

 since derived much enjoyment. 



Owen Sound, Ont. 



Vi«»ii III*"; "%VorI<l's Fair for only 35 



cents. See page ;32ii. 



