282 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



M^R. IS 



tive testimony is never to be regarded as 

 very conclusive, yet I have such a preoon- 

 derance of such in this matter of nectar se- 

 cretion by plants outside of floral or extra- 

 floral glands that I must express much 

 doubt in the matter. I have been looking 

 intently now^ for many years to gain evi- 

 dence that plants secrete nectar over the 

 general surface of either tvs^igs or leaves. 

 I have never seen any such evidence. I be- 

 lieve the fungus ergot does secrete nectar. 

 If so, it contradicts the statement made in 

 the article that chlorophyll is necessary to 

 the formation of nectar. Ergot is one of the 

 fungi, and has no chlorophyll in its cells. I 



am quite of the opinion that all nectar se- 

 cretion by plants is either in the flowers or 

 from nectar-glands outside, as seen so well 

 in the partridge pea and even in the cotton- 

 plant. In all other cases, so. far as I have 

 observed, the so-called honey- dew comes 

 from insects. The late Mr. Meahan and I 

 had a warm discussion some years ago on 

 this subject. He contended that the honey- 

 dew came from the general surface of the 

 plants, and was a product of them. I urged 

 the proposition that it was secreted by 

 either aphids or coccids. I besought Mr. 

 Meahan to send me specimens, which he 

 was kind enough to do. The specimens 



