152 



EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



reau of Chemistry. This plate illus- 

 trates very well the influence of honey- 

 dew on the physical properties of 

 honey. At one end of the series is 

 the pure algarroba, which is repre- 

 sented as granulated, while at the 

 other end is a sample of honeydew 

 honey which is as pure as it is usual- 

 ly found. Between the two in perfect 

 gradation are shown various mixtures 

 just as they came from the hive in 

 various extractions. The chemical 

 analysis of these particular samples 

 by Miss Alice R. Thompson show that 

 the chemical composition varies in ex- 

 actly 



There is a test which may be 

 applied with considerable sa.fety. Al- 

 gerroba honey granulates rapidly and 

 pure honeydew does not; it has been 

 found by analysis that mixtures which 

 garroba honey granulates rapidly and 

 chemical composition that they may 

 be sold as honey. The flavor and 

 color may be characteristic of honey- 

 dew honey in spite of the fact that. the 

 mixture contains enough floral honey 

 to be sold as such. 



The sugar cane leaf hopper was 

 first collected on the islands by Dr. 

 R. C. L. Perkins, now connected with 

 the Hawaii Sugar Planters' Agricul- 

 tural Experiment Station, in 1900* and 

 by February or March of 1903 had 

 "appeared generally throughout the 

 cane fields of Hawaii in numbers 

 sufficient to prove a serious check to 

 the growth of the cane."t For several 

 years the work of this insect caused 

 a loss of about $3,000,000 annuallyj; to 

 the planters and naturally they were 

 anxious that something be done to 

 stop this heavy loss. By various means 

 the leaf hopper has been brought under 

 control until to-day it is not abundant 

 enough to hinder the growth of the 

 plants "and plantations that were to a 



*U. S. Dept. Agr., Office of the Sec- 

 retary, Cir. 19, p. 11. 



*The Leaf-Hopper of the Sugar Cane, 

 by R. C. L. Perkins, Bulletin No. 1, Di- 

 vision of Entomology, Board of Com- 

 missioners of Agriculture and Forestry, 

 Territory of Hawaii, 1903. 



tThe sugar cane leaf-hopper in Ha- 

 waii, by D. L. Van Dine, Bulletin No. 

 5, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, 1904. 



tReport of the Governor of Hawaii 

 tolhe Secretary of the Intet-ior for the 

 fiscal year ending June 30, 1907, p. 22. 



certain extent abandoned are again 

 producing heavy crops of sugar." § 



During the time spent on the islands 

 I saw no cane fields that were seem- 

 ingly injured by the leaf hopper, but, 

 on the other hand, there were no cane 

 fields examined that did not contain 

 many leaf hoppers. The fact that the 

 leaf hopper is not doing damage 

 enough to hinder cane raising does 

 not signify that it has disappeared nor 

 is there any biologic reason for believ- 

 ing that it will while cane is grown 

 unless some entirely new^ methods of 

 fighting it are found. The fact that 

 six hundred tons of honeydew are pro- 

 duced annually from this source in 

 spite of the fact that only a limited 

 amount of the area is accessible to 

 bees, is a certain indication of the un- 

 told millions of these insects which 

 still exist. 



The leaf hoppers exude a S'weet 

 gummy substance on the leaves of the 

 cane and the honey bees work on this 

 eagerly. However, where bees have 

 access to both honeydew and floral 

 nectar, they prefer the nectar to a 

 marked degree. When algarroba be- 

 gins to bloom the honey stored be- 

 comes noticeably -whiter. 



In view of the fact that honeydew 

 honey has the taste and color of com- 

 mon molasses, it has been suggested 

 that probably this product is gathered 

 by the bees from the sugar mills 

 which are so numerous on this island. 

 I visited several such mills located 

 near apiaries, on days w^hen bees were 

 actively flying. No bees were to be 

 seen anywhere around the mill. If 

 bees actually did come to the mill 

 after sweets, they would become a 

 serious nuisance to the workmen. 

 Why they do not is something of a 

 mystery, but I can vouch for the fact 

 that I saw no mills screened to keep 

 bees out nor did I see any bees at work 

 in the mill or even on the pile of sweet 

 refuse ("mud cake") outside. 



Molasses is used for feeding cattle on 

 the islands quite extensively. It is 

 poured out in troughs or half barrels 

 where the cattle can get it easily and 

 frequently; these are located near 

 apiaries. Many of these were examined 

 as I went about among the apiaries 

 and in not a single instance did I ever 

 see a bee work on the molasses. It 



§Ibed. 



