54 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



The hau tree is used quite extensively as a hedge, and grows from 

 20 to 30 feet high (PL X, fig. 1). It is doubtful whether this is the 

 source of any great percentage of the honeydew honey, but the fact 

 that it is present makes it still more difficult to analyze the bee-keep- 

 ing situation on the islands. 



INTRODUCTION OF HONEY PLANTS. 



In addition to the nectar-secreting plants now found on the islands, 

 either as native plants or as recently introduced, the bee keepers are 

 anxious that other good honey-producing plants be introduced to 

 increase still more the amount of floral honey. As before stated, 

 bees show a marked preference for floral nectar over honeydew. 

 There is on the islands a great deal of land which is not only not 

 cultivated at present, but which, from its rough character, can never 

 be cultivated. There is doubtless an opportunity for the introduction 

 of some honey plants to the mountainous regions, where they would 

 not interfere with cultivated crops or grow on land of value for any 

 other purpose. 



From the sad experiences in plant introductions on the islands, it 

 will be well to watch any new honey-plant introductions very care- 

 fully. Lantana, which is used so much as a greenhouse plant on the 

 mainland, was introduced a few years ago. It soon escaped from the 

 greenhouse, however, and found in the climate of the islands the 

 proper conditions for rank rapid growth. It spread to all the islands 

 and forms dense jungles 10 feet or more in height, through which it 

 is impossible to pass without cutting a path (PL VIII, fig. 2). Va- 

 rious methods are being tried with a view to exterminating this pest, 

 but to-day there is still plenty of lantana. The cost of clearing a 

 lantana thicket for cultivation is about $10 an acre. Lantana secretes 

 nectar, but that is the only good thing which can be said for it. It 

 was, of course, not introduced for its honey, but this experience 

 should make the bee keepers cautious about what plants they bring 

 in. The sages of California are now being tried, as well as various 

 kinds of mangroves. 



WAX PRODUCTION. 



The price of honey fluctuates relatively much more than that of 

 beeswax. On account of the fact that Hawaiian honey has been sell- 

 ing for a low price and also because of the peculiar character of most 

 of the honey, the bee keepers of the islands are desirous of converting 

 their honey into wax, if it can be done, even at no great profit. The 

 long shipment necessary to get their honey to market means more or 

 less loss by leakage and heavy freight. Wax does not lose anything 



