50 SOURCES OF NECTAR 
In Florida several other species of importance are brought 
to the bee-keeper’s attention. They are not all confined to 
Florida, but may be found more or less abundantly throughout 
the Gulf States. 
The list sounds strange to the bee-keeper of the North, for 
few of the names mentioned as important are familiar to his 
ears. 
Tupelo or gum extends some distance to the north of Florida, 
but it is mentioned as one of the most valuable sources of nectar 
in that State. Palmetto and saw palmetto are peculiar to Florida. 
The Florida honey flora is composed to a surprising extent 
of trees; magnolia, mangrove, titi, orange and many others are 
either trees or shrubs. 
Honey Sources of Wide Distribution.—It is hardly within 
the scope of a work of this kind to consider in detail the resources 
of each section separately. There are, however, a large number 
of plants of wide distribution which are important yielders of 
honey or pollen, or both, over such wide areas as to merit further 
consideration. 
_ During the height of the season, pollen is usually present 
in such quantities from so many plants, that those which yield 
pollen alone are of little interest. Those plants which yield 
pollen very early in the season, however, are second in importance 
only to the best honey sources. So valuable is an abundance of 
pollen early in spring for brood rearing, that it is very important 
that the apiary be within easy reach of pollen-bearing plants at 
this season. 
Honey-dew is a secretion from small insects known as aphids. 
There has been much discussion concerning the origin of this 
product in the past, some holding that it was not only an insect 
secretion, but a plant secretion as well. The fact that drops of 
honey-dew are sometimes to be seen on the leaves of trees when 
no aphis is to be found probably gave rise to this impression. 
It is now quite generally agreed that honey-dew comes only 
