HONEY. 345 



from the trees, sometimes nearly equalling in loudness the 

 united hum of swarming." 



In some seasons, extraordinary quantities of honey are 

 furnished by the honey-dews, and bees will often, in a f^w 

 days, fill their hives with it. If at such times, they can be 

 furnished with empty combs, the amount stored up by them, 

 will be truly wonderful. No certain reliance, however, can 

 be placed upon this article of bee-food, as in some years, 

 there is scarcely any to be found, and it is only once in 

 three or four years, that it is very abundant. The honey 

 obtained from this source, is generally of a very good qual- 

 ity, though seldom as clear as that gathered from the choicest 

 blossoms. 



The quality of honey is exceedingly various, some being 

 dark, and often bitter and disagreeable to the taste, while 

 occasionally it is gathered from poisonous flowers, and is 

 very noxious to the human system. 



An intelligent Mandingo African informed a lady of my 

 acquaintance, that they do not in his country, dare to eat 

 unsealed honey, until it is first boiled. In some of the 

 Southern States, all unsealed honey is generally rejected. 

 It appears to me highly probable that the noxious qualities 

 of the honey gathered from some flowers, is, for the most 

 part, evaporated, before it is sealed over by the bees, while 

 the houey is thickening in the cells. Boiling the honey, 

 would, of course, expel it much more effectually, and it is 

 a well ascertained fact that some persons are not able to eat 

 even the best honey with impunity, until after it has been 

 boiled ! I believe that if persons who are injured by honey 

 would subject it to this operation, they would usually find it 

 to exert no injurious influence on the system. Honey is im- 

 proved by age, and many are able to use with impunity, that 

 which has been for a long time, in the hive, and which 



