AUSTRALASIAN BEE MANUAL i6i 



reports, " In comparing^ the compositions of the soluble 

 products afforded by different crops from the same 

 grass, I found, in all the trials I made, the largest 

 quantity of truly nutritive matter in the crop cut when 

 the seed was ripe, and the least bitter extract and saline 

 matter and the most saccharine matter, in proportion 

 to the other ingredients, in the crop cut at the time of 

 flowering." In the instance which he then gives, as 

 an example, the crop cut when the seed had ripened 

 showed 9 per cent, less of sugar, but i8 per cent, more 

 of mucilage and what he terms "truly nutritive matter," 

 than the crop cut at the time of flowering. From this 

 it would follow that during the time a plant is in blossom 

 and throwing off a superfluity of saccharine matter in 

 the shape of honey, the assimilation of true nutritive 

 matter in the plant itself is progressing most favourably. 

 In any case it is clear that the honey, being once exuded, 

 may be taken away by the bees or any other insects (as it 

 is evidently intended to be taken) without any injury to 

 the plant, by which it certainly cannot be again taken 

 up, but must be evaporated if left exposed to the sun's 

 heat. 



QUESTION AS TO GRAZING STOCK. 



There is, however, a plea put in by the agriculturist 

 on behalf of his grazing stock, and one which he 

 generally seems to consider unanswerable. He says, 

 " Even if it be admitted that the removal. of the honey 

 from my farm is neither exhausting to the soil nor injur- 

 ious to the plants of the standing crop, still it is so much 

 fattening-matter which might be consumed by my stock 

 if it had not been pilfered by the bees." 



Now, it may at once be admitted that honey consists 

 to a great extent of fattening matter, though it may 

 be allowable to doubt whether in that particular form 

 it is exactly suitable as food for grazing cattle. 

 Although it is quite true that the saccharine matter 

 assimilated in the body of a plant tends to the form- 

 ation of fat in the animal which eats and digests that 

 plant, still one may question the propriety of feeding 



