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through the winter further west in the range, as at Baker's Hill and Chidlow Well. 
Mr. Smith (A. H. Smith, Baker's Hill, W.A.) states that he has seen Wandoo trees in 
bloom in every month of the year ; but not in the same district or in the same year. 
7. E. rudis (Flooded Gum of the South-West; also called the Blue Gum). 
This tree varies with regard to blossoming. As a rule, it appears to bloom every 
second or third year, the period being from August to September. (A. H. Smith.) 
8. E. salmonophloia (Salmon Gum). 
T. K. O'Dwyer, Yorkrakine, writes in the Western Mail of 19th January, 
1917: 
" Some six years back I was passing under some large Salmon Gum trees that 
were left for shade near the house. I noticed under one tree several patches of what 
appeared to be something like honey. As there seemed to be a considerable quantity 
I started to investigate, and found that the honey-like fluid was coming from the large 
limbs of the Salmon Gum. I put a plate under the largest drip, and in the morning was 
surprised to see the plate half full of what my taste and smell could not distinguish from 
honey. Inspector White came along the same day, and I asked him if he could explain 
Salmon Gums giving honey-like substance in such large quantities. Mr. White was as 
much puzzled as I was, and could not give any explanation. The matter passed out 
of memory until last year, when several of the Salmon Gums dripped off a very large 
quantity of the same honey-like substance after an interval of five years. I took a 
dessert-spoonful, but as I did not know what medicinal or other properties it might 
possess I refrained from making any further experiments on my digestive organs. What 
I took seemed to have the same effect in cleansing the mouth and throat as any other 
honey. If you have no recorded instances on the subject, some of the old pioneers 
in the Salmon Gum districts might have similar experience, or some of your numerous 
readers in the country districts may throw some light on the matter of Salmon Gums 
giving a large quantity of honey-like substance in certain years." 
The Editor of the " Mutual Help Column," who is a South Australian, comments : 
' In my boyhood days it was no uncommon thing to find gum tree blossoms so full of 
nectar that it ran out and dripped to the ground. We used to gather dry leaves sticky 
with this honey and lick it off them. Often we would get curved leaves with as much 
honey as would fill a salt-spoon. Possibly the phenomenon described is similar, but 
Mr. O'Dwyer does not state that the trees were in bloom. I remember also having 
seen the leaves of small gum trees wet with " honey dew " as the result of the excretions 
of numerous colonies of coccus, scale, or similar insects. Such trees were usually the 
happy hunting-ground of thousands of ants, but I have known the secretion to be 
plentiful enough to drip. Possibly this may account for the ' honey.' ' 
I would suggest that our friend the Locust or Cicada may have been at work. 
(See Part 63 of this work, p. 109.) 
