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The Swarm: Honey

The source of honey was as puzzling to the ancients as Honey was the source of the offspring of the bees; and while they believed them to gather the latter from flowers, they were convinced the honey came not from flowers but from the sky above.

Aristotle says, "Honey falls from the air, principally about the rising of the stars, and when the rainbow rests upon the earth. Generally no honey is produced before the rising of the Pleiades."

Pliny, too, goes into very interesting details upon the subject. "This substance," he says, "is engendered from the air, mostly at the rising of the constellations, and more especially when Sirius is shining; never, however, before the ⚫rising of the Vergiliæ, and then just before daybreak. "Hence it is, that at early dawn the leaves of the trees are found covered with a kind of honey-like dew, and those who go into the open air at an early hour in the morning find their clothes covered, and their hair matted, with a sort of unctuous liquid.: Whether it is that this liquid is the sweat of the heavens, or whether a saliva emanating from the stars, or a juice exuding from the air while purifying itself, would that it had been, when it comes to us, puré, limpid, and genuine, as it was when first it took its downward descent. But as it is, falling from so vast a height, attracting corruption in its passage, and tainted by the exhalations of the earth as it meets them; sucked, too, as it is, from off the trees and the herbage of the fields and accumulated in the stomachs of the bees, - for they cast it up again through the mouth; deteriorated besides by the juices of flowers, and then steeped within the hives and subjected to such repeated changes, - still, in spite of all this, it affords us, by its flavor, a most exquisite pleasure, the result, no doubt, of its ethereal nature and origin." According to the Eddas, honey-dew was a distillation of the sacred tree Ygdrasil, and in the "Elder Edda" we read, - "The great and sacred ash is besprinkled with a white water, whence comes the dew which falls into the valleys, and which spring from the fountain of Past-time." We are further informed that men call this the honey-dew, and that it is the food of bees.

That honey is gathered chiefly from flowers a later generation knew, still the belief in honey-dew from heaven lingered on, and we find Butler in 1634 thus explaining it, - "But the greatest plenty of purest nectar cometh from above: which Almighty God doth miraculously distil out of the air; and hath ordained the oak, among all the trees of the wood, to receive and keep the same upon his smooth and solid leaves; until either the bee's tongue or the sun's heat have drawn it away. When there is a honey-dew, you may perceive by the bees: for (as if they smelled it by the sweetness of the air) they presently issue out of their hives, in great haste following one another; and refusing their old haunts, search and seek after the oak; which for that time shall have more of their custom than all the plants of the earth. Sometimes the maple and hazel take part with the oak, but little and seldom. While the honey-dew lasteth, they are exceedingly earnest, plying their business like men in harvest; you may see them so thick at the hive door, passing to and fro, that oftentimes they throw down one another for haste. What this mel Roscidum should be, Pliny seemeth much to doubt. But, if conjectures might be admitted, I would rather judge it to be the very quintessence of all the sweetness of the earth (which at that time is most plentiful) drawn up, as other dews, in vapours into the lowest region of the air, by the exceeding and continual heat of the sun; and there concrete and condensated by the nightly cold into this most sweet and sovereign nectar, Honey which thence doth descend into the earth in a dew or small drizzling rain. "The hotter and drier the summer is, the greater and more frequent are the honey-dews: cold and wet weather is unkind for them; much rain at any time, as coming from a higher region, wasteth away that which is already elevated; (so that there can be no more until another fit of hot and dry weather) and in the end it dissolveth them quite."

In White's "Natural History of Selborne" we read the following: - "June 4, 1783. Fast honey-dews this week. The reason of these seems to be, that in hot days the effluvia of flowers are drawn up by a brisk evaporation, and then in the night fall down with the dews with which they are entangled."

Thorley expresses the same idea, - "It is the most generally received and prevailing Opinion that the Honey-Dews consist of Vapours raised in the third Region, and being thoroughly purged and digested by the Heat of the Sun, and condensed, fall down to the Earth."

What this strange honey-dew might be was long a mystery. There is no doubt that a sweet substance often covers the leaves of plants at certain seasons of the year, principally in July and August. We still find the honey-dew, often in disagreeable abundance, - and there are still those who look upon it as a precipitation of flower vapors that have been drawn into the upper air.

Those who have been let into the secret of honey-dew, however, no longer consider it in any sense a distillation of the skies.

Moreover, although Zeus' oaks still yield honey to the seeking bees, we know the sweet liquid is not a gift from any god. That poetical notion has vanished before the critical eye of science, which has discovered two natural causes for the appearance of the honey-dew.

One is that under certain conditions certain plants express a sweet sap from their leaves. This may not be "vegetable perspiration which trees emit for their relief in sultry weather," but it is sometimes as copious as a profuse perspiration and in some instances at least appears to be the result of abnormal conditions. 7 The other source of honey-dew one hesitates to exploit, for while one is willing to accept honey from the "bottle " of a bee, it is another matter to receive it graciously from a plant-louse. For no doubt the greater part of the honeydew found in such clammy abundance on our tulip and oak trees, even on our apple-trees, on our elm, maple, plane, lime, and cherry-trees, on our hazel, blackberry, and currant bushes, in fact, upon occasion almost anywhere, comes from the little insects known as aphides, - the ants' cows, as they are sometimes called.

These gourmands attach themselves to the under side of the leaf by the proboscis, and there stay and suck out the juices of the plant, taking the nourishment they need and manufacturing at the same time an excrementitious substance of a sweet taste. وو This honey-dew the ants are very fond of, some species even cultivating the aphides for the sake of having it. The story obtained currency that the ant caressed the aphis with its feelers, when the accommodating "cow" gave forth a drop of the sweet liquid from two little "horns" on its back. To-day we are deprived of even the small comfort of these "horns," which are shown to excrete, not the sweet honeydew, but a waxy substance by which to smear the faces and so repel the attacks of insect enemies. The honey-dew then is purely excrementitious, and is elaborated in such Honey abundance that it is often thrown some distance in the form of a fine spray. When a tree is covered with aphides this honey-dew may frequently be seen raining down in a fine drizzle, which falls upon the upper surface of the leaves below, even on the ground and surrounding foliage, covering everything with a sticky substance that collects the dust and soon turns black, making the trees affected and everything near them extremely disagreeable to touch or to look at. There are many varieties of aphides, - some almost transparent, light green, and delicate-looking, others dark brown or reddish in hue.

The bees are undoubtedly fond of this honey-dew and collect it in large quantities. Some writers speak of it as disagreeable in flavor and dark in color, while others speak well of it, the difference probably depending upon the species of aphis from which the honey was gathered.

Bevan says, "During the time of a honey-dew more honey will be collected in one week than will be afforded by flowers in several," and recommends giving the bees extra room in which to store this abundant harvest.

That it is not everywhere considered disagreeable is proven by the following couplet from Coleridge's "Kubla Khan": - "He on honey-dew hath fed, And drunk the milk of Paradise."

The English country people deem it a deposit of the east winds, and speak of it as John Honey-dew.

Honey was formerly used instead of sugar to preserve fruits, and Butler has collected for us a number of the old recipes, as appetizing to read as are most of the recipes of Athenæus.

He tells us that, "Marmalade is thus made: First boil your quinces in their skins till they be soft; then having pared and strained them, mix therein the like quantity of clarified honey; and boil this together till it be so thick that in stirring (for you must continually stir it for fear of burning) you may see the bottom; or, being cooled on a trencher, it be thick enough to slice; then take it up and box it speedily. You may also add a quantity of almonds and nut-kernels: also cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and mace, of each a like quantity, pounded small, and put into the honey with the quinces, and in boiling to be stirred together. This is very good to comfort and strengthen the stomach. For want of quinces you may take wardens, pears, or apples, and specially the pearmain, gilliflower, pippin, and roiall."

One would not at all object to "comfort and strengthen the stomach" in this wise. "Marchpane may be made after this manner. Boil and clarify, by itself, so much honey as you think meet; when it is cold, take to every pound of honey the white of an egg, and beat them together in a basin till they be incorporate together, and wax white: and when you have boiled it again two or three walms upon a fire of coals, continually stirring it, then put to it such quantity of blanched almonds or nutkernels stamped as shall make it of a just consistence; and after a walm or two more, when it is well mixed, pour it upon a table, and make up your marchpane. Afterwards you may ice it with rose-water and sugar. This is good for the consumption."

Consumption in those days had its compensation. "Preserve fruits after this manner. "The damascens, or other fruit, being gathered fresh from the tree, fair, and in their prime (neither green or sour, or over-ripe or sweet) with their stalks, but cut short; weigh them, and take their weight in raw fine honey: and putting to the honey the like quantity of fair water, boil it from half quarter of an hour, or till it will yield no scum; then Honey having slit the damascens in the dented side (for fear of breaking) boil them in this liquor with a soft fire, continually skimming and turning them, till the meat cometh clean from the stone; and then take them up. If the liquor be then too thin, boil it more; if in the boiling it be too thick, put in more fair water, or rose water, if you like it. The liquor being of a fit consistence, lay up and preserve therein your fruits. "If they be greater fruits, as quinces, pipins, or the like; then shall it be expedient (when you have bored them through the middle, or have otherwise cored them) to put them in as soon as the liquor is first skimmed : and then to let them boil till they be as tender as Qadlings." "Conserves of roses is thus to be made: Take of the juice of fresh red roses one ounce, of fine honey clarified ten ounces: boil this together; when it beginneth to boil, add of the leaves of fresh red roses (clipt with scissors in little pieces) four ounces: boil them to the consumption of the juice, and presently put up the conserves into some earthen vessel. Keep it long therein; for in time it waxeth better and better. "After the same manner is made conserves of violets. "Syrup of roses make thus: Steep fresh roses in hot water over the embers (the vessel being covered) until the roses wax pale: then strain out the roses, and put fresh in their places, until they also are pale: this do ten times, or until the water be red. And this being purged with whites of eggs (to every pint of liquor one) boil it gently with like quantity of fine honey, until it be of convenient thickness. If you prepare it for present uses, the less boiling will serve: if you mean to keep it, it requireth more; for which purpose the sunning of it is good. This purgeth a little, specially being new."

Or thus: "Steep one pound of red rose leaves in four pound of water, four and twenty hours. When the water is strained, put into it two pound of fine honey, and boil it to the thickness of a syrup, taking off the skum as it riseth. It tempereth the hot affections of the brain, it quencheth thirst, it strengtheneth the stomach, it procureth sleep, and stayeth thin rheums. "The syrup of violets is made (after the same manner) of fragrant violets, and steeped until the liquor be blue. Being well boiled, it may be kept a year without sinnewing or corruption. It tempereth and purgeth hot and sharp humors; and therefore is good in a pleurisy: it expelleth melancholy, and the effects thereof, as headache, waking, dreaming, and heaviness of heart; it is fit to be used before and after purging. "If any man like better to make these confections with sugar, let him take the like quantity as of honey: for sugar also hath, with his sweetness, a power to preserve; as being a kind of honey. But in respect of the marvellous efficacy which fine and pure honey hath in preserving health, that gross and earthy stuff is no whit comparable to this celestial nectar. Although some quaint and lady-like palates (whom nothing but that which is far sought and dear bought can please) unhappily neglect it. In preserving fruits it hath more power through the viscosity thereof. Also conserves and syrups, being made with honey, continue longer, and do more kindly work their effects. So that we may conclude with Ecclesiasticus, cap. ii. 3: 'The bee is little among such as fly: but her fruit is the chief of sweet things. " "Sweetmeats," juncates, or honey-meats from all time have been favorite luxuries, and in earlier days were made principally of honey compounded with "meats," such as flour, cheese, and even meat itself, the Bedas of Ceylon to this day, it is said, eating honey with their meat.