THE COMMODITY.

Orange-blossom honey is and always will be a scarce article. It is always a choice article, too, because of its fine flavor, good body, and brilliant color. The color is crystalline amber, almost light straw color, the body is fairly thick and heavy, and the aroma in the honey is unexcelled. It is the bouquet of the blossoms, transferred to the food. It commands the highest market prices and is always in great demand, north and south. There will never be an overproduction of orange-blossom honey. Citrus fruit trees, however, are not the sole source of nectar in the State, as will be indicated later. But the especial interest that centers in orange honey is because of the twofold advantage to the grove owner from the visits of the bees.

BEES, THE CITRUS-GROWERS’ BEST FRIENDS.

The blossoms of the citrus family are largely self-fertile, that is, do not need insect visitation to fertilize the blossoms. But bad weather often delays or slows up the pollination of the blossoms, and wet weather prevents the fine, powdery pollen from blowing freely over neighboring blossoms. And, besides, more vigorous buds and more hardy fruit, fruit that will hang better and not drop before maturing, can be obtained by cross-fertilization. Pollen from another tree will make stronger and better fruit than pollen from the same tree on buds of that tree. And a large proportion of the buds will set fruit, as in ease of apples in the North, where cross-polination is practiced or made possible