Other points for judgment are color and density. In this country, light colored or "white" honey is generally considered the best, but the rule does not hold good everywhere as the famous Scotch "Heather Honey" is as dark in color as our Buck wheat—which is in most sections rated as a decidedly inferior product.
The greater part of our present supply consists of Alfalfa Honey, from the alfalfa regions of the Western States, where bee-keeping is conducted on a large scale, the product amounting to an annual value of several million dollars.
Southern California honey comes chiefly from Sage and Sumach blossoms, except ing in the San Joaquin Valley, where the bee-keepers depend principally upon the Alfalfa flower. Texas furnishes large quantities of Mesquite, Guajilla (pronounced .Catclaw and Horsemint honey ; the Eastern States, north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, principally Clover and Basswood, and the States south of the Ohio, Tupelo, Mangrove and a good deal of Clover.
In all of the honey States, white honey is produced in greater or less quantities, but it is usually mixed with other honeys, so the flavor cannot be distinguished. In Utah, Colorado and parts of Nevada and Idaho we get a pure White Clover without any other flavor being added, but only a few carloads are produced.
England and Northern Europe generally, produce a honey similar to the Scotch Heather, but of lesser quality. Narbonne Honey, from the vicinity of Narbonne, France, is similar to our White Clover. Rosemary Honey is also very popular in
Southern Europe, and the famed honey of Mt. Hymettus, Greece, is from Wild Thyme. "Poisonous Honey" is found near Trebizond, in Asia, its toxic effects being due to the bees having collected it from a poisonous plant.
Honey should always be stored where it is dry and warm—almost hot. It will not be too warm with the temperature at 100° Fahr. If one is fortunate enough to have a dry warm garret next to the roof, no better place for storing it can be found. Where salt will keep dry, honey is safe.
A cellar is one of the very worst places that can be found for storing honey. There are few cellars in which the air is not somewhat damp, and honey attracts mois ture very readily. Strained Honey will become thin and will often ferment. Comb Honey will lose all of its attractiveness—the beautiful white surface becomes watery and darkened and drops of water gather on the cappings and run over the surface.
If honey, particularly Strained Honey, is kept for a great length of time, especially during cold weather, it is apt to change from its original liquid or semi-liquid con sistence to a semi-granular condition. It is then called "granulated" or "candied" honey, and the flavor is somewhat changed. Some people prefer it in this condition, but it is not, as a rule, so readily salable. The tendency to "candy" is, however, fairly wood proof of purity.