206 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



SPECIAL PLANTING FOE HONEY. 



By A. J. Cook. Bulletin No. 65, Zoological Department. 



It is a well-known fact, and as thoroughly appreciated by the thought- 

 ful bee-keeper, that often because of some peculiar condition of the weather, 

 even our best honey plants fail- to secrete nectar. In Michigan the years 

 1888 and 1890, and to less degree 1889, gave excellent illustrations of this 

 fact in respect to white clover. 



Again, it frequently occurs that a drouth or over-production the previous 

 season, so weakens plants they do not develop to the blossoming stage, or 

 do not produce blossoms. This very season, 1890, gave us almost no bass- 

 wood bloom. The same truth is illustrated not infrequently by almost, all 

 of our nectar-secreting plants. 



Once more, there are times in every season and region, when there is a 

 dearth of nectar-secreting flowers. In Michigan this period comes about 

 July and August, usually from about July 15 to August 15. At this 

 season, there are neither native honey plants in bloom, nor are there honey 

 plants in cultivation. So at this season the bees are idle, and robbing a 

 common occurrence. 



For the above reasons bee-keepers are much interested to know if there 

 are plants that will always secrete nectar irrespective of weather; plants 

 that will secrete not simply enough to attract bees, but enough to give a 

 surplus and insure a profit. They are also practically interested in know- 

 ing whether or not there are plants that will secrete so liberally that it 

 will pay to grow them for honey alone. It is further a matter of import- 

 ance to find if there are plants that bloom at the time of the honey-dearth 

 in July and August, and so valuable to grow, either for honey alone or for 

 honey and other purposes. There are always more or less waste places, by 

 road sides, along railways, etc., near by most apiaries. It is important to 

 know if it will pay to utilize such by planting for honey, and if so, to 

 know what to plant. 



That these are important matters for investigation is clear from the fact 

 that many bee-keepers have spent considerable sums in trying to solve 

 these questions. 



It is clear, that to arrive at any definite and reliable conclusions, experi- 

 ments must be tried on a large scale. We must not see simply that bees 

 work on the flowers, but me must get results. We must be assured that 

 the bees actually store, and that in paying quantities. 



It occurred to me, and to the board of our Michigan experiment station, 

 that this was a very proper subject for investigation at our station, and so 

 for the past two seasons we have devoted about fourteen acres to this pur- 

 pose. The seasons have been very opportune, as there was an almost 

 total failure in the honey harvest both years, so if any plan adopted was a 

 success, it would have ample chance to prove its excellence. 



I decided to try the three following honey plants: Rocky Mountain 

 Bee Plant {Cleome integrifoUa) , Chapman Honey Plant {Echinops 

 spherocephaliis), and a foreign mint of the genus Melissa. I hoped 



