72 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Jail., 



white clover, we have basswood and whitewood. After bass- 

 wood, or as it is winding up, come sumach, and our boxing 

 season is over. That brings us to about the 15th of August, 

 as a rule. In the fall, we have the golden-rod, the asters, and 

 a species of Spanish needle, as it is known to the bee keepers, 

 which grows in the swamps and gives a great deal of honey, 

 and so do heartsease and smart-weed. 



Question. I would like to ask a question in regard to the 

 willow : Whether it is the staminate or pistilate plant that, 

 bees feed upon ? 



Mr. Jeffries. Both of them ; because from one they gather 

 the wax which is absolutely necessary for the brood-comb, 

 and from the other they gather only honey. The yellow 

 willow has the most honey in it. 



Question. My question had reference to what is sometimes 

 called " pussy willow." 



Mr. Jeffries. The pussy willow does not amount to much ; 

 it is the yellow willow. The pussy willow has a reddish 

 flower. The early pussy willow gives us no good results at all. 



Mr. Van Hoosear. Can the common bee work on the 

 red clover and get any honey from it ? 



Mr. Jeffries. Not much. 



Mr. Van Hoosear. Can the Italian ? 



Mr. Jeffries. They do. The Italian bee works the red 

 clover quite persistently. 



Mr. HoYT. Are you able to detect any difference in the 

 fragrance of honey gathered from buckwheat — I have often 

 heard it said that it is not as good as other honey ? 



Mr. Jeffries. Of course I can ; where honey is gathered 

 entirely from a buckwheat field, you can taste it as strongly 

 as you can taste the flower when you take it up in your hand. 



Mr. Day. At what season of the year do you get the best 

 kind of honey ? 



Mr. Jeffries. If I answer that question, I shall have to 

 answer it with reference to the kind of honey which I like 



