June, '08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 191 



development in all respects. From the fact that the grain louse, 

 Macrosiphum granaria, was noticed in considerable numbers in some 

 fields, the newspapers and many correspondents attributed the damage 

 to the lice. Others suspected thrips of causing the mischief. After 

 an examination which I deemed adequate, I concluded that neither of 

 these insects was primarily responsible for the disease so far as Ohio 

 was concerned, though both^ species added to the trouble to a consid- 

 erable degree in some fields. The majority of the diseased plants, 

 however, were damaged but little by either insect, and many of them 

 not at all, so far as I could determine. Corn, clover, alfalfa, straw- 

 berries and many weeds suffered in precisely the same way, as in- 

 ferred from their external sj^mptoms, and no insects whatever could 

 be found upon them. I decided the trouble was probably wholly 

 physiological in character, and was in all likelihood caused by the 

 cold, wet spring. Parasites overtook the lice in most localities before 

 they became excessively plentiful. 



THE HONEY AND POLLEN-YIELDING PLANTS OF 



TEXAS. 



By A. F. CoNRADi, Clemson College. S. C. ♦ 



Triple-leafed Barberry. {Berheris trifoliata ]\Ioric.) On gravelly 

 hills from the Gulf coast to the Limpia mountains. Yields honey 

 abundantly, also pollen. Blooms January and February and is im- 

 portant for early brood rearing. 



Prickly Poppy. {Argemone platycerus Link and Otto.) Abun- 

 dant along roadsides, in waste fields and on prairies. Honey yield 

 unimportant, but yields abundant pollen during dearth of summer. 

 In the Brazos River Valley bees work heavily on it during June. 

 The orange-colored pollen is carried to the hive, making the combs 

 look disagreeable. May to July. 



Poppy. {Papaver rhoeas L.) Honey yield unimportant owing to 

 scarcity of plants. May. 



Pepper wort. Pepper grass. {Leniduim virginicum L.) Widely 

 distributed. Yields small quantities of honey and pollen. 



Greggia. {Greggia comparum Gra.v.) Confined largely to west 

 Texas. Blooms near San Antonio in February. Yields some honey, 

 but pollen is important for early brood rearing. 



Turnip. (Brassica rapa L.) Yields honey and pollen. 



Black mustard. {Brassica nigra (L.) Loch.) Scatteringly through- 

 out Texas. Bees work on it busily, but its status as a bee forage plant 

 has not been determined. June and July. 



