203 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



Red oak. (Quercus rubra L.) Westward to San Antonio. Yields 

 pollen in March. Trees scarce. 



Spanish oak. Pin oak. {Quercus palustris Duroi.) West to San 

 Antonio. A good honey and pollen plant. Valuable for early brood. 



Water oak. {Quercus aquatica Walt.) Moist soils, eastern and 

 central Texas west as far as Austin. PoUeu in early spring, but the 

 plant occurs sparingly. 



Black willow. {Salix nigra jMarch.) Wet places. A good honey 

 and pollen plant. Valuable for early brood. February to April. 



Cotton wood. {Populus deltokles Marsh.) Low lands everywhere. 

 Fair honey plant, but a better pollen yielder for early brood. March. 



Cat briar. {Smilax hona-nox L.) Everywhere. Grows in thick- 

 ets, yielding honey, but bloom of short duration. April 10 to 25. 



Virginia spiderwort. {Tradescantia gigantea Rose.) Scatteringly 

 on prairies. Yields some pollen for early brood. 



Sorghum. {Sorghum vidgare Pers.) Cultivated for forage aud 

 hay. Yields honey, but it is particularly valuable for the abundance 

 of pollen during June. 



Indian corn. {Zea mais L.) Valuable pollen plant from May to 

 June. 



Silver berry. {Elaeagnus argentia Pursh.) Cultivated for orna- 

 mental purposes at College Station. The honey from the nectar 

 glands runs down the long corollas where the bees can get it. Blooms 

 in spring and fall. 



Sweet olive. {Elaeagnus angustifolia L.) One bush at College 

 Station. Honey yield good. April. 



Firmiana platinifolia (L.) R. Br. Ornamental at College Station. 

 Heavy honey yielder from May 10 to June 15. 



Crepe myrtle {Lagerstroemia indica L.) Cultivated. Blooms 

 June to October, bees working heavily at intervals. 



While, upon examining the list of honey plants, it will be noticed 

 that the heavy yielders are few, one or more species occur in all parts 

 of the State. Bee-keeping can be carried on only where the honey 

 flow is continuous when the bees are active. The many minor plants 

 here recorded are of great value in keeping colonies in good condition 

 during the intervals between the surplus yielders. In sections where 

 dearths occur they may be bridged by cultivated species, provided the 

 conditions of the locality are known so that the work can be planned 

 with approximate accuracy. A great field is open in Texas for the 

 distribution of honey plants for the purpose of producing a continual 

 honey flow in sections where the bee-keeping industry is at present 

 handicapped by dearths. By close observation bee-keepers should 



