BEEKEEPING IN THE BUCKWHEAT 
REGION. 
E. F. Puivuirs, A piculturist in Charge, and Grorce S. DemMutH, A picultural 
Assistant, Bee-Culture Investigations. 
CONTENTS. 
Page. Page. 
Geographical boundaries of the buck- Other plants in the region which fur- 
wmiheat recion== s+ 2 bans Bes. 4 Nishwne ctr so see ee 10 
Variations within the region_______ 5 | Equipment recommended —---_~~~~~ itil 
Relation to other beekeeping regions— 6 Adaptations of beekeeping practice 
Characteristics of buckwheat____~_~_ 6 FOTMEHIG eRegiOn 2s ee ee 12 
Present development of beekeeping in Market facilities and methods of 
Glee shOSIOMS a eee Mae 8 marketing =) = + £2 2 25 
Peculiarities of the region_________ 8 | Opportunities for development of this 
Type of honey to be produced___~— 9 SPER KO NG eet) 2 at a ey Aa Rie eae ees 26 
HE successful production of honey from buckwheat requires 
special and quite different methods from those applicable to 
a typical clover territory, since buckwheat comes into flower long 
after the blooming period of white clover. Although buckwheat is 
now the source of a large amount of honey, estimated by Jones’ as 
2.9 per cent of the total for the United States, and although some 
parts of the buckwheat region are at present fully stocked with bees 
under good management, in other parts much nectar remains un- 
gathered. Many beekeepers fail to take full advantage of this source 
of honey because of the lateness of the honey-flow and especially 
perhaps because of the fact that European foulbrood is endemic in 
this region. This bulletin undertakes to outline the methods which 
will enable the beekeepers of the buckwheat region to utilize fully 
this important source of honey. Wherever possible a single system 
is described rather than several methods for each phase of the work. 
Buckwheat? belongs to the same plant family as the knotweeds 
or smartweeds, commonly called heartsease in beekeeping literature, 
1Jonns, S) A., 1918. Honeybees and honey production in the United States. U. S. 
Dept. of Agric. Bul. 685, 61 p. 
4 Fagopyrum esculentum, family Polygonaceae. To this species belong the three varie- 
ties commonly grown in the United States, the Japanese, the Silverhull, and the Common 
Gray. Fagopyrum tataricum, the Tartary buckwheat, is grown in a few localities in the 
country, to a limited extent. Of the three common yarieties the Silverhull is most valu- 
abie to the beekeeper, the Japanese being commonly reported as of little value for nectar 
secretion. Fagopyrum emarginatum, the notched-seed buckwheat, is not known to be 
grown pure in this country. 3 
