AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 97 



GAILLARDIA, see Marigold. 



GALLBERRY (Ilex glabra). See also Holly. 



The gallberry, in some localities better known as inkberry, is usually 

 heard of as a honey plant only in the South. However, it occurs as far 

 north as Nova Scotia, on the seashore, and along the coast from Massa- 

 chusetts to Virginia and Florida, and west to Louisiana. It is a common 

 shrub in the low pine barrens of the Gulf States. It is a small evergreen 

 shrub with small, dark leaves. It is an important honey plant in southern 

 Georgia, where it is widely distributed over the sandy lands, especially of 

 the coastal plains. It is important, also, in the Carolinas. It grows in 

 dense thickets and rapidly extends over newly cleared lands. Fig. 57. 



"As a honey plant perhaps it has no equal in the southeast. We 

 have never failed to get a surplus from it, even during the most unfa- 

 vorable weather conditions. It begins to bloom the first of May and 

 continues for 24 to 28 days. During this time bees disregard other 

 bloom, working it up to about 8 o'clock for the pollen; then the flow 

 comes on for the remainder of the day. * * * It is a great bloomer; 

 even the stems are rolls of bloom. * * * We have never taken ofit 

 a large crop of this honey, as 147 pounds of surplus is the best crop 

 we have ever had from one colony. The honey is a light amber color, 

 has a heavy body, a very mild taste, and is highly flavored. The de- 

 mand for this honey is so great that we cannot furnish our local mar- 

 kets, consequently very little is shipped from the southeast to other 

 markets. 



"We have raised tons of this honey and have never seen a pound 

 of the pure article, well ripened, that granulated. 



"It has been said that it is impossible to overstock a good gall- 

 berry location. We do not know that this statement is true, but we 

 have never heard of one being overstocked. We have had bees in a 

 location where there were 362 colonies, with the same result as with 

 100 colonies. Good gallberry locations are nearly numberless and large 

 quantities of this fine honey are wasted every year in localities where 

 there is not a bee to gather it. The gallberry should be included in 

 the list of the best honey plants."— J. J. Wilder, Cordele, Ga. Glean- 

 ings, page 1200, September, 1907. 



GAURA. 



There are several species of gaura of wide distribution. Although 

 frequently mentioned as honey plants, they are seldom of sufficient abund- 

 ance to be important. 



SchoU reports that Gaura filiformis occasionally yields surplus in 

 Texas, when conditions are favorable. The red gaura is reported as of 

 value in Colorado. (See Red Gaura.) 



GELSEMIUM, see Yellow Jasmine. 



