AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 



127 



"Bees are working on honeydew, the trees just glistening with it. 



I have several hundred pounds of it in the supers. It is bad looking 



stuff, not fit to eat or sell." — Iowa. American Bee Journal, page 537, 

 1904. 



Fig. 75. Hops furnish pollen, but are not important to the beekeeper. 



Not all honeydew is of such bad color and flavor. There are numer- 

 ous reports of honeydew of such flavor and quality that it finds a ready 

 sale in competition with good honey. However, it is usually unsatisfac- 

 tory for winter stores for the bees, regardless of its source. 



HONEY LOCUST (Gleditsia trlacanthos). THORNY LOCUST. 



The honey locust is a well-known tree from Pennsylvania and On- 

 tario to Florida and westward to Texas and Kansas. It prefers rich 

 bottom lands, seldom being found on dry hillsides. The tree has spreading 

 branches and very long, red brown thorns. The thorns are often branched 

 and sometimes nearly a foot in length. At times they cover the trunk of 

 the tree in great abundance. The flowers appear in May or June. 



While the honey locust is the source of considerable nectar, it is not 

 equal to the black locust (Robinia pseudo-acacia). (See Locust.) 



The two species are often confused, although the long thorns peculiar 

 to the honey locust should distinguish it readily. 



There are numerous reports to the effect that the bees work freely 

 on honey locust, but it is seldom regarded as a source of surplus, while 

 the black locust yields abundantly for a short period, under favorable 

 conditions. 



