AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 189 



PARADISE FLOWER, see Acacia. 



PARSNIP (Pastinaca sativa). 



The cultivated parsnip is a valuable honey plant. In the seed belt of 

 California, where it is grown largely for seed, it is important as a source of 

 surplus. Writing in Gleanings (November, 1919) E. R. Root mentions having 

 seen hives five and six stories high, jammed full of honey from parsnip 

 and celery. He states that the honey is not of the best, and that honey 

 from parsnip is inferior to that gathered from celery. 



PARTRIDGE PEA (Cassia Chamaechrista). 



Partridge pea, known also as sensitive pea, is an important source of 

 honey in Georgia and Florida. The flowers, of an attractive yellow color, 

 are about the size shown in Figure 106, which displays blossom, seedpod 

 and leaf. This plant is common along sandy roadsides in the Middle 

 West, and may at times be found for miles at a stretch. It is seldom re- 

 ported as an important source of surplus honey, except in the South- 

 eastern States. While the bees visit it freely while in bloom in the 

 Northern States, the honey stored from this source is seldom noticeable. 



The plant is peculiar in that in addition to the flowers, nectar is se- 

 creted by extra floral nectaries at the base of the leaf stalk or petiole. 

 The bloom lasts for several weeks in midsummer. As the bloom comes 

 for the most part after the close of the clover harvest, its chief value in 

 the North is to keep the bees occupied till the later flowers furnish a fall 

 flow. The quality stored from this source is reported as poor in the 

 North. 



In contrast, the following report indicates that it is valuable in Geor- 

 gia and Florida : 



"Bees store from one to three supers, during its flow, of light 



honey. The flow begins in June and lasts until October." — Wilder iu 



American Bee Journal, page 369, 1912. 



PEACH (Prunus persica). 



The cultivated peach is an important source of nectar over a wide scope 

 of country. In localities where large peach orchards are found, it is im- 

 portant for building up colonies in spring. Like most of the tree fruits, 

 the blooming period comes early, before the bees are strong enough to 

 profit to the fullest extent from the abundance of nectar. 



PEAR (Pyrus). 



The cultivated pear is old-world origin, but now widely distributed 

 in America. Where grown commercially, it is the source of abundant nec- 

 tar and pollen in early spring. Most varieties of the pear bloom ahead of 

 the apple. Nearly all the tree fruits furnish nectar in abundance and all 

 are valued highly by the beekeeper. 



The pear is subject to blight, which destroys thousands of trees every 

 year. For a time the honeybee was accused of spreading the blight by her 

 visits from tree to tree. There is now serious doubt whether it is possi- 



