214 AMERICAN HOxXEY PLANTS 



Colorado. They are described as coarse plants, usually shrubby and grow- 

 ing to a height of as much as six feet. They have small heads of yellow 

 flowers. The Navaho Indians use the heads of the various species to dye 

 wool yellow. — (Flora of New Mexico.) 



RADISH or JOINTED CHARLOCK (Raphanus Raphanistrum). 



The wild radisli or jointed charlock is a troublesome weed in the fields 

 vi eastern Canada and United States from New England to Pennsylvania. 

 Like many other introduced plants, it has been widely scattered with grain 

 seeds. It has been introduced into northwestern Iowa with oats, where it 

 is spreading in fields and waste places. 



Sladen lists it as one of the important sources of nectar in Nova 

 Scotia. 



RAGGED LADY, see Red Gaura. 

 RAGGED SAILOR, see Centaurea. 



RAGWEED (Ambrosia trifida). 



Figure 116 shows the blossom and leaf of the great ragweed, often 

 called horseweed. This is a very common roadside weed, growing to a 

 height of 10 or 12 feet. It is common in Quebec and Ontario, west to Mani- 

 toba. In the United States it occurs from New England west to Colorado 

 and south to the Gulf. It is also found in Cuba and Mexico. It is espe- 

 cially common in the rich lands of the Mississippi Valley from Minnesota 

 to Texas. 



The ragweed does not produce nectar, but furnishes large quantities 

 cf pollen in late summer and fall. 



RAPE (Brassica napus). 



Rape is a foreign plant related to the cabbage, which has been intro- 

 duced from Europe. In the United States it is chiefly grown as a catch 

 crop or forage for hogs and sheep and sometimes as a cover crop. 



In Europe it is highly regarded as a honey plant, as the following let- 

 ter from Baron Von Berlepsch, which appeared in American Bee Journal 

 in April, 1874, will show: 



"During the years between 1841 and 1858, that I was a practical 

 agriculturist, I cultivated rape, to a large extent, and can in conse- 

 quence thereof, and from knowledge otherwise gained, testify most 

 assuredly, that in all Germany there is no plant yielding more honey 

 than rape. I know of instances, occurring in my own experience, where 

 a very populous colony of bees, during time when rape was in blossom, 

 gained a weight of 20 pounds and over in one day. 



"On the 10th of May, 1846, there was near me a 65-acre field in blos- 

 som. The weather was excellent, and my strongest colony, which I 

 placed on a platform scale, gained that day more than 21 pounds in 

 weight. I know of only one other plant that can be compared with 

 rape as a honey-yielding plant, and that is esparet (Sainfoin). 



A Wisconsin beekeeper, writing in American Bee Journal the same 

 year stated that rape in Wisconsin is scarcely second to linden. He de- 



