218 AMERICAN HONEY PLANTS 



western Florida and east to Texas. It grows along streams and in the 

 woodlands where the soil is moist and rich. In Alabama it blooms late in 

 February, and in southern Iowa in April. The rose-pink blossoms appear- 

 ing in early spring, before the leaves are out, make the tree very conspicu- 

 ous during the blooming period. Where the tree is abundant it furnishes a 

 liberal pasture for the bees for early spring brood rearing. Blooming so 

 early, it is rarely the source of surplus. In the northern part of its range it 

 often blooms with fruit trees and dandelion, so that it is not as important 

 as farther south. 



There is another species in south Texas and Mexico which blooms in 

 March. The Texan red-bud (Cercis reniformis), and one, the western red- 

 bud (Cercis occidentalis), which occurs in the mountains of California and 

 occasionally in Utah. 



The red-bud is also known as salad-tree, or June-bud. 



RED CLOVER (Trifolium praiense). 



There have been so many conflicting statements regarding the ques- 

 tion as to whether or not the honeybee is able to secure honey from red 

 clover (Trifolium pratense) that it has seemed worth while to investigate 

 the subject with some care. There have been so many reports of honey 

 from this source, that it is desirable to learn whether the honey did come 

 from red clover, or whether the beekeepers have been mistaken, and some 

 explanation of the confusion is necessary. There is no question but that 

 the plant secretes nectar in abundance, but since the corolla tubes are 

 much longer than the tongues of the bees, they are unable to reach it 

 under ordinary conditions. It is a well-known fact that plants behave very 

 differently under different climatic conditions, so an effort has been made 

 to secure evidence from as many localities as possible, and from a great 

 variety of conditions. 



In Iowa the writer has sometimes found bees working freely on red 

 clover in extremely dry seasons. At such times the bees were apparently 

 getting some nectar, although it could not be detected in the hive. How- 

 ever, one year, Mr. C. H. True, of Edgewood, Iowa, had on exhibition at 

 the State Fair, a generous quantity of honey which he thought was secured 

 from red clover. It was slightly tinted with red, and had a flavor different 

 from white or alsike clover honey. The explanation often given is that 

 ill dry seasons the florets are somewhat dwarfed, and because of the 

 shorter tube the bee is able to reach the honey. Dr. L. H. Pammel, bot- 

 anist at the Iowa College of Agriculture, has made a special study of bees 

 and red clover under Iowa conditions. After having many measurements 

 made, he has reached the conclusion that the cft'ect on the length of the 

 corolla tube, as a result of drought, is so slight that the bee would not be 

 able to reach the nectar from this cause. He goes on record as follows: 

 "I have for several years closely observed honeybees and red clo- 

 ver, and from these observances I am still inclined to the opinion, 

 earlier expressed, that honeybees do not get nectar from the flowers 

 of the red clover, notwithstanding the opinion of many beekeepers in 

 Iowa." — Third report Iowa State Bee Inspector. 



