352 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



■would say, in answer to what is good pasture for bees, that, so far 

 as my experience goes, nothing; although it might be a great ben- 

 efit for the bees to find an abundance of forage at hand, still, it 

 might not Y^'dy. It would take several acres, where there are many 

 bees, to produce a few hundred pounds of surplus honey. If but 

 few bees, they would get all they require without the specialty. 

 We might have a few acres covered with borage, catnip, or other 

 honey-yielding plants, and b}^ some peculiarity in the atmos- 

 phere, which sometimes oc(;urs, no honey would be secreted, when 

 the trouble and use of land will be a dead loss. Suppose the sea- 

 son is favorable, and the yield abundant, there Avill be more than 

 the bees can collect, without this cultivation. But when a crop 

 will well pay cultivation, and will also yield honey, there is an 

 advantage, though not quite double. It will, of course, save the 

 bees long journeys. An acre or two of red and yellow raspl)er- 

 ries will furnish as much honey for several weeks as any that can 

 be planted. White clover is another plant to be largely sown. 

 It is not as sure as the raspberry to yield honey, at all times, yet 

 it lasts longer. Buckwheat, although inferior in qualit}-, is valu- 

 able as 3'ielding its honey when most other sources have passed 

 away. When the clover harvest has been abundant, this comes in 

 as an extra, clear gain; and when the clover has failed to yield, it 

 often furnishes the winter stores for the bees. If bee-keepers want 

 two chances of pay for investment, plant raspberries, sow white 

 clover, and, above all, sow buckwheat." 



Mr. N. C. JMeeker. — Mr. Quimby has the right idea, and we are 

 obliged to him. But there is another side to this subject. The club 

 must consider all sections of the country. Now, there is a very large 

 portion of the United States where bee feed is very precarious. 

 It conmieuccs where the grass region ends, and includes almost 

 all the Southern States. There little or no dependence can be 

 placed on Avhite clover, for it does not grow; and there are years 

 when the bees do well if they can live, while surplus honey is not 

 to be tliought of. The question arises, whether tliere is any plant 

 that profitably can be sown in the South which will enable the 

 bees to l)c productive. 



Mr. Cavanach read the following paper on vegetables that are 

 seldom or never seen in our markets, and their modes of cooking : 



Sea-Kale. 

 Sea-kale : Cranibe Martima, of Linnseus; Chou Marin, of the 



