162 



May, 1916. 



American Hae Journal 



clipped. They will ahaays go together 

 if two swarms issue at nearly the same 

 time, one with an undipped queen and 

 the other clipped, and that cannot be 

 said when none at all are docked. 



At any rate, the two seasons we were 

 ill this dilema caused us to come to the 

 conclusion that we must clip all or 

 none, and I feel sure that if our Indi- 

 ana correspondent has a fairly large 

 apiary and will this spring clip half of 

 the queens and leave the rest alone, 

 granted that the season will be bad for 

 swarming, he will conclude that ray 

 advice is practical. 



Markham, Ont. 



No. 



16.— The Honey-Producing 

 Plants 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT. 

 Photosr'tl'hs by M. C. Ruhter, Sati Francisco, 



IN this our 16th installment of the 

 honey plants, we will consider some 

 which are frequently reported as 

 sources of nectar on the Pacific Coast. 

 Some of them occur in the East, but 

 are seldom mentioned as sources of 

 nectar east of the Rocky Mountains. 

 For the photographs which appear this 

 month we are indebted to M. C. Rich- 

 ter, of San Francisco. 



PIN-CLOVER OR FILLAREE. 



The pin-clover, alfilaria or fillaree, 

 Erodium cicutariinn, is widely distrib- 

 uted in the old world, and in this coun- 

 try has been naturalized from Europe. 

 It is especially well known on the Pa- 

 cific Coast from British Columbia to 

 southern California. There it is said 

 to be one of the most valuable wild 

 pasture plants. 



It is also called pin grass and Heron's 

 bill. It has a long period of bloom, 

 beginning in February or March in 

 California, and in some places con- 

 tinuing through the summer. It pro- 

 duces an abundance of pollen and con- 

 siderable honey of good quality. In 



FIG. 73.-FILAREE OR PIN CLOVER-A COMMON HONEY-PLANT IN CALIFORNIA 



Fig. 74.— Manzanita Blossoms 



Gray's botany it is listed as "stork's 

 bill," and is mentioned as scarce in 

 New York and Pennsylvania. It is re- 

 corded as occurring in Alabama where 

 it apparently was carried with railroad 

 ballast. June is given as the blooming 

 period in the vicinity of Mobile. 



It is also known in several places in 

 Connecticut, where it is said to bloom 

 in May and June. Prof. Pammell states 

 that it is abundant in the dry soils in 

 the Salt Lake basin and from Colorado 

 to Texas. The seeds cling to the wool 

 of sheep and this aids in its wide dis- 

 tribution. 



Figure 73 shows the plant with blos- 

 som and seed pod. It is from the pecu- 

 liar shape of the latter that it gets the 

 names of " stork's bill " and "Heron's 

 bill." 



MANZANITA OR BEARBERRY. 



Figure 74 shows the blossoms and 

 leaves of the manzanita, which is sel- 

 dom heard of as a honey-plant east of 

 California. The following information 

 is copied from Richter's " Honey Plants 

 of California:" 



" .;>c/os///o'fo*, manzanita, bearberry. 

 Throughout coast ranges, Sierra Ne- 



vada foothills, and San Bernardino 

 Mountain (2000 to 9000 feet), November 

 to Februaiy. 



" The honey is amber and of excellent 

 flavor, much like manzanita itself (Co- 

 lusa county) ; pollen. San Diego county 

 reports a white honey from the man- 

 zanita. One of the most important 

 honey- plants to induce bees to early 

 breeding. In some parts of Monterey, 

 Colusa and Eldorado counties a 20 to 

 40 pound surplus is obtained, and on 

 very warm days (Monterey county) 

 nectar can be shaken from the bloom. 

 A beekeeper from Applegate reports it 

 to be his best honey yielder." 



The .Irc/os/f'liylos m'aitrsi, bearbtrry 

 or beargrape, according to Gray, occurs 

 on the rocks and bare hills from New 

 Jersey and Pennsylvania to Missouri 

 and far north and westward. It is also 

 said to be common in Europe and Asia. 

 It is recorded in the local lists of plants 

 of Connecticut and Ontario. 



It is a little surprising to us to find 

 plants which are so highly regarded in 

 California reported from so many east- 

 ern localities, although, probably be- 

 cause nowhere abundant, they are not 



