200 



June, 1916. 



American ^Bec JonrnaJj 



No. 17.— The Honey-Producing 

 Plants 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT. 



Wkotoerai>ks bv the atttkor.) 



DURING the uncertain and backward 

 spring which has just passed, the 

 writer has taken a great deal of 

 interest in trying to determine the value 

 of the spring wild flowers to thehoney- 

 tDees. Aside from references to fruit- 

 bloom, dandelion and the forest trees, 

 such as maple and willow, the author 

 has been able to find few statements of 

 value in determining the importance of 

 the spring blossoms. This season in 

 our section the days when the bees 

 could go to the field for forage have 

 been few and far between. Brood rear- 

 ing started early, and as a result many 

 colonies were on short rations, and 



the flowers are taken to the laboratory, 

 there is an advantage in getting a pic- 

 ture of the plant in its natural environ- 

 ment. 



In western Iowa the first wild flower 

 to appear is a small white trillium, 

 commonly called " wakerobin." Dur- 

 ing its period of bloom there were few 

 times when the bees could go afield, 

 but when they df8 go they sought these 

 flowers eagerly. It was impossible to 

 determine with any degree of success 

 whether or not they were getting nec- 

 tar. Since these spring flowers can 

 never be of importance aside from the 

 assistance they give the bees in early 

 brood-rearing, and as pollen is as val- 

 uable at that period as is nectar, the 

 matter is not important. No photo- 

 graph was secured suitable for repro- 

 duction as conditions were not favor- 

 able. 



FIG. 77.- BLOSSOM OF THESIBERIAN SQUILL 



GARDEN FLOWERS. 



In cities and towns such introduced 

 species as crocus, scillas, etc., take the 

 place of the wild flowers. The bees 

 sought the blossoms of the Siberian 

 squill, Scilla siberica, very eagerly and 

 appeared to get some nectar although 

 as with the others the matter was not 

 definitely determined. This is an Old 

 World flower which is very attractive 

 when naturalized in the grass of parks 

 or lawns. The blossoms are blue and 

 appear some time in advance of the 

 fruit trees. Figure 77 shows the blos- 

 soms about half natural size. Flower 

 lovers will find this a very desirable 

 plant to grow by hundreds or thou- 

 sands. Aside from planting the bulbs 

 it requires no care and it blooms in 

 spring before time to mow the lawn, 

 and the plant has died down again be- 

 fore it is necessary to clip the grass 

 closely. It not only thrives without 

 care in a stiff sod of a well-kept lawn, 

 but adds a touch of beauty at a season 

 when there is little enough that is at- 

 tractive to be seen. 



The crocus blossoms were out at the 

 same time as the squill. This plant is 

 a native of the Mediterranean region 

 of Europe, but is widely cultivated in 

 this country for its attractive flowers 

 which range from white to purple in 

 color. Figure 78 shows a honeybee 

 searching for some honey treasure in 

 a crocus blossom. 



THE BLOODROOT. 



The bloodroot, Sanguiiiaria canaden- 

 sis, is a common wild flower in the 

 moist woods of all our northern States. 

 It blooms early in April, and is eagerly 

 sought by the bees for pollen. The 

 plant is shown at Fig. 79. 



£SS^ SPRING BEAUTY. 



Figure 80 shows a bee gathering pol- 

 len from a blossom of spring beauty. 

 These little flowers grow abundantly 

 in the woods from Nova Scotia to Sas- 



many died from starvation where their 

 owners did not take the trouble to in- 

 sure sufficient stores. When they could 

 get out they made the most of every- 

 thing in sight, and the fact that bees 

 were to be seen eagerly seeking the 

 blossoms did not in itself establish the 

 fact that they were getting much help 

 from any particular plant. 



At one time when a hive was opened 

 there was considerable thin nectar 

 which had evidently just been brought 

 in. Yet as far as could be ascertained 

 there was nothing available except the 

 wild flower blossoms. Maple and wil- 

 low had passed their blooming period 

 with the weather so unfavorable that 

 the bees could not fly. Box-elder or 

 fruit blossoms had not yet opened. 

 Possibly there was something within 

 reach which the writer overlooked, but 

 the indications were decidedly to the 

 effect that the bees were finding these 

 spring blossoms of much help in tiding 

 them over an unfavorable period. 



The photographs with this article 

 were taken in the field, with one excep- 

 tion. A camera was carried along and 

 notes taken on the blossoms which the 

 bees were visiting and the picture made 

 where the flower grew. While it is not 

 possible to get as satisfactory pictures 

 in some respects in this way, as where 



FIG. 



-BEE VISITING A CROCUS BLOSSOM-THE CROCUS IS ONE OF THE 

 FIRST FLOWERS TO BLOOM IN SPRING 



