472 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



June 1 



subdue it in October. It is here called cam- 

 phor-weed, from its rank odor ; but its true 

 name is "blue curls." "Wild Flowers of 

 California " says of it, " This species blossoms 

 late in the summer, and grows upon very dry 

 ground, where it seems almost a miracle for 

 any plant to thrive." 



It seems to grow upon portions of wheat 

 lands where the sunflower will not, and is in 

 bloom at about the same time. I have met 

 this plant in all portions of the State. In the 

 northern portion of the State the honey from 

 it is dark and of rank flavor, but here in Cen- 

 tral California it is of good flavor, with a dis- 



EUCALYPTUS-TREE PLANTED 11 YEARS AGO, NOW 85 FEET 

 HIGH AND 3 FEET IN DIAMETER. 



tinctly acid quality, and almost water-white. 

 It is in an extreme hurry to granulate, and 

 will commence this process within three days 

 after extracting. When secured in the comb 

 it soon granulates there. 



Although people apply vile names to the 

 plant, and keep as far from the odor as possi- 

 ble, still it is a most interesting plant to visit ; 

 and the mechanics of the blue curl's blossom 



exhibit one of the wonderful plans of nature 

 for the proper distribution of pollen grains 

 and the perpetuation of its species. 



I noticed one day that the bees were com- 

 ing in with their backs painted a dirty green- 

 ish hue, and the next time I was out upon a 

 tour of observation I found the bees working 

 blue-curl blossoms, and here was one of na- 

 ture's paint-brushes. The blossom is in shape 

 something like that of white-sage. The bee 

 alights upon the curled up corolla of the lat- 

 ter, and its weight opens, as it were, a trap- 

 door, giving access to the nectartube (see il- 

 lustration in A B C, page 262, 1900 edition). 

 But the nectar-tube of blue curls 

 has a sharp bend in it, and above 

 are two long curved stamens, 

 or filaments, with pollen-grains 

 upon the extreme tips The bee 

 alights upon the edge of the 

 corolla ; its weight straightens 

 the nectar-tube, giving it access 

 to the tube. At the same time 

 the two curved filaments drop 

 down and strike the bee on the 

 back of the thorax, and leave 

 their mark. The illustration will 

 give some idea of this language 

 of the flowers : 



To him who, in the love of 

 nature, holds 



Communion with her visible 

 forms, 



She spealis a various lan- 

 guage. 



The bee -and the grape have 

 been under controversy for many 

 years, and apiaries in this State 

 have been burned by grape grow- 

 ers for the fancied injury to their 

 product ; but that happened in 

 the southern end of the State. 

 Here is a vineyard that corners 

 right up to our apiary of 160 col- 

 onies. An eighth of a mile away 

 is another vineyard of 35 acres ; 

 a little further along, another of 

 40 acres — vineyards and bees in 

 all this region. The bee-men 

 and the grape-men ought to be 

 at perpetual warfare ; but it is 

 quite the contrary. They dwell 

 in harmony. 



Through the early portion of 

 the grape season, not a bee dis- 

 turbs the ripening grapes ; and 

 when the large clusters are 

 spread upon the trays for dry- 

 ing, not a bee disturbs the rai- 

 sins. The only time during the 

 past season when the bees work- 

 ed upon the grapes was late 

 and upon what is called the 

 It is toe late in the season to 

 cure this crop Birds, squirrels, and various 

 insects, including bees, work upon it. Not 

 much profit is expected from the late crop. A 

 good share of the vineyardists get a little profit 

 out of this crop by selling the grapes to the 

 wineries. Mr. McCubbin, being a consistent 

 Prohibitionist, will not sell to the winery. 



in the fall, 

 second crop. 



