96 



March, 1915. 



American Hee Joornal | 



is said to be white with a mild flavor. 

 In most localities it is mixed with 

 goldenrod and other dark honeys, so 

 that it is not often seen separately. It 

 is said to be rather thin, and by itself 

 not to thicken up readily. 



BONESET OR WHITE SNAKEROOT. 



There are several closely related 

 species of this plant (^I'.upalorium) 

 known by the names of boneset, thor- 

 oughwort and white snakeroot. The 

 common species ranges from New 

 Brunswick to Dakota and south to the 

 Gulf of Mexico. Boneset is frequently 

 spoken of as a honey plant. It blooms 

 in late summer, sometimes persisting 

 until frost. This plant is a perennial, 

 and if left undisturbed remains for 

 many years in open woodlands that are 

 not too closely pastured. 



The species common in western 

 Iowa is known as white snakeroot (/;'. 

 tuticac/'oliiim), which is supposed to be 

 poisonous and to cause the disease 

 known as trembles in animals. Al- 

 though much of this plant grows in 

 the writer's wild garden and the cow 

 sometimes eats it, no bad effect has 

 ever been noticed. Probably the quan- 

 tity taken has not been sufficient. Milk 

 sickness is said to be caused by the use 

 of milk, butter or cheese, or even meat 

 from animals afflicted with trembles. 

 If the trembles be caused from eating 

 white snakeroot it is then, indirectly, 

 the cause of milk sickness. 



In his book on poisonous plants, 

 Dr. L. H. Pammel cites a number of 

 cases where the disease, "trembles," 

 has been produced in animals by feed- 

 ing them with the extract of this 

 plant. Dr. Pammel also cites the re- 

 sults of investigations that seem to 

 contradict this conclusions, so as to 

 whether this plant actually sustains 

 any relationship to these diseases 

 would seem to be questionable. 



The boneset of commerce is made 

 from /'• perfoliatum, which also is most 



FIG i6.— FLOWER, FRUIT. AND LEAF OF WILD CUCUMBER 



often spoken of as a source of 

 honey. The drug is well known and 

 widely used as a remedy. These plants 

 are quite an important source of fall 

 honey. 



WILD CUCUMBER. 



The wild cucumber, or wild balsam 

 apple {J-.chiiiocyslis lolntta) is a climb- 



ing vine common along streams from 

 New England to Texas. It is also 

 commonly cultivated as the shade for 

 arbors, porches, etc. The plant is an 

 annual and comes from the seed each 

 year. There are few localities where 

 it is sufficiently abundant to be of 

 value to the beekeeper, and it is sel- 

 dom mentioned among honey plants. 

 However, in a few localities along the 

 Mississippi river it is reported as quite 

 an important source of nectar in mid- 

 summer. On river bottoms it occa- 

 sionally grows in great abundance. 

 The writer has no personal knowledge 

 of its value. 



Atlantic, Iowa. 

 Copyright. 1015. by Frank C. Pellett. 



FIG. 17.-WILD CUCUMBER 



European Foulbrood 



BY I'. H. ELWOOI). 



Wl. have had quite an experience 

 with European foulbrood. It 

 might interest you to know how 

 bad it is sometimes. When it com- 

 menced, in 18117, we had between 1300 

 and 1400 colonies. In 1903, we had less 

 than 300 colonies left, and that alter 

 buying more than that number (300) of 

 healthy swarms from localities where 

 it did not exist. In 1900 it practically 

 disappeared. If I had not bought any, 

 quite likely it would have disappeared 

 sooner. The new bees added fuel to 

 the fire, for they took the disease and 

 the contagion became stronger, and 

 some of the old ones would again take 

 the disease or become worse if they. 

 had not overcome it. J 



About the middle of the summer of I 

 1897, I visited an outyard and found! 



