1889 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



591 



protector. T have not tried it as yet; but I believe 

 the plan will always work in spring, and as long- as 

 the colony is inclined to swarm. 

 Selma, Texas, June 7, 1889. L. Stachelhausen. 



VERITABLE KOBBER-BEES. 



Mr. A. C. Waldron sends some small shining hair- 

 less bees that are robbing his bees. He says they 

 attack only one colony, and are very numerous. 

 These are common honey-bees, hybrids (Italians 

 and blacks). They are small, shining, and black, as 

 they have had nearly all the hair pulled out. They 

 are veritable robbers. A. J. Cook. 



Agricultural College, Mich. 



nALLBEKRY HONEY. 



I this day send you a sample of extracted gallber- 

 ry honey. This is the first honey for market; and 

 the six years 1 have been here it has never failed to 

 give a good crop. Please give your opinion of the 

 same. I think it quite nice, and should not be 

 classed as Southern honey. S. C. Corwin. 



Sara Sota, Fla., June 16, 1889. 



[The sample came duly to hand. The color and 

 body of the honey are good. While we do not think 

 that the flavor is quite equal to that of white clover, 

 yet it ought not to classed with the ordinary South- 

 ern honey, so called.] 



IS HONEY FROM CATNIP BITTER? 



I had a large quantity of catnip in my yard. I 

 was talking with a friend a few days ago, and he 

 said that catnip would produce honey that was bit- 

 ter. I should like to have your views on it. If I 

 thought it would be an injury to the honey, 1 would 

 cut it all down. Thos. Phillip. 



Holland Store, June 7, 1889. 



[You are certainly in error in thinking that the 

 honey from catnip was bitter, or even poor. Some 

 years ago one of our bee-friends planted catnip 

 largely for honey alone, and he found the quality 

 was very fine. It has a somewhat aromatic flavor, 

 like that from the mints and basswood; but this 

 flavor is not bitter, and in no way objectionable.] 



0a^ QaE^i0]\i-B0^, 



With Replies from our best Authorities on Bees. 



All queries sent in for this department should be briefly 

 stated, and free from any possible ambiguity. The question 

 or questions should be written upon a separate slip of paper, 

 and marked, "For Our Question-Box." 



Question 135.— a. When, in your locality, does 

 white clover first begin to yield nectar? b. How lon<j 

 does it usually last? c. What other sources have you 

 for white honey? 



a. May 25 to June 10; b. 4 weeks; c. None. 



Dadant & Son. 

 a. About June 10; b. It lasts till about July 10; c. 

 Basswood. Geo. Grimm. 



a. About June 10; b. Lasts from two to four 

 weeks; c. Linden. A. J. Cook. 



a. As a rule, with the beginning of June; b. As 

 a rule, to the beginning of July. c. None. 



C. F. Muth. 

 a. Usually about June 15; b. From two to three 

 weeks; c. Raspberries, sumac, and basswood. 



A. R. Manum. 

 a. About June 10. b. Until July, or until bass- 

 wood gives nectar, c. Raspberry, willow, sumac, 

 linden. Rambler. 



a. About June first; b. From two to three weeks; 

 c. Basswood and sweet clover. A. B. Mason. 



a. Generally from June 1 to 6; b. From two to 

 four weeks; c. Basswood, red-root, and sometimes 

 mint. S. I. Freeborn. 



It used to begin about June 0; but for several 

 years past the yield of honey from that source has 

 been so light that it has been a little difficult to tell 

 just when it began and when it left off. c. Bass- 

 wood. H. R. Boardman. 



Usually bees commence on white clover from 

 June 1 to 10. There is some clover in blossom here 

 now May 28. But the bees are not making a living. 

 Weather is too wet and cold. For white honey in 

 this locality we have white clover and basswood. 



E. France. 



a. Usually not far from June 20. b. From two to 

 three weeks, c. Basswood. White clover is not 

 usually a heavy yielder with us, bees working on a 

 variety of flowers. The common daisy often fur- 

 nishes honey enough for brood-rearing, for a short 

 time. P. H. Elwood, 



a. I have seen white clover in bloom in January, 

 but never had any yield from it before March, b. 

 About July 1. Some favorable seasons it will last 

 till August, c. In the fall we have the smartweed 

 and eupatorium, which yield lighter honey than 

 white clover. Paul L. Viallon. 



a. It varies at different seasons, all the way from 

 the first to the last of June. b. The heavy flow 

 from white clover usually lasts from 10 to 20 days ; 

 but a very moderate flow will sometimes last six 

 weeks, c. A very small amount of basswood. This 

 refers to my Iowa location, as my answers all do, 

 when different locations would make a difference 

 in the reply. O. O. Poppleton. 



a. From the last of May to June 10. The bees 

 don't seem to accomplish any thing on it until 

 about ten days after the first blossoms are seen. 

 This year was exceptional. The first blossom was 

 seen May 15, and three days later I saw a bee on a 

 clover-blossom, b. Three to six weeks, c. Practi- 

 cally none, although cucumbers help some for win- 

 ter stores. C. C. Miller. 



a. Usually from May 25 to June 1. In a wet season, 

 somewhat later, b. The first crop of white clover, 

 ordinarily about a mouth; if the rainfall is plenti- 

 ful, younger plants come forward and even new 

 ones from the seed, so that the flow is extended al- 

 most through the entire season, although the yield 

 may not be large; c. Apple-blossoms, raspberry, 

 polygonum, blackheart. Apple-bloom is not very 

 white. Linden in some seasons yields well; in oth- 

 ers, not at all. Mrs. L. Harrison. 



a. We have no white clover at all, except with 

 blue grass, in front dooryards. b, c. Wild alfalfa, 

 white, purple, and black sages; black sage abound- 

 ing in only a few localities, commences yielding, 

 I will say, in the last half of April. Purple sage, 

 perhaps the most abundant of any, especially near 

 the coast, comes in the fore part of May; and white 

 sage abounds in the more elevated districts away 

 from the coast, in the last half of May. Wild al- 

 falfa comes about the same time, or a little earlier, 

 than while sage, and is about as good for honey. 

 The time of bloom varies from one to six weeks. 

 Each variety yields honey from four to six weeks. 



It. Wilkin. 



