662 



AiVEERlCAN 15EE JOUKiNAi.. 



MATRIMONY-VIIVE— A CORRECTION. 



BY FRANK BENTON. 



On page 522, Mr. A. J. Duncan has a note on a honey-producing plant which 

 is known in his locality (Hartford, Iowa,) as " Washington willow." The specimen 

 Mr. Duncan sent was forwarded to Prof. T. J. Burrill, of the University of Illinois, 

 for determination, and the latter says, on the same page of the "American Bee 



Journal :" "This is matrimony-vine, Solanum jasaminoides The shrub is very 



hardy, succeeds everywhere in our country, but I do not know that it has been 

 recommended as a honey-plant, neither do I know anything about the value of the 

 shrub as a honey-producer." 



It seems to me that Prof. Burrill has made a mistake, either by inadvertently 

 giving the wrong scientific name to matrimony-vine, or else the plant Mr. Duncan 

 sent in is not matrimony-vine at all. Solanum jasaminoides is a tall, woody- 

 stemmed house-plant climbing by its petioles; stem not at all prickly, but quite 

 smooth thoughout ; leaves entire, oblong-ovate or somewhat heart-shaped, occa- 

 sionally divided into three leaflets ; flowers in clusters, white or bluish. It comes 

 from Brazil, and as indicated above, is not hardy with us. In contradistinction to 

 this matrimony-vine, bearing the scientific name Lycium vulgare, comes to us from 

 northern Mediterranean coasts, and is hardy wherever introduced in the United 

 States, having even run wild in many places north ; the stem is lithe, somewhat 

 thorny, long, with numerous recurved branches; leaves, oblong-spatulate; flowers, 

 appearing ail the season until late in the fall, in clusters of two or three in the axils 

 of the leaves, pale greenish-purple, the spreading corolla five-cleft ; fruit a bright 

 red berry. 



Prof. Burrill was not aware that matrimony-vine had been recommended as a 

 honey-producing plant, yet for several years it has been included in the list of 

 honey-plants given in the "ABC of Bee-Culture " by A. I. Root. I have myself 

 observed that bees frequent its blossoms from spring until late fall, even during 

 great drouths, and they work on them as late in the day as they can possibly see, 

 gathering both honey and pollen. I mentioned this in ray recent essay at the North 

 American convention in St. Joseph, Mo., and recommended the plant highly both 

 for ornament and honey and pollen. Dr Peiro afterward called attention to the 

 fact that the plant was to be found growing wild within the city — near the Court 

 House, and several members went there and secured roots to take home with them. 



Washington, D. C, Oct. 30. 



Eig'lil ;\iiiiil»ei's lor lO C^eiifs. — 



Yes, we will send the last eight numl)ers of 

 the " American Bee Journal" for 1804, to 

 any wiv name, for only 10 cents (stamps or 

 silver). Now, here's a good chance to get 

 some of your bee-keeping friends started in 

 taking the •' Bee Journal " regularly. You 

 just get ttiem to read the eight numbers 

 mentioned, and more than likely tliey will 

 want to keejj it up after that. If you liave 

 thrte bee-friends that you want should have 

 the eight numbers, send us 25 cents with 

 their names and addresses, and we will 

 mail them to each. Remember this offer is 

 for the last eh/Id numberK of 1H.')4 — dated, Nov. 

 8, 15, 22 and 29 ; and Dec. G, 1.3, 20 and 27. 



If, then, at any time between now and 

 Feb. 1, 18y.5, you can secure the subscrip- 

 tions of these " short termers " for tlie year 

 1895, you can count them as new subscrib- 

 ers and get the premiums as per our offers 



on page G67 of this issue. Eight "short 

 term " subscribers at 10 cents each, will 

 count the same as one new subscriber for a 

 year, in earning premiums. 



If you wish sample copies to use in secur- 

 ing the " short term " or other subscribers, 

 let us know, and we will be glad to mail 

 them to you free. 



We ought to add thousands of names to 

 our list on this very low offer— 8 numbers 

 for 10 cents ! iVow ix the time for earnest work ! 



'I'lie J\ovelly lN>cket-Kiiife is 



worth having. Mr. A. G. Amos, of New 

 York, says this about it: " The ' Novelty' 

 pocket-knife which I received with the 

 Amekican Bee Jouunai. arrived all O. K., 

 and it is a dandy." Better get one your- 

 self, and then yott, will know what a 

 " dandy " thing it is. See page 672 for ad- 

 vertising offer. 



