JJNE 15, 1912 



3e» 



ing out in a satisfactory manner in that the 

 .county inspectors are still at work, but the 

 State Inspector can guide and direct the 

 work in a harmonious manner, and step in 

 to help where he's most needed. In fact, 

 the State Inspector has declared his inten- 

 tion of working only in counties where 

 county inspection is maintained. The State 

 work could not be begun until August ; but 

 Mr. Foster has already made a careful 

 study of conditions all over the State, and 

 has spent several weeks in harness. It is 

 too early to report on results, but it seems 

 easy to j^redict that they will be good. 



SOURCES OF HONEY. 



Colorado is justly noted for its alfalfa 

 honey. As is, of course, well known, alfal- 

 fa is grown in Colorado only under irriga- 

 tion, and usually three crops are cut each 

 season. If the alfalfa-growers would only 

 cut their alfalfa to suit the beekeepers, Col- 

 orado would lead the country in honey 

 crops; but the hay is usually cut just as it 

 comes into bloom, exceiDt, of course, where 

 a seed crop is desired. The increase now 

 being made in the irrigated areas is natu- 

 rally offering new locations for beekeeping; 

 and if alfalfa remains a leading crop by 

 the time the total irrigable area of Colorado 

 has water on it we may look for train-load 

 crops of honey. With the increase in the 

 price of alfalfa hay, however, there is a 

 marked tendency to cut earlier, and this has 

 already hurt the honey crops. Cleaner cul- 

 tivation and better care of irrigation ditch- 

 es have already in some localities decreased 

 the amount of sweet clover, which is a val- 

 uable addition to the honey resources. If 

 Colorado irrigation water comes to be car- 

 ried largely through pipes, as it is in parts 

 of the West, the amount of sweet clover 

 will be reduced with serious results to bee- 

 keeping. These factors are said to be large- 

 ly responsible for the recent failures of the 

 honey crops in northern Colorado, which 

 have resulted in the shipping of several 

 carloads of bees to new fields in Idaho, Tex- 

 as, and elsewhere. 



Every one knows that Colorado is cele- 

 brated for its deciduous fruits. This brings 

 to the beekeeper a bountiful supply of 

 early nectar; but colonies are usually not 

 in shape to store any surplus, any more 

 than they are in the East; so that, as else- 

 where, the fruit-grower profits more by the 

 work of tlie bee than does the beekeeper. 



The Rocky Mountain bee plant {Cleome) 

 is abundant; but at the places visited little 

 mention was made of its being a main 

 source of honey. 



COMB HONEY. 



Probably the majority of the beekeepers 

 I met in Colorado are producers of comb 



honey. Alfalfa honey is beautifully white, 

 and the comb honey is certainly choice- 

 looking. As an objection to the production 

 of comb honey in an alfalfa region may be 

 mentioned the fact that the honey granu- 

 lates quickly. This is, I understand, true 

 mainly after it is extracted, however. Fur- 

 thermore the honey-flow is not excessively 

 rapid, rarely exceeding a gain of five 

 pounds per day, while three pounds would 

 probably be a good average in a good sea- 

 son. The flow extends intermittently from 

 some time in June nearly or quite to Sep- 

 tember 1, extending over the periods of the 

 three cuttings of alfalfa. Such conditions 

 would not appear ideal for comb-honey 

 production to an eastern comb-honey man. 

 However, the demands of the market seem 

 to indicate that comb honey is more profit- 

 able than extracted, and most beekeepers 

 seem to prefer it. There are exceptions to 

 this general rule, so that Colorado differs 

 not at all from the East in having argu- 

 ments as to the desirability of each kind of 

 honey production. There seems to be no 

 hope of settling this question on this side 

 of the Styx, so I refrain from starting an 

 argument on the subject, 

 Washington, D. C. 



To be continued July 15 



THE RED FLOWERS OF NORTH AMERICA 



BY JOHN H. LOVELL. 



There are only 257 red flowers in our 

 northern flora. Their hue is due to a solu- 

 ble red pigment called anthoeyan, dissolved 

 in the cell sap. It is also of frequent oc- 

 currence in the stems and leaves of herba- 

 ceous plants, as well as on the under side of 

 aquatic leaves and of radical leaves grow- 

 ing in rosettes, as in the mustard family. 

 It is particularly abundant in early spring 

 and late fall, and at alpine heights. It prob- 

 ably serves to convert light rays into heat,, 

 and thus aids the plant in its growth under 

 cold skies. 



Red anthoeyan is always acid; for in- 

 stance, when a red rose is dipped in a weak 

 alkaline solution (ammonia) it becomes, 

 blue; but if it is then treated with a weak 

 acid its red hue returns. In this way its. 

 color may be changed repeatedly. Red col- 

 oration is much more common in foliage- 

 than blue, because the cell sap is usually 

 acid. We have undoubtedly here the ex- 

 planation of the difficulty florists experi- 

 ence in their endeavors to produce a blue 

 rose. The rose family exhibits a marked 

 tendency in stem, leaf, bud, flower, audi 

 fruit to develop red coloring — a tendency 

 due to the strong acidity of the cell sap. Of" 



