®ouucution5» 



Honey Plants. 



KEAD BEFORE THE MICH. CONVENTION. 



Honey is not produced by bees; but col- 

 lected by them troiii various plants and 

 stored away for their own use in times when 

 they are debarred from collectinji, by tlie 

 absence of the sweet nectar. It is durinji; 

 these times of idleness that tiie bee-keeper 

 should strive to biini? plants into bloom so 

 as to give the bees aii opportunity of work- 

 ing. 



During White Clover and Basswood we 

 need no extra honey plants, for they follow 

 one another in quick succession; but it is 

 between Basswood, Buckwheat, and the 

 wild flowers that comes the grwat necessity 

 for cultivated plants. 



The past summer I have been watching 

 closely some beds of honey plants, at the 

 Agricultural College, with the following re- 

 sults: 



ALSIKE CLOVER {TrifoUurn Mybri- 

 diim). 

 Bees began work upon this plant May 

 SOth, the same time that White Clover came 

 into bloom; and continued in bloom for 

 more than three weeks. During this time it 

 was well patronized by the bees. They 

 could be found upon it at nearly all times of 

 the day. The great complaint among far- 

 mers is, that it lodges badly, and conse- 

 quently is not good for hay. A remedy for 

 this would be to mix the Alsike with either 

 the common fled Clover or Timothy. Then 

 the farmer would not only be benefited, but 

 also the bee-keeper. It is one of the Jirst of 

 honey phrnts, and adds to the value of both 

 pasture and meadow. 



MIGNONETTE {Reseda Odorata). 



Mignonette is a native of Egypt— comes to 

 us by way of France and England. It is 

 well known by every one as being one of the 

 most fragrant of plants. 



Early in the season our President made 

 the statement that " Mignonette was one of 

 the best of honey plants; that it commenced 

 to bloom early and would last tlirough the 

 season. Bees could be found upon it at all 

 times of the day in large numbers." Of 

 course I expected great things of this plant, 

 for the bee papers were all very high in their 

 praise of its qualities. June "23 it began to 

 blossom, and it was not until the 27th that 

 bees began their work upon it. They did 

 not seem to take to it very readily, for on 

 every occasion that I made observations 1 

 found very few bees present. With us it 

 proved a failure. Others have corroborated 

 this statement. But from tlie bee papers 

 of last year I take the following: "Bees 

 work upon it to the exclusion of other honey 

 plants. One-fourth to one-half of an acre 

 will supply from fifty to seventy-five hives 

 of bees." Again: "One acre will keepone 

 hundred hives busy for a season." 



Witli these statements all coming from 

 good, reliable sources, we must say that the 



l)rospects are good for the future of bee men. 

 It is rather a delicate plant for this climate, 

 and as this year has been a poor one for 

 honey, it would not be safe for me to pass 

 judgment upon it. 



ALFALFA (Medicng Saliva), or. in other 

 words, LucEiiNp:,"or Spanish Trefoil. 



It will stand our dry weather with great 

 fortitude. The roots will go down in a dry 

 time from six to eight feet, have a strong, 

 woody stem— would do well for cattle, but 

 for bees in our climate it does not answer. 

 Not a bee has been seen upon our beds of 

 Alfalfa. This plant would also answer well 

 for green manuring; indeed, it would make 

 one of the best of manures. 



YELLOW BOKHARA. 

 In C. F. Lane's catalogue of seeds tor 

 1878, he says: "This plant is a most ex- 

 cellent honey plant." May be all very welt 

 for Wisconsin, but for Central Michigan is 

 no honey plant. Only three bees were seen 

 during the whole season at work upon it. 

 Let otliers give their testimony. 



ITALIAN, or SCARLET TREFOIL (Tri- 

 fo Hum Incai i latum) . 



Our beds did not come up. 



Prof. Beal says: "It is rather tender for 

 our climate, but further south it would grow, 

 and might become a good honey plant." 



MELILOTUS ALBA. 



Some call it "Sweet Clover," and well 

 they may, for its fragrance can be scented 

 from afar, and from morning till night it is 

 covered with bees. Commences to bloom 

 the 22dof June, and continues in bloom un- 

 til July 22d. 



It is one of the best of honey plants, only 

 itcomes at the sametime with White Clover 

 and Basswood, and is not needed at that 

 time. It is a biennial, so that it does not 

 blossom until the second year, and then dies. 

 Its bloom cannot be regulated by man. 



WHITE DUTCH CLOVER (Trifolium 

 Repens). 



Commonly known as White Clover. It 

 comes into bloom about May :]Otli. Some 

 one stated early in the season that they 

 thought it would lap upon Basswood; but I 

 found that it lapped through and nearly 

 around it. 



There is no need of dwelling at any length 

 upon this plant, for it is known the wide 

 world over as a honey plant. 



CLEOME {Integri folia). 



Usually termed Rocky Moiuitain Bee 

 Plant; but as Cleome is shorter, sweeter, 

 and in every respect more easily spoken, so 

 in the future let us use this word, Cleome, 

 instead of tliat long and ungainly term, 

 "Rocky Mountain Bee Plant." 



Our seed failed us. There were, however, 

 a few plants on the embankment south of 

 the bee-house, which did nobly. It is good 

 for low ground— comes into bloom quite 

 early. Other men who have had experience 

 with it, say it is one of the best honey 

 plants. 



YELLOW TREFOIL. 

 No good as a honey plant. 



