THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



29 



[For tlie American Boe Journal.] 



Bee Pasturage. 



The importance of bee pasturage has already 

 been urged through the columns of the Jour- 

 nal, as well as by most of our modern writers 

 on bees; but I do not think it is appreciated 

 as it should be, by the majority of beekeepers. 

 While the war about the form and shape of 

 hives continues, without any prospect of a 

 speedy peace, and the paramount importance of 

 the third yellow band is so strenously insisted 

 on, I fear that the equally important question 

 of where those yellow daughters of Italy are to 

 get the honey to fill those hives, is for the time 

 being overlooked 



With au abundance of bee pasturage, I do 

 do not think that we should ever liave a poor 

 year for honey. By an abundance of bee pas- 

 turage I mean a succession, commencing early 

 in spring and lasting through the season. And 

 if the supply from natural sources is deficient or 

 fails, it should be provided by introducing and 

 cultivating lliose h )ney-producing plants whose 

 blossoms will come in at the proper time to fill 

 up the deficiency. Surely, if bees are worthy 

 of cultivation at all, it would pay to expend a 

 little labor and money in prolonging the season 

 for them — thus rendering them doubly valua- 

 ble. 



Here is the way they talk bee down in this 

 country. Last year: "Well, neighbor, how 

 are your bees ?" " Well, this has been a bad 

 spring for bees. It has been dry, and cold, and 

 very windy, and the bees could not get about 

 very well; but I tell you they are making a heap 

 of honey!" This year: "Well, neighbor, how 

 are your bees doiug this year?" "Well, I 

 don't know, hardly. We have had rain nearly 

 all the time, and it has been a bad season for 

 the bees ; but, somehow, they are making lots 

 of honey !" This has been my experience here, 

 for the few years that I have kept bees. 

 Whether wet or cold, hot or dry, our bees have 

 generally yielded us about the same quiintity of 

 surplus. It may have been because we expect- 

 ed but little from them, and were satisfied to go 

 to ovu' old boxhivesand remove almost one-third 

 of the contents, leaving the bees to fill them up 

 again at their leisure, and not seeing the inside 

 of them again until the same time the next year. 

 But with the movable combs and the honey- 

 emptying machine, I hope soon to discover 

 whether there be that great difference in the 

 honey harvest of different years, which some 

 assert. 



In localities where the honey harvest only 

 lasts two or three weeks, I am not surprised to 

 hear the complaint that a drouth or a wet spell 

 cuts off the supplies. But here we have such an 

 abundance of honey-producing plants, growing 

 in such a variety of locations— some in uplands, 

 some in bottoms, some upon the poorest hill- 

 sides, others in thick jungles, that any unfavor- 

 able atmospheric condition would not affect 

 them all at the same time, or at least very un- 

 equall}\ Hence we can safely count on a con- 

 tinuous supply of honey here, from very early 

 spring till the middle or last oi July. I am dis- 



posed to think now that August is our only 

 month of scarcity. Our fall pasturage, I think, 

 is pretty good. My bees, last year, raised a new 

 brood of drones in September. 



I have been making a note of bee pasturage 

 in my section this season, and will give you the 

 result, for the benefit of the readers of the Bee 

 Journal. I will only note the principal trees 

 and plants which occur in more or less abun- 

 dance, and upon which I have seen . bees at 

 work in considerable numbers Many are left 

 out as unimportant ; while many others, doubt- 

 less, have been overlooked. 



Red Maple, bloomed January 24 ; ceased 

 March 15. 



The blossom buds of the red maple com- 

 menced opening on the 24th of January, at 

 which time I noticed bees carrying in pollen 

 from it. It was in full bloom February 9th, 

 and ceased to bloom March 15th. 



The importance of the red niiiple as a bee 

 plact cannot be over-estimated. We raise our 

 bees on it here for the spring campaign. Com- 

 ing in at a time when, from our warm winters, 

 the bees have nearly exhausted their supply of 

 honey, it is invaluable ; and were it not for it 

 we should have to resort to feeding. It fur- 

 nishes a supply of natural pollen so early, that I 

 fear I shall be debarred from the pleasure of 

 seeing my bees enjoy a feast of " old rye." It 

 grows in countless numbers along all our 

 branch creeks and river bottoms. 



Plum, bloomed March 13 ; ceased March 28. 



Peach, bloomed March 16 ; ceased April 1. 



Spicewood, bloomed March 20 ; ceased 

 April 1. 



Dogwood, bloomed March 20; ceased May 5. 



Sugar Maple, bloomed March 30 ; ceased 

 April 19. 



Sassafras, bloomed March 30 ; ceased 

 April 20. 



Pear and Cherry, bloomed March 30 ; 

 ceased April 10. 



GoossBERRY, bloomed March 30 ; ceased 

 April 20. 



The last three are unimportant at present, on 

 account of their scarcity ; but we hope the day 

 is not distant when the lovers of good fruit, 

 as well as of bees, will make them more plenti- 

 ful. 



Red Bud, bloomed April 4 ; ceased April 20. 



Apple, bloomed April 6 ; ceased April 25. 



AViLLOW, bloomed April 11 ; ceased May 8. 



The willow is a splendid source of pasturage 

 with us, growing thickly along the banks of 

 creeks in our old fields, and is spreading every 

 year over the marshy places in the creek and 

 river bottoms. 



Wild Cherry, bloomed April 20 ; ceased 

 April 30. 



Dewberry, bloomed April 25 ; ceased May 

 25. 



White Clover, bloomed April 29 ; still 

 blooming. 



Three or four years ago, white clover was 

 almost unknown among us. I only know of 



