50 



THE AMERICAN APICULTUBIST. 



plant, says the writer above allud- 

 ed to, stand out separate and alone 

 on its stem although there are many 

 of them. The plant itself "is 

 magnificent and stately," to quote 

 the same writer again, "and shoots 

 up its tall stems every season, 

 straight as an arrow from the root 

 and growing from 5 to'lO ft. high. 

 Two leaves appear on the stalk 

 exactly opposite each other." 



Besides these two distinct kinds 

 there are, we learn from Rev. J. C. 

 Nevin, of Los Angeles, in the 

 California Apiculturist, that there 

 are one-half dozen species to be 

 found on the coast. 



The hybrid kinds are destined to 

 be much better than the parents. 

 Those that are now to be found 

 wild throughout the southern part 

 of the state are fine specimens of 

 sage growth, and no doubt, by 

 cultivation and artificial crossing 

 with special plants of other varie- 

 ties which show remarkable and 

 good qualities, some new varieties 

 may be originated which may yet 

 far excel any of the wild ones 

 now found' in the sage region. 



Exceedingly fine varieties of 

 fruits and flowers have been ob- 

 tained in this manner and there is 

 not the possibility of a doubt that 

 the same results would lead to some 

 varieties of sage that would not 

 only be a bonanza to the apiarist 

 but also a novelt}^ to the florist. 



A short time since I wrote to a 

 gentleman who has manifested 

 much interest in the flora of this 

 state and who has been studying 

 up the class to which the Califor- 

 nia honey sages belong. Here, let 



me say that the white sage seed, 

 from which the plant was grown 

 which furnished the subject for the 

 engraving used in VicJc's Magazine 

 and in Gleanings in Bee Culture, 

 was sent to the writer at his in- 

 stance and request by one of the 

 most intelligent beekeepers in Ven- 

 tura Co. ; that he also obtained 

 seed from another beekeeper of 

 large experience and whose knowl- 

 edge of flowers was no mean one ; 

 that both these persons sent the 

 seed as that of the genuine Cali- 

 fornia white honey sage .; that the 

 drawing was made by an artist 

 who understood his work and cop- 

 ied true to nature ; that the 

 sketch sent the engraver was cor- 

 rect ; that the engraver in transfer- 

 ring it to wood did deviate a little, 

 but not enough to change ma- 

 terially the nature of the plant ; 

 that the flower is as near like the 

 natural flower as the engraver's 

 art could well make it. 



The writer sent seeds obtained 

 from plants grown from seed he 

 obtained from his Ventura corres- 

 pondent to the gentleman, Mr. A. 

 Norton, already alluded to, and 

 that gentlemen writes as follows : 

 " I did not see the article you re- 

 fer to in the Kansas Beekeeper. I 

 am familiar with white sage, both 

 practically and botanically. Have 

 observed it and all other Audiber- 

 tias closely. Have not seen the 

 plants from ?/o?<r seed bloom. But 

 I have several plants a foot high 

 from seed I got of you last year, 

 and can assure you beyond a-doubt 

 that yours is genuine Audihertia 

 polystachya, or white sage. 



