1896. 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER. 



87 



I From Aniericuii Bee Journali. 



BEE-FORAGE -SOME IMPORTANT 

 SUGGESTIONS. 



BY PKOF A. J COOK. 



The general failure of the honey 

 crop for so many seasons during the 

 last decade in nearly all portions of the 

 country, and the absolute failure in 

 arid regions like Southern California, 

 whenever the rainfall comes short of 

 a certain limit, gives to this subject of 

 honey-plants, more than merely a 

 passing interest. 



In the great North East of our 

 country, before the great forests of 

 basswood and tulip were cleared away, 

 and the great marshe.-i with their pro- 

 fusion of boneset, golden-rods, asters, 

 etc, were drained — and possibly we 

 may add, before the seasonal droughts, 

 consequent upon the removal of the 

 forests and drainage of swamps — each 

 and every sea.-on was a honey season, 

 and the expression of "honey-years" 

 had no significance, and so was un- 

 heard among bee-keepers. In Cali- 

 fornia, if the rainfall is less than 15 

 inches, experience proves that the 

 honey-production will range from 

 nothing to less than half the ina.\i- 

 mum crop. 



These facts make it desirable that 

 the bee-keeper should study thorough- 

 ly the bee-forage of the country, 

 should know the honey-plants, the 

 quality and quantity of honey which 

 each is likely to produce, and the 

 effect of drouth and other seasonal 



peculiarities upon the nectar-secretion 

 of each species. 



This subject suggests two practical 

 considerations, both of which will en- 

 gage the thoughtful attention of every 

 wise bee-keeper: In securing a loca- 

 tion, he will give earnest heed to the 

 native bee-plants, hoping to secure a 

 rich bee-pasturage, without any extra 

 labor, in the natural resources of his 

 neighborhood. Many a Michigan and 

 Wisconsin bee-keeper has been led to 

 rejoice in by-gone years, because of 

 the near proximity to his bee-yard of 

 a grand forest of basswood, or of a 

 broad expanse of marsh-land. Even 

 today, the great basswood forests of 

 Wisconsin make that, perhaps, the 

 leading honey-state of the great North 

 East. Year after year the willow-herb 

 of the pine- clearings of Northern 

 Michigan, supplemented by the berry- 

 bushes of the same treeless tracts, has 

 given a rich honey crop of finest qual- 

 ity to the bee-keepers of that region. 

 If the apiary is along a stream, so that 

 variation in moisture will prolong the 

 season of bloom, then the bee-keeper 

 will rejoice in greater prosperity. Mr. 

 Doolittle and others along the Mohawk 

 River in New York have felt the 

 benefit of such location. In Southern 

 California a good range of white and 

 ball sage in both valley and canyon, 

 hard by the apiary, followed by gen- 

 erous acres of wild buckwheat, will 

 give a wondrous crop in seasons of 

 bounteous rainfall. If eucalyptus 

 and alfalfy are found in quantity, 

 then he may be more independent of 

 the rainfall. 



After the location is decided, then 

 the enterprising bee-keeper will antic- 

 ipate drouths, winds, cool seasons, and 

 endeavor to add to the native recourc- 



