THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



43 



easily demonstrated by coverin<jj some 

 flowers with thin gauze, admitting light 

 and air freely, but excluding the Bees, 

 and letting others remain exposed for 

 them to work on. 



And it 'is a significant fact in this con- 

 nection, that naturalists have never, 

 thus far, been able to discover that the 

 nectar or honey deposited about the 

 ovaries of flowers is of any use whatever 

 to them, except to attract the Bees and 

 other insects; seeming to show that this 

 is a wise provision of the Creator to se- 

 cure fertilization. But I propose to dis- 

 cuss this matter more at length in a fu- 

 ture article, in which I will attempt to 

 clear the Bees of the charge of being de- 

 structive to fruit and gi-apes. I desire 

 here merely to point out that the Bee- 

 keeping interest, like every genuine in- 

 dustry, harmonizes with and promotes 

 other industrial pursuits; and that a 

 wise regard for the common good is 

 manifested by consulting the wants of 

 the Bees in selecting flowers, shrubs and 

 trees to shade the streets, and beautify 

 public and private grounds. Especially 

 as this costs no more, and it greatly en- 

 hances the primary objects of setting 

 out the trees by giving the variety which 

 is essential to beauty. Now it so hap- 

 pens, that of the trees which are not 

 evergreens, those which afford the rich- 

 est pasturage for Bees are the handsom- 

 est and most valuable for ornamentation. 

 A certain proportion of locusts and 

 maples would be well enough, but they 

 have been set along every street and in 

 almost every lot, till they are so common 

 that they cease to please. How much 

 thC' appearance may be improved can 

 be seen on a few places about this city, 

 whose owners years ago had the good 

 taste to intersperse with these a variety 

 of other trees less common and more 

 beautiful. If one-half the locusts in and 

 around Lexington were replaced by lin- 

 dens and yellow poplars, the city would 

 present a much more attractive appear- 

 ance, and the Bees would have a better 

 range for gathering honey. 



The best districts for Bees are those 

 from which the timber has not been re- 

 moved. The yield of honey in the 

 mountainous parts of Kentucky is much 

 more certain and abundant than in the 

 Blue Grass Region, where white clover 



abounds, which has generally been su])- 

 posed to be one of the best hone}' plants, 

 but which has proved of late years un- 

 reliable. The reason probably is, that 

 trees being mostl}^ deep rooted and 

 shading the ground are not so much 

 eft'ected by drought as small plants. 

 The linden or basswood, as it is called 

 in the north, is so highly prized for its 

 abundant yield of honey, that many 

 Bee-keepers are planting orchards of it 

 for their Bees. Mr. Furman of Iowa 

 states that he has known a single stock 

 of Bees to gather fifteen pounds of 

 honey in a day from basswood blossoms. 

 Mr. Hoslner of Minnesota, says that one 

 of his stocks gathered fifty-three pounds. 

 Mr. Cogshala of New Yoric, says that 

 his Bees gathered six barrels of honey 

 from basswood in the time that it took 

 the same Bees to gather one barrel from 

 white clover, and that the basswood 

 honey was better in quality. The yel- 

 low poplar yields as much hone}' as the 

 linden, but the quality of the honey is 

 not quite so good. Other trees might 

 be mentioned of smaller growth than 

 the above, but scarcely less value either 

 for honey or ornament, as the sour- 

 wood and serviceberry. But those who 

 care to give the matter any attention 

 can easily learn what kinds to select, and 

 to the consideration of all such I res- 

 pectfuU}^ commend the subject. — D. 

 Burhank, in Farmers' Home Journal. 



A Plant Destructive to Bees. — The 



large-podded milk weed, almost invari- 

 ably causes the death of every Bee 

 alighting upon it. The Bee either ad- 

 heres to the plant or else bears away a 

 small scale sticking to its feet, and crip- 

 ples itself fatally in attempting to re- 

 move the annoyance. — Agricultural 

 Report. 



"He maj^ be regarded as a master 

 in Bee-culture who knows how to win- 

 ter his stock in a healthy condition, 

 with the least loss of Bees, the smallest 

 consumption of stores, and with the 

 combs unsoiled." — Ex. 



The cross of the Italian drone] and 

 black queen is preferable to the ^other 



cross. 



