34 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



are large, hard and woody, remain in full 

 vigor for a great number of years, thus 

 producing annually an enormous quan- 

 tity of fine honey and forage. It is par- 

 ticularly recommended for feeding milch 

 cows, sheep, etc. 



Vetches or tares ( Victa Saliva). This spe- 

 cies of the pea is grown extensively in 

 •Canada and England, where it is highly 

 prized for green fodder, soiling, pastur- 

 age or as hay; being relished by all kinds 

 of domestic stock. Its flowers are beauti- 

 fully variegated, and are a favorite resort 

 for the busy little bees. Sow broadcast 

 in the spring, using about one bushel of 

 seed for an acre of ground, or it may be 

 sown in drills the same as field peas. 



Borage (Borago Offlcinalis, Ger. Surken- 

 kraut) though it may not be fully entitled 

 to be cultivated as a field crop alone, yet 

 it certainly deserves a place in every gar- 

 den. In Europe, it is considered a valua- 

 ble vegetable, and is to be found in almost 

 every garden. The value of borage is 

 thus spoken of in the English Mechanic: 

 " The large leaves and tender stalks dipped 

 in butter and fried make an excellent 

 and savory dish. The brilliant blue 

 flowers are" very pretty as a garnish for 

 salads. * * The young leaves boiled are a 

 good substitute for spinach; or if dressed 

 with hot butter and grated cheese an ex- 

 cellent and new vegetable. The plant con- 

 tains a certain amount of saltpetre, as may 

 be proved by burning a dried leaf. For 

 this reason it is used with great benefit, 

 for the relief of sore throat. The root is 

 rich in gum, and if boiled yields a mucil- 

 agenous emulsion excellent for irritations 

 of the throat and chest. Very violent at- 

 tacks of toothache, where the nerve has 

 taken cold, are often cured by holding a 

 portion of the leaves, previously boiled in 

 milk and applied warm in the mouth 

 against the afi"ected tooth. Lastly, bees 

 are extremely fond of borage and it ap- 

 pears to repay them well for their atten- 

 tion." 



Mignonette, Parscms' new white {Reseda 

 Odorata Eximia). Too much cannot well 

 be said of the value of ".his beautiful plant 

 to those who are raising but a few stocks 

 of bees. Kidder speaks thus of the value 

 of mignonette in his " Secrets of Bee-keep- 

 ing," page 59: " If cultivated to that ex- 

 tent that it might or ought to be, would 

 certainly furnish a ricli pasturage for bees ; 

 it blooms from June until the autumnal 

 frost. A small patch of this will perfume 

 the air for quite a distance; and were it 

 cultivated by acres, for bee pasturage 

 alone, we should be favored with a fra- 

 grant atmosphere that would vie with the 

 spicy breezes of Ceylon, and a honey that 

 would outdo the famed honey of Hymet- 

 tus for aromatic flavor." 



It blossoms in tlie latter part of June 

 and continues in bloom until cold weather 

 (heavy frosts do not injure it), and indeed 



we are informed by our Southern friends 

 that with them it continues in full bloom 

 during the winter. There are many 

 other new varieties, but we think they are 

 inferior for field culture, as is also the 

 common dwarf sort {Reseda Odorata). 

 The seeds, which are very small, should 

 be sown in the spring; sowing thinly and 

 covering lightly, in drills at least three 

 feet apart. 



Alyssum or rock madwort {steinkraut) 

 is of but little value, except as early bee 

 pasturage. The dandelion furnishes a 

 rich pasturage for bees very early in the 

 spring; scatter the seed in your pastures ; 

 it will do no harm, as all kinds of domes- 

 tic stock will eat it, and in a year or two 

 you will have a rich feast for your bees. 



Yellow and white Bokhara clover 

 {Meiilotus lencantha and M. albus altisonus) 

 are most excellent honey-producing 

 plants, but they are a great nuisance to 

 growing crops, and should not be allowed 

 to spread too much where they are not de- 

 sired. However, they are well adapted 

 for sowing on barren hills, steep hillsides 

 and broken ground generally, where it is 

 not desirable for cultivating grain. 



Catnip {Nepeta Gataria) and motherwort 

 (Leonurus Gardicia). Bee-keepers should 

 not cut down nor destroy these plants, 

 but increase their number, as being the 

 very best honej^-producing plants that can 

 be grown. It will pay well, where land 

 is not too high, to grow acres of these 

 plants. They are both biennials, but if 

 sowed early and well cultivated, they will 

 bloom quite freely the first summer. The 

 honey which they produce always com- 

 mands the highest price in either country 

 or city. The seed can be sown in a seed 

 bed, and the plants transplanted during the 

 first summer into drills, or they may be 

 sowed broadcast or in drills where they 

 are to remain; but the rank weeds must 

 be kept down. It is a good plan to scat^ 

 ter the seed in stone piles along fences 

 and other waste places about the farm ; it 

 is not a bad weed. 



Monarda punctata is valuable for bees, 

 but it is dilficult to grow it except on 

 sandy or gravelly land. 



Partridge pea and Rocky Mountain 

 bee-plant, we have not tested sufilciently 

 to recommend. 



Basswood or linden {Tilia Americana) 

 and tulip, whitewood or poplar {Lirioden- 

 dron Tulipifera) are worthy alone fur culti- 

 vation, either for their timber or as an 

 ornamental shade tree. They are rapid 

 aud thrifty growers, easily transplanted, 

 and will live for hundreds of years, and 

 are the most valuable monument that a 

 man can build for future generations. 

 Were our public roads, parks, dwellings, 

 etc., planted with these trees, what a boon 

 it would be to all engaged in this interest- 

 ing pursuit. A good way to introduce 

 them in a neighborhood is to furnish 



