so SOUTHERN BEE CULTURE 



OUR BEE PASTURE. 



The idea that bees gather honey nearly the entire year prevails among 

 the public or those less experienced in bee culture. They know that bees 

 gather honey from blossoms; and at times of the year when the forest 

 is full of bloom it is natural for them to think that the hives are being 

 filled with new honey. These natural ideas are false ones; for- at times 

 of the year, and especially in early spring, when the forest is illuminated 

 with blossoms of various kinds and colors, bees may starve to death during 

 this seemingly good honey time. The blossoms are dry (destitute of 

 honey), and the plants that are in bloom are not honey-plants. 



Bees may gather a small amount of honey at various times ; but only 

 a few days in the year do they gather it in large quantities, as only a few 

 blossoms of the blooming forest secrete honey, and these few particular 

 trees, bushes, and weeds that come in bloom at various times of the year 

 which our bees may gather some honey or pollen from are what we call 

 our pollen and honey-plants, and these compose our bee-pasture. 



While bees may gather only pollen, and may be a little nectar (raw 

 or unevaporated honey) from some of these plants, they are a great help. It 

 stimulates them, and causes them to spread their brood and be great in 

 number of bees when our great honey-plants come in bloom. 



These plants that furnish pollen and a small amount of honey for our 

 bees to build up on are called our lesser honey-plants ; and those that our 

 bees gather a surplus of honey from are called our greater honey-plants. 

 If we have high cool winds or a rainy season, or a cool spell while these 

 particular plants are in bloom, the result is a honey failure, whence comes 

 the uncertainties of bee-keeping, because such weather conditions waste the 

 nectar, should the honey-plants secrete any during such unfavorable condi- 

 tions ; and, besides, bees can not get out in the field during such weather. 

 But if the weather is calm, warm, and sunny during the blooming of the 

 greater honey-plants, a large crop of honey will be the result if the bees are 

 in proper condition. A dry warm season is apt to be a good^ honey season, 

 and a cold wet season a poor one. Because bees are flying in and out of 

 their hives briskly is no sign that they are gathering honey, for they will 

 do this whenever the weather is warm enough for them to fly, perhaps 

 searching for honey or pvollen. Then to see them prying around on blos- 

 soms is no sure indication that they are gathering honey from them, for 

 they may be only searching for it; but when the honey-plants come in 

 bloom the bees will take to 'their blossoms and will be seen tumbling about the 

 entrance of the hives, loaded with honey. Then to be sure that they are gath- 

 ering honey, lift out a few frames in some strong colony and jar them a lit- 

 tle; and if there is new honey in the comb it will drop out; and whatever 

 blossoms the bees are seen on mostly are secreting the honey, and the plant 

 that is blooming is a honey-plant. It is interesting to roam the forest and 

 study our bee pasture and the relations that exist between bees and plants, 

 how they are dependent on each other, and that they sleep together in the 

 winter and awaken together in early spring; for as soon as the first buds 



