SUMMEE MANAGEMENT. 69 



as, if left till just before they are wanted for use, the dealers 

 are often so bnsy that considerable delay is caused in exe- 

 cuting the orders, which frequently occasions much loss and 

 inconvenience to the bee-keeper. 



Planting for Bees. 



Many persons have an idea that by sowing in their garden 

 a few seeds of flowers much frequented by bees they will 

 considerably increase their harvest of honey : this, let it be 

 understood, is a mistake. To make any appreciable difference, 

 plants for bee pasturage must be grown, not in small patches, 

 but by the acre. Bees get the majority of their honey from 

 large fields of flowers, the most important sources from which 

 they obtain it being : — 



1. The fruit blossom in orchards. 



2. Fields of white or Dutch clover. 



3. Fields of sainfoin. 



4. Fields of beans. 



5. Moors and commons where heather abounds. 



6. Plantations of lime trees. 



Bees also get a considerable quantity of honey from mustard, 

 trefoil, etc. 



The honey gathered from white clover is of very fine flavour, 

 and light in colour : that from sainfoin, somewhat dai'ker ; bean 

 honey is darker still, and of a most delicious, though somewhat 

 strong, flavour. Lime honey is very light-coloured, and much 

 esteemed. Heather honey is very dark and thick, having a 

 very pungent and peculiar aroma, highly appreciated by some, 

 while others consider it objectionable. 



Bees are very important agents in the fertilisation of 

 flowers, carrying the pollen from plant to plant. If fruit- 

 growers would only realise how dependent they are upon bees 

 for the proper fertilisation of the fruit blossom, they would not 

 only secure much larger crops of fruit, but also a considerable 

 amount of honey, in return for the trouble of keeping a few 

 hives of bees — say two or three hives to each acre of orchard. 



Summer Management. 



At the commencement of the honey flow, all stocks that are 

 intended to produce comb honey must be supered, and those 

 for extracted honey doubled. Entrances should be kept at full 



