342 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



June 3, 



trees laden with fruit, replied : "Because some one planted 

 before me, I am able to eat of these fruits." 



I shall start out with the proposition which I hardly think 

 anyone will now dispute: That we know of no plant which, at 

 the present prices of land and labor, we can possibly hope will 

 return us, even under the most favorable circumstances, a 

 crop of honey suflicient to repay its cultivation for honey 

 alone. In other words, our honey-plant must be worth culti- 

 vating for other reasons besides its honey-producing qualities. 

 Indeed I have always been surprised that any one should have 

 seriously entertained what I am tempted to call the chimeri- 

 cal idea that any plant could be profitably cultivated for its 

 honey alone. This excludes from my list many hundreds of 

 plants which are good producers of honey but can yield us lit- 

 tle or nothing beside, and though I may mention some of these 

 as worthy of cultivation for ornament, in the main the honey 

 they yield must be considered but a drop in the bucket. 



Again, certain honey-yielding plants ordinarily grown on 

 a small scale in gardens, may, under favorable conditions, be 

 raised extensively, I. e., made main crops with profit in two di- 

 rections. Such are of course only to be considered of some 

 account to the apiarist when so grown. Having thus restricted 

 the list through rejection of many plants, I will proceed to re- 

 fer to certain available plants, more In the way of suggestion 

 than with the Idea, in the limited time at my command, of com- 

 pleteness. 



In order to choose intelligently from such a list those 

 plants or crops most likely to aid the bees in filling in their 

 time to our profit, it will be necessary for each bee-keeper to 

 make a most careful and thorough study of the honey-produc- 

 ing flora of his locality. He should know the gaps in his list 

 of honey-yielders — the periods that are to be filled in, and se- 

 lect accordingly, due regard being also had to all other consid- 

 erations, such as adaptability of the soil and climate to the 

 crop, cost of cultivation, market for the resulting products, 

 etc.. Including the permanent effect upon the fertility of the 

 land used. 



I will class the plants I shall mention under three general 

 headings : 1st, Those cultivated primarily for the forage, fruit, 

 or seed they yield, and secondarily for their honey return ; 

 2nd, Those which are chiefly ornamental, but which also yield 

 honey or pollen ; and 3rd, Those which should be made the 

 subject of experiment. 



I. Plants fob forage, fruit, or seed, and honey. 

 Perennials : — 



Apple (including Crab Apple), Apricot, Almond, Banana, 

 Blackberry, Cherry (incl. Improved Dwarf Rocky Mountain 

 Cherry, Prunus dmnissa). Cranberry, Currant, Gooseberry, 

 Grape, Juneberry or Serviceberry (Amelanchier canadensis), 

 Nectarine, Medlar (Mespilus), Orange (incl. Hardy Orange), 

 Peach, Pear, Plum, Persimmon, Quince, Raspberry, Straw- 

 berry. 



Of the fruit trees and shrubs just named, the apple is one 

 of the excellent producers of fine clear honey. It would sure- 

 ly be counted a great yielder if our bees were always in condi- 

 tion to take advantage of it. As it is, few get any surplus 

 from it. Their bees merely build up on it. This is where 

 good wintering and early spring stimulation come in play. 

 There have been some writers — perhaps even some of them 

 still Insist on the same plan — who have said they wanted no 

 brood in their hives before May. Even in Northern latitudes 

 I prefer to have brood in January, so as to have young bees 

 emerging in February and the months following. Then with 

 good weather during fruit-bloom, the yield from apple, peach, 

 and cherry, will more than replace the food consumed. The 

 blossoms of the crab apple come rather in advance of the other 

 apples and are much liked by the bees, while the improved 

 cultivated varieties are a welcome addition to our fruits, and 

 should be more generally planted. 



Almonds (Amygdalns commnnis) can be grown wherever 

 peaches thrive. The hardshell varieties are hardier than the 

 soft-shelled or paper. A variety introduced from Russia is 

 said to be quite hardy everywhere. Bees work as diligently 

 on almond as on peach blossoms. On the shores of tho Adria- 

 tic sea It is counted an important harvest. 



The Banana, now coming into cultivation in the subtropi- 

 cal parts of our country, is a great honey-secreter, and Its 

 blossoms appear in succession during many months. 



The Dwarf Rocky Mountain Cherry has been improved by 

 cultivation and Is not at all like our Eastern wild cherries, but 

 similar to the sweet cultivated varieties. It is hardy in all sit- 

 uations and very productive. The trees are laden with blos- 

 soms in early spring to the great delight of the bees — and the 

 bee-keeper ! 



The Juneberry or Serviceberry in some of its forms grows 

 wild in nearly all parts of the Union, and is familiar no doubt 



to most of you, as well, also, as the fact that its time of blos- 

 soming varies from February to May according to the locality 

 and species or variety. It may not, however, be known that 

 some of the State experiment stations have been testing the 

 different sorts and have reported very favorably upon certain 

 of them. The cultivated Juneberry derived from the Rocky 

 Mountain variety or perhaps species (Amelanchier alnifolia) is 

 really a meritorious fruit comparing very favorably with the 

 huckleberry. The Improved Dwarf is probably from this 

 western form. It is hardy everywhere and very productive. 

 Besides its value for its fruit it is one of the most ornamental 

 shrubs for a lawn, the white petals of the showy blossoms con- 

 trasting well with the dark green glossy leaves. It grows from 

 suckers which are so easily transplanted that certain nursery- 

 men are already offering them as cheaply as currant bushes. 



Some discussion as to the quality as well as quantity of 

 honey produced by the orange has taken place in apiarian 

 journals within a year or two. But there can be only one side 

 to the subject, for the orange, in countries where it is for sev- 

 eral weeks the exclusive forage-plant of the bees, yields an im- 

 mense amount of exceedingly fine honey — a quality. In fact, 

 which is to be rankt among the finest honeys of the world. 

 Several years' experience in bee-keeping in such countries en- 

 ables me to speak positively concerning this. Those portions 

 of our country adapted to the growing of the orange can look 

 with certainty upon increast honey-returns and an excellent 

 quality, too, as the orange-groves are extended. Many of our 

 Northern friends are not aware that at a small cost they may 

 raise as an ornament and for its fruit the Hardy Orange (Cit- 

 rus trifoliata). This tree produces the same fragrant white 

 blossoms as the ordinary orange, and fruits quite similar in 

 appearance. The latter are, however, too acid for use except 

 as lemons to make a cooling drink, or for marmalade. The 

 tree may be used as a hedge plant, being dense, thorny and 

 dwarf, or, trimmed up, is of exceeding beauty on the lawn, 

 the blossoms continuing to appear all summer. It has with- 

 stood a temperature of 18^ below zero as far north as New 

 York. It fruits freely in Maryland. The Japanese or Satsu- 

 ma Sweet orange, one of the mandarin class, is also half hardy, 

 at least it has been raised as far north as North Carolina. 



The Japanese persimmon (Diospyros kaki) deserves for Its 

 large and excellent fruits to be more frequently planted in the 

 Gulf States and westward. Bee-keepers located there should 

 set the good example, for all of the dozen or more varieties in- 

 troduced, furnish a rich feast for the bees early in the season. 

 The Italian species (D. lotus) is said to succeed well also in Cal- 

 ifornia. The native persimmon (D. virginiana), likewise a 

 a good honey-yielder, is not often found wild in the Northern 

 States but will thrive almost anywhere. The fruits after sharp 

 freezing are much relisht by many — children especially. Se- 

 lection and cultivation would improve them. 



Blackberry and strawberry I have never thought of much 

 Importance as honey-yielders ; perhaps if no other sources 

 were available at the time, the bees would get an appreciable 

 return from them. 



The Cranberry (TaceuuiMJi macroearpow), is said to yield 

 honey. I have never had an opportunity to verify this. The 

 plant is closely related to others which are good producers. 



The Raspberry is a very important honey-plant. I do not 

 think it has received the attention it merits. Every one, of 

 course, knows that nice raspberries generally find a ready 

 market; also how easy it is to raise them. A few acres well 

 cared for will furnish an important addition to the bee-keep- 

 ers income. The red is said by some to yield more honey than 

 the black. But I think this is because more reports have come 

 from the East where the red is more abundant In the wild 

 state than the black. In the Middle Section there are regions 

 where the black is most frequent, and I think it yields equally 

 as well as the red. But a careful comparative test would be 

 necessary to decide this. The quality of raspberry honey Is 

 superb ; it is clear like crystal, thick, and has a delicious, 

 berrylike flavor. As the plant blossoms two or three weeks 

 after apple and other fruit trees, the weather is likely to have 

 become settled and the colonies are sure to be more populous 

 — ready to take advantage of this incomparable feast, and all 

 other honey-plants — even the famous clovers— are neglected 

 for the modest, noddlngr aspberry, so rich in nectar. 

 (Continued next week.) 



Xlie ItlcEvoy Foul Brood Treatment is 



given in Dr. Howard's pamphlet on " Foul Brood ; Its Natural 

 History and Rational 'Treatment." It is the latest publication 

 on the subject, and should be in the hands of every bee-keeper. 

 Price, 25 cents ; or clubbed with the Bee Journal for one year 

 —both for $1.10. 



