406 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



July 1, 



cyanus) yields honey for a couple of months in summer. It is 

 a favorite in old gardeus and easily grown. 



Lallcmanlla caiiescetis, blossoming in June, July and Au- 

 gust, gives honey. 



Ecliium plantaiftneiun of the Borage family is closely re- 

 lated to Blueweed or Viper's Bugloss, which is such an excel- 

 lent honey-plant in the valleys of Virginia. Its dark blue 

 flowers appear in Juni'. July and Augu>t. 



Marsh Flower (Lininantlds dounhisU) will flourish in 

 merely moist soil. Its yellow and white blossoms appear in 

 spring, and are quite ornamental. 



DoUchos spp. — Rapid-growing handsome climbers. 



Balsam Clover or Blue Melilot {Melilotus c(cnileus) blos- 

 soms all summer long like the white Melilot, our most abun- 

 dant sweet clover. Both are raised as forage crops in Switzer- 

 land to give to Krauter cheese its peculiar flavor. The blue 

 species is also an e.xcellent honey-plant, and deserves a place 

 in the garden, and the seed should be fully saved and scattered 

 along roadsides or on waste lands where white clover does not 

 grow. 



Lupines (Lupinus spp.) already mentioned for forage are, 

 some of them, very ornamental, as, for example the deep blue 

 Texan Lupine (L. subcaniosus). Some fifty species and varie- 

 ties are known. 



Bartonki (B. aiurca) is an easy plant to raise from the 

 seed, blooming a month after sowing and continuing all sum- 

 mer. Its large, brilliant, yellow, saucer-like blossoms look 

 like masses of pure gold, and indeed the plant comes from the 

 Golden State. 



F)iacclia con(jesta of the Hydrophyllaceae or Water-leaf 

 family is mentioned by Dr. Dzierzon as a most excellent honey- 

 plant. He said a Russian bee-keeper had recommended it to 

 him. Sown in May it blossoms in June and continues all sum- 

 mer. Its blossoms are bright blue, one variety being white; 

 plant grows one to two feet high. One species is known as 

 Texas phacelia (P. texana). Another is P. tanacetifoUa. All 

 yield both honey and pollen in abundance. 



Plants for Experixuent. 

 Perennials : — 



Catnip {Nepeta cntaria) Hoarhound {Mnrruhlwn vulgarc), 

 Motherwort {Lconurus cardiaca). Thyme (Tliyinus vulgaris), 

 Peppermint (ilfc?iWift piperita), and other similar herbs might 

 perhaps be grown to supply our drugstores and also for the 

 seeds. When grown for the leaves the plants have to be cut 

 just as they are coming into bloom, but if their culture were 

 more general much seed would have to bo raised, thus giving 

 the bees the benefit of the blossoms. I understand that most 

 of the catnip used by druggists is imported. 



Concerning peppermint Mr. Burpee writes me that it is a 

 shy seeder, and one could probably find ready sale for all the 

 seed he could raise. There are certain localities in Michigan 

 and New York where peppermint is grown for the purpose of 

 distillation to get the oil or essence. Of course it has been 

 found profitable else it would have been discontinued long 

 ago. Perhaps bee-keepers could raise the seed for them. 



Sulla or Soola Clover {Hedysanuiicornnnrium) ii a great 

 honey-producing crop in southern Europe. It has been in- 

 troduced into England where it is often called French honey- 

 suckle, and thence into Australia under the name soola. 

 Wherever it has gone it is in great repute as a forage plant, 

 so that it hardly needs to be placed in the experimental list, 

 but can be counted as a plant that will succeed in most parts 

 of our country, and like alfalfa will withstand drouth. It 

 blossoms from June to August inclusive. The only represen- 

 tative of this genus known to be native in America is H". 

 horcnlc, which occurs in Labrador south to New England and 

 west to the north shore of Lake Superior. We might reason- 

 ably expect this closely related cultivated species to show some 

 of the hardiness of the wild form. 



Gorse, Furze or Whin {Ulex europaeus) a leguminous 

 plant belonging In a genus close to our Dyer's Green-weed, 

 Woad Waxen, or Whin {Qeaisln tincloria). It was onco 

 deemed almost useless, but has been planted in certain situa- 

 tions as a forage crop, and has been introduced into Australia. 

 It will grow in sterile, dry, exposed situations where more 

 profitable crops could not be produced. It makes a bushy 

 growth, and may be allowed to stand two years between the 

 times of cutting and 20 tons per acre, of forage, can then be 

 obtained, which requires cutting up or bruising before feeding. 

 As hedges or windbreaks it may prove useful in some part of 

 our wide domain. Its yellow flowers appear in May and yield 

 some pollen and an abundant supply of honey. 



Licorice (Olynyrrhiza i/Utlird), belonging in the Pulse 

 family, is cultivated In Europe — chiefly in Spain, Italy, Bava- 

 ria and northern Austria. Its ciiltiire Is said to be quite 

 profitable Id those countries, and It Is also claimed that bees 



in the licorice-growing districts get a good yield of honey from 

 its blossoms, which appear in June and .July. Our wild licorice 

 (G. Icpidotii) is found from Minnesota to Missouri and west- 

 ward. I would suggest that bee-keepers keep an eye on these 

 plants and see whether honey is not to be obtained from them. 



Alpine clover (Trifnlium alpinum) also called Mountain 

 Licorice because of its sweetish roots, grows in the Alps. It 

 has purplish blossoms which I think yield honey, but I know 

 little of the plant. It is a suggestion merely. 



Osier or Basket Willow {Salix viminalis) furnishes In 

 Europe an excellent supply of pollen and some honey In March 

 and April. The last edition of Gray's Manual of Botany says 

 that it is occasionally planted here but soon dies out, its 

 hybrids doing better, however. The Purple Willow {Salix pur- 

 purea) is the one most commonly cultivated here for basket 

 rods. It is raised in New York successfully, but I cannot say 

 where besides. It blossoms at the same time and yields an 

 abundance of pollen like the other European species just men- 

 tioned. Bee-keepers might plant it in moist places, even re- 

 placing our native species, which are not so valuable for 

 baskets. 



Protca mellifera. — Under this name reference is made on 

 page 378 of " Langstroth on the Honey-Bee," as revised by 

 the Dadants, to a plant growing near the Cape of Good Hope, 

 which secretes such quantities of nectar that the latter can be 

 dipt from its blossoms with a spoon. The plant they have 

 mentioned is variously known as Sugar Bush, Sugar Tree, 

 Cape Honeysuckle, or Honeyflower, and the natives do, in 

 fact, gather the nectar as described, and, after straining it 

 and evaporating a part of its water, the resulting syrup be- 

 comes an article of commerce. Could this shrub or tree 

 (there are some sixty species in the same genus, all natives 

 of Africa) be brought to this country and establisht in the 

 subtropical portions of the Union ? 



Sacalenc (Polygonum saghalinense) . — Will our bees get 

 honey and pollen from this wonderful new forage-plant? It 

 is In the same genus with our smartweeds and bindweeds, 

 with persicaria or lady's thumb, and is near to buckwheat — all 

 among our great yielders. This argues well for it, and we 

 shall soon have it on trial. Meanwhile a few words about it. 

 This plant was introduced for ornamental purposes into Europe 

 over 25 years ago from the island of Saghalien, lying between 

 Japau and Russia. Its economic value was not however 

 noticed until 1893, when the dreadful drouth of that year 

 caused the complete failure of usual forage crops and the loss 

 of great numbers of animals, while others were only saved by 

 feeding them the leaves of trees. During this time sacaline 

 remained green and its leaves were readily eaten by cattle. 

 The plant grows about ten feet high, can be cut three or four 

 times during the season, and will give 20 to 25 tons of green 

 fodder, of coarse quality, at each cutting. The leaves can be 

 boiled and eaten like Spinach, the tender shoots like aspara- 

 gus. The roots withstand severe freezing. 



Annuals : — 



Borage {Dorago officinalis) might perhaps be raised ex- 

 tensively by some bee-keeper for its seed and to supply the 

 druggists with leaves. There Is some demand for the seed, as 

 the plant is grown as an ornament in many gardens, and for 

 the leaves for use in medicine. It may not be known to many 

 that the tender leaves are quite edible, forming a very health- 

 ful addition to green vegetables, and also to flavor salads. 

 They are frequently so used in southern Europe where the 

 plant grows wild. The bright blue blossoms last from June 

 until after severe frosts, yielding considerable honey. 



Chick Pea (Ciccr nricfiiii(m).— This plant, originally in- 

 troduced from the Old World, has been raised more in the West 

 and South than elsewhere, and has become known as "Coffee 

 Pea" from the use of its seeds as a substitute for coCfee. Un- 

 der the name of "Chuna" the seeds of a plant used in Mexico 

 for coffee have been tested atone of our experiment stations 

 and found to be a very prolific variety of the Chick Pea. Cer- 

 tain seedsmen have recently made great claims for this plant 

 as a substitute for coffee. The peas may be used to make 

 soup. I think the blossoms yield honey, but have not tested it 

 personally. 



Trigonella or Fenugreek (TrigoncUa fwnam-gra-cwn) Is 

 sometimes cultivated in Europe as a forage plant, and is 

 worthy of trial hero. Its blossoms, like those of the clovers, 

 to which it is closely related, yield honey freely In June and 

 July. Blue Trigonella (T. nicrulcn) is riiisGd in Switzerland to 

 imnart a pleasant flavor, like that of sweet clover, to products 

 of the dairy— particularly to some kinds of cheese for which 

 that country is noted. 



Serradella (Ornithopus sativus) is a leguminous forage- 

 plant of great value, as yet scarcely known in this country, 

 but which has been introduced and cultivated for some years 



