American liae ^oarnalj 



Mar. 21, 1907 



Conducted by Louis H. Scholl, New Brauosfels, Tex. 



Texas BlooraGaloreand Swarm- 

 ing' in March 



While the bees are still in the cellar 

 "up North," their Southern " cousins " 

 have a great variety of bloom to keep 

 them busy. There are over 3 dozen 

 bloomers for our bees during this 

 month of March, of vehich I have speci- 

 mens in my collections, and there are 

 a few that have been added that occur 

 in other parts of the State. 



Some of these plants are not of great 

 importance, but every little bit helps 

 during the early spring months when 

 brood-rearing is going on rapidly and 

 the stores are consumed. Especially 

 does the bee-keeper value the coming 

 of these bloomers when he is aware 

 that his colonies are running short, 

 and, unless they do come, feeding must 

 be resorted to. New pollen, and lots of 

 it, is also a valuable thing during this 

 season of heavy breeding, especially 

 when the main honey-flow comes early 

 and the bees must be " hurried " to 

 populous colonies in "short order." 

 For this reason many of the plants 

 that yield only pollen are of consider- 

 able value ; even though some of these 

 yield small quantities of it, the fact 

 that bees visit them is sufficient, or the 

 bees would be " out " just so much. 



Of course, those plants which yield 

 both honey and pollen are of most im- 

 portance, for nothing, in my mind, 

 stimulates early brood rearing more 

 than do//i new honey a?id new polleft. 



The following list is given, as the 

 blooming periods of the plants follow 

 each other, the time of each blooming 

 period being given for each plant : 



Greggia camporuin. Gray, is a low- 

 growing plant, bearing small white 

 flowers in umbel-like clusters, in moun- 

 tains, waste fields and fertile prairies 

 of West Texas. Honey and pollen 

 early, but not abundant, in the latter 

 part of February and well into March. 



Ouercus. — This includes all of the 

 Oak family ; yielding pollen and honey 

 from the " oak balls " made by a " gall 

 insect." There are a great many spe- 

 cies of oaks, but the most common ones 

 are here given. Of these, Ouercus vir- 

 giniana. Mill — the Live oak is the ear- 

 liest here, and occurs abundantly in the 

 forests from the Gulf States through 

 southern and west Texas to the moun- 

 tains of New Mexico. Q. minor (Marsh), 

 Sarg., or the common Post oak, is very 

 plentiful on sandy or sterile soils, ex- 

 tending from the Atlantic States to 

 central and southwest Texas. Q. nigra, 

 L., Black Jack or Barren oak, has 

 about the same range and habitat. Q. 



palustris, Du Roi, Swamp, Spanish or 

 Pin oak, is found on low ground ex- 

 tending in Texas to the valley of the 

 Colorado River west ; Q, rubra, L,. 

 (Red oak), and O. a</iiafica~Wa.H. (Wa.ter 

 oak), with about the same range and 

 habitat. Of these, the four last named 

 are not so abundant, but all aid in 

 early brood-rearing. 



A/elia azadarach, L,., our umbrella 

 shade trees, naturalized and much 

 planted throughout central and south- 

 west Texas, furnish an abundance of 

 bloom, and help early brood-rearing 

 during the month. 



Rubus trevialis, Mx., or Dew-Berry, 

 southern blackberry, common in east- 

 ern, southern and western Texas, upon 

 which bees work busily for honey and 

 pollen. 



Acacia Jarneciana, Willd. (Huisache) 

 — a tree much like the mesquite, but 

 having smaller leaflets, dark green ; 

 the branches and limbs bearing long 

 thorns. The flowers are globular, 

 about ,'i! inch in diameter, yellow, and 

 very fragrant. Honey and bright yel- 

 low pollen is obtained from this source. 

 Its distribution extends from San An- 

 tonio to the Gulf Coast and lower Rio 

 Grande, where it is very plentiful in 

 the richer soils. 



Salix nigra. Marsh — Black willow, 

 and several other species, are well 

 known for their value as stimulators 

 in the spring, both for honey and an 

 abundance of pollen. March and into 

 April. 



Marubrium vulgare, L., common 

 hoarhound, often begins to bloom in 

 March, and continues until late in sum- 

 mer, thus aiding in early brood-rear- 

 ing, and later furnishing surplus honey 

 where plentiful. It is found pretty 

 well distributed over the South in fer- 

 tile places, fence-corners and pens. 

 The lioney is amber in color, and some- 

 times of very nauseating sweetness, 

 while it is claimed to be bitter by some 

 persons. 



I'itis monticola, Benkley — a common 

 mountain grape, besides others of the 

 grapes ; they yield pollen to some ex- 

 tent. 



ftiglans tiigra, L. (Black walnut), ex- 

 tending from the East to the valley of 

 the San Antonio River, is not very 

 abundant, but yields some honey and 

 pollen. 



Hicoria pecan (Marsh), Britton, is our 

 Pecan Nut tree, and extends from the 

 Gulf States to the streams of central 

 and southwestern Texas. Much pollen 

 is obtained, and I believe some honey, 

 bees fairly roaring in the blooming 

 trees, and colonies are much stimulated 

 in brood-rearing. 



Hicoria alba (E) Britton, and other 

 species, are hickory-nut trees, abun- 

 dant in the sandy land sections of the 

 southern part of the State, and yield 

 some honey and pollen. 



Asclepias, or Milkweed, yields some 

 honey, and the sticky and clef t pollen 

 clings to the bees' feet, often in such 

 masses as to cripple them, to cause 

 death to the tortured insect. The milk- 

 weeds are widely distributed. 



Space this week does not permit me 

 to give all of our March bloomers, so 

 half of them are given which generally 

 bloom by the middle of the month. The 

 rest will be given later. 



A trip to some of my yards a few 

 days ago showed that colonies were 

 getting along fine, new honey dripping 

 from the combs when handled, and 

 some colonies so strong that they were 

 preparing to swarm soon. Supers were 

 given to provide more room, and the 

 entrances of the hives were raised to ^4 

 inches deep for better ventilation, so 

 as to retard swarming until further 

 manipulations to prevent it can be ad- 

 ministered. 



Honey as a Health-Food. — This 



is a 16-page honey-pamphlet intended to help 

 increase the demand for honey. Tlie first 

 part of it contains a short article on "Honey 

 as Food," written by Dr. C. C. Miller. It 

 tells where to keep honey, how to liquefy it, 

 etc. The last part is devoted to " Honey- 

 Cooking Recipes " and " Remedies Using 

 Honey." It should be widely circulated by 

 those selling honey. The more the people are 

 educated on the value and uses of honey, the 

 more honey they will buy. 



Prices, prepaid— Sample copy for a 2-oent 

 stamp; 50 copies for 70 cents; 100 for $1.25; 

 250 for J2.25; 500 for $4,00; or 1000 for $7.50. 

 Your business card printed free at the bottom 

 of front page on all orders for 100 or more 

 copies. Send all orders to the office of the 

 American Bee Journal. 



Why Not Advertise ?— There are many 

 dealers in bee-supplies, and those who have 

 bees and queens for sale, who are not now 

 advertising, that might increase their business 

 hj advertising in the American Bee Journal. 

 The rates charged are very low, as will be 

 seen by referring to the second page of this 

 number. During the next 6 months will be 

 done the bulk of the season's business among 

 bee-keepers. Why not begin at once to let 

 the readers of the American Bee Journal 

 know that you have something to sell? Our 

 advertising columns are open only to those 

 who will give their patrons " a square deal." 

 If you are in that class we will be pleased to 

 have your advertisement in our columns. 



Bee-Song Souvenir Postal Cards. — 



We have issued in colors, 3 bee-song postal 

 cards for bee-keepers, each card having one 

 of thefollowing songs, about 314x3^4 in size, 

 also with illustrated heading on each card: 

 " Buckwheat Cakes and Honey," " The Bee- 

 Keeper's Lullaby," and the " The Humming 

 of the Bees." Tlie first two cards have small 

 pictures of the authors of the words and 

 music. This makes 4 souvenir postal cards 

 we have now issued for the use of bee-keep 

 ers, the first being the " Honey-Bear " card' 

 Prices, by mail, are as follows: Sample cards. 

 3 cents each ; 7 for 20 cents, or 10 for 25 cents, 



The Chicago-Northwestern Conven- 

 tion Photograph was taken Dec. 6, 1906. 

 which was very good indeed. Price, post- 

 paid, in mailing tube, 60 cents. Send orders 

 to the office of the American Bee Journal, 

 and we will see that the pictures are mailed. 



