1921 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



27 



THE HONEYBEE IN RUSSIA 



(Concluded) 



Let us now see what resources 

 Russia offers to the bees. This im- 

 mense country, whose climate varies 

 gradually from cold to hot regions, 

 comprises in its vast extent enough 

 irregularities to produce a great di- 

 versity of different plants. 



The flora may be divided into 

 zones, that of the low plains tem- 

 porarily overflowed; that of the 

 marshes, half forest and half prai- 

 ries; that of the high plains upon 

 which water never stands, and lastly 

 that of forests proper, which cover 

 immense territories and which, ac- 

 cording to local conditions, have a 

 varied and special flora. There is 

 also the separate flora of cultivated 

 fields, parks and gardens. 



Traveling from one place to an- 

 other, one finds first, near the water, 

 the numerous willows already men- 

 tioned, which, besides furnishing the 

 first pollen, also close the season 

 sometimes with a heavy honeydew 

 so abundant that it fairly runs from 

 the leaves. This honeydew is not to 

 be found everywhere, but only on 

 those willowis bordering a stream 

 that dries up during the hot weather. 

 This honeydew is also produced on 

 the leaves of basswood, which thus, 

 also, gives two crops. 



In the marshy lands, we find the 

 magnificent angelica (Archangelica 

 officinalis). On its large umbels 

 with numerous flowers, we see the 

 big golden "cetonia" looking for all 

 the world like a brooch on a cam- 

 bric collar. Near it, the large but- 

 terfly, Parnassus apollo, whose white 

 wings bear a red "eye" and appear 

 to be on guard. Between them, the 

 honeybee alights and rapidly gathers 

 the honey. 



But as the prairie becomes drier, 

 the bees find pleasure in gathering 

 honey from valerian, epilobium and 

 scabious. Soon after, they will find 

 the vipers' bugloss (Echiuin vuSgare), 

 whose high-plumed tops draw them. 

 Then comes the sage (Salvia pra- 

 tensis), whose honey is of an odor- 

 recognized at some distance. The 

 steppes of the southern regions have 

 several varieties of labiates, growing 

 in virgin soils and making up for the 

 lack of forest bloom. Basswood is 

 one of the boons of Russia and, with 

 the birch, serves many purposes in 

 the life of the peasants. Before the 

 advent of tea, the blossom of bass- 

 wood was used in a similar way. In 

 manj' places it is still used as tea, 

 and during the past few years many 

 people have come back to its use, 

 since the tea of China has not been 

 available, under the rule of Lenine. 

 Moreover, this blossom also fur- 

 nishes the sweetening, through its 

 honey. Metheglin. which took the 

 place of alcoholic drinks, was usually 

 prepared by the head of the family 

 and was served in special vessels, 

 made of sculptured wood. Basswood, 

 which is easily worked, is used in the 

 manufacture of much of the wooden- 

 ware — spoons, spatulas, dishes, tubs, 



furniture, as well as to make kegs, 

 from trunks hollowed out, in which 

 honey keeps very well. When honey 

 is sold it is always weighed with its 

 container, which, being of basswood, 

 is very light. After being emptied, 

 these little kegs are very useful in 

 the- household. Basswood is also used 

 in the manufacture of "laptis" or 

 sandals, made bi basswood bark, 

 l>raided, and worn by most peasants. 

 In these later times, since leather has 

 attained unapproachable prices, it 

 was not unusual to see city people 

 wearing "laptis," while the bolche- 

 vik masters were still wearing leather 

 shoes. 



From the bast, or bass, inner bark 

 of the basswood, they manufacture 

 ropes, rugs, sacks, mats and mat- 

 tresses, and even backs for the seats 

 of sleighs, etc. It seems as if life 

 could not be possible, in certain parts 

 of Russia, without those two trees — 

 basswood and birch. The latter is 

 used to build houses, to make wagons, 

 tools, plows, etc. It is the brother of 

 the basswood and one of the gifts of 

 Nature to facilitate man's existence. 



Among the honey plants, we must 

 also notice the white sweet clover, 

 the odor of the bloom of which per- 

 fumes the air at the beginning of a 

 sunny day. We find it everywhere, 

 and it is easily seen, around the 

 houses, (he fields, in the pastures 

 and the forest. The bees love those 

 leguminous plants, and the house- 

 keepers themselves gather bunches 

 of them, when in bloom, dry them 



and put them in the clothes-press to 

 give a sweet smell to the linen. 



Among the cultivated plants, I have 

 already mentioned rape and buck- 

 wheat. The latter furnishes not only 

 the meal of which they manufacture 

 "blennies," or pancakes, at the end 

 of Lent and during the Carnival, but 

 also a breakfast food, mixed with 

 millet in the preparation of the 

 "Cacha," which is found daily in 

 every household, even in the cities, 

 for the food of the children and of 

 the servants. How many people re- 

 turn to the country dishes of their 

 young days! I have seen rich, 

 wealthy, society ladies, but especially 

 children, after dining at a richly- 

 served table, turn clandestinely to the 

 kitchen cupboard to tip out a wooden 

 spoonful from the dish of "Cacha." 



In all the landed estates, there are 

 always large flower and vegetable 

 gardens, orchards, etc. About these, 

 one often sees a number of avenues 

 of cytisus, an ornamental free-flow- 

 ering shrub, whose yellow blossoms 

 .are much esteemed by the bees. As 

 they are very plentiful, they form an 

 appreciable resource for the apiary. 



As the Russians are very fond of 

 sweets, it is necessary for the house- 

 keepers to secure the numerous small 

 fruits of which preserves are made, 

 such as currants, raspberries and 

 strawberries. The raspberry flowers 

 are considered as very good honey 

 producers and I have seen large 

 fields of them intended especially for 



New nest which the wasps made after deserting the old one in which they were shipped 



from Texas 



