1888 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



205 



honey; and as we had good seasons for four or five 

 years before, the honey-raarkets were loaded. I 

 went in with the rest and sold, for what I could g-et, 

 all of that crop, and what we had on hand of other 

 crops, all at low prices. The same honey kept un- 

 til now would have sold (juick for nearly double 

 the price we got for it. If we have good thick hon- 

 e.>' it will keei> in a dry place for year.?. We should 

 not crowd the market, if we are so fortunate as to 

 have a big crop of good thick honey. E. France. 

 Platteville, Wis. 



I am inclined to think, friend F., that a 

 good many of us have learned just about the 

 lesson you have. AVlien you have a very 

 nice article of good thick lioney, don't be in 

 a hurry to sell it all off. Every few years 

 there will be a scarcity, and the extra price 

 will pay the interest on the money for keep- 

 ing it over. 



A CHAPTEK ON POLLEN. 



FRIEND nOOLlTTLE TELLS US WHERE IT COMES 

 FROM. 



'HILE reading Prof. Cook's interesting ar- 

 ticle, telling about the value of pollen to 

 our little pets, I thought a short article on 

 the sources of pollen, and how the source 

 from which it was obtained could be told 

 by the color of pellets brought in by the bees, might 

 not be amiss; while a close observation as to color, 

 and a tracing of this color to the source from which it 

 came, would be of much benefit to the .iuveniles, if 

 not to some of our older apiarists. 



That pollen which comes the earliest in the spring 

 has the most attraction for us, tor two i-easons; 

 first, at that time we are anxious to see what our 

 pets are doing, after the long winter's sleep, which 

 spring has broken, bringing life and activity to us 

 as well as the bees; and, second, this early pollen is 

 that upon which our hopes depend for the bees to 

 gather our future crop of honey, if we have any. 

 If we are not in a favored locality for early pollen, 

 I think it would well pay to set out some trees of 

 the early-bearing kinds, such as the pussy willows, 

 and elms, both red and swamp, which not only 

 yield early pollen in abundance, but are very nice 

 as ornamental shrubs and trees. 



No pollen-bearer, in this locality, is of more value 

 or of greater beauty than the swamp elm; and 

 while its natural home is in the swamp, yet it thrives 

 well on high and dry ground. Later on, there are 

 so many trees and plants that yield pollen plenti- 

 fully, that there will, without doubt, be a fair sup- 

 ply, even in the least-favored locality. If not, fruit- 

 trees should be planted for the fruit and second 

 early supply of pollen. Next, orchard grass should 

 be sown for hay, which yields pollen the earliest 

 and most abundantly of all the grasses in this lo- 

 cality; while, later on, the mammoth red clover 

 and corn-tassel will give an abundant supply. But, 

 how about the colors of the different pollens? do 

 they all bear the same color as the flowers from 

 which they are gathered? No, not all; for all know 

 that the colors of the different clovers are a deep 

 pink, for the two reds; light pink to nearly white 

 for the alsike, and wliite for the white clover; yet 

 all of the clovers give pollen of the same color, 

 which is of a greenish-brown hue. I have examined 

 very closely on this point, for some have withstood 

 this, giving different colors to the pollens fi"om the 



different clovers, and also describing the pollen as 

 green, gray, etc. 



The pollen which is carried over the winter, or 

 such as is preserved by having honey put over 

 It and sealed up, is always from clover, in this lo- 

 cality, so far as my observation goes. This is called 

 " bee-bread " by most people, and in color is a dark 

 brown. Whereby it is changed from greenish 

 brown to dark brown, I do not know, unless the 

 saturation of it with honey has that effect upon it. 



Now, how to tell the source from which the dif- 

 ferent-colored pollens come, as we see them going 

 into the hive: I know of but one way to do this, 

 which is, by watching the bee as it loads up on the 

 flower, and this is just what I want the juveniles 

 (and the older ones too* to do; for herein is a chance 

 to learn much which the careless and lazy are de- 

 ficient in. To show our pollen resources, and the 

 juveniles how well 1 carry out what I preach, I will 

 give a description of the various sources and time 

 of blooming of the flowers, as well as the color of 

 the different kinds. 



First, we have the skunk cabbage, blooming from 

 March 20 to April 30; color of flower and pollen, 

 yellow. Next in order is the poplar, coming out 

 ten days later; flower a brownish white, pollen 

 nearly black, or the nearest to black of any we 

 have. Then comes pussy willow, soft maple, and 

 red and swamp elm. The colors of the pollen from 

 these are, bright yellow, light pink, and ver.y light 

 green, respectively, although the pollen from the 

 red elm borders on the yellow shade. The pussy 

 willow and soft maple bloom some two or three 

 days earlier than the elms, and about four days 

 aftei- the poplar. Next in order comes the hard 

 maple, with about ten days intervening between 

 that and the elm, the color of the pollen being the 

 same as the blossom, yellow. 



About May 30 to 35 the fruit-trees bloom, together 

 with the dandelion. The color of the former flowers 

 varies; but, so far as I have observed, the pollen 

 from all is a dingy white. That of the dandelion is 

 an orange yellow, the same as the flower. After 

 this there is a scarcity of pollen till the sorrel and 

 buttercups bloom, which is just before the orchard 

 grass, or about June 10 to 1.5th. The color of the 

 pollen of the first two is yellow, the buttercup beirg 

 on the orange, and the sorrel light, while that from 

 the orchard grass is the same as the sorrel. The 

 blossom of the sorrel is from yellow to pink in 

 color. 



Next come the clovers, which I have described. 

 The basswood now opens (about .luly 5 to 15), during 

 the bloom of which little or no pollen is gathered, 

 although some claim that basswood yields pollen. 

 What little is gathered at this time comes from 

 teasel, the color of which is white like the flower. 

 The last of July and first of August, corn-tassel 

 gives plenty of pollen, the color of which is light 

 yellow. Next in order is buckwheat, which gives 

 much pollen of a whitish-gray color. This is the 

 last pollen obtained of any amount, although we 

 have a little from wild mustard, and, very late, 

 from witch-hazel. Of minor importance, we have 

 pollen from the beech, wild gra^ie, chestnut, differ- 

 ent grasses, goldenrod. etc., in the order named. T 

 should be pleased to hear of the different pollen re- 

 sources of other localities, and presume it might be 

 interesting to others. G. M. Doolittle. 



Borodino, N. Y., March 1, 1888. 



Friend D., when you mentioned poplar as 



