770 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Nov. 1. 



Cape Elizabeth ; also N. Scotia, C. Breton, 

 Newfoundland, etc.; probably only introduc- 

 ed." 



Further down same page occurs this: 



"Two European heaths, Erica cinerea, and 

 E. tetralix, have been found in small patches 

 on Nantucket Island." 



Turning again, this time to my encyclope- 

 dia, I quote : 



" Calliina vulgaris, sometimes called the 

 ling, is the common heath, or heather, and 



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OHIO WOODS 



-CUTTING i),A\>, .V Hi 

 ITORIALS. 



the most abundant species of the family in 

 Britain. It is the plant whose flowers render 

 the slopes of most Scottish hills pink in 

 autumn, and the one so abundant in Epping 

 Forest. Ornamental varieties are sometimes 

 grown in gardens. The plant is astringent, 

 and is employed by both fullers and dyers, 

 and the flowers are very attractive to bees." 



The genus Erica comprises about 400 known 

 species, of which five are British. The first 



two, E. cinerea and E. tetralix, are widely 

 diffused and abundant ; the others are more 

 local. 



To summarize, and add a few words of ex- 

 planation that the reader may not be confused 

 regarding terms : 



Calhina vulgaris and Erica cinerea are one 

 and the same plant; viz., Scottish heather. I 

 myself did a good deal of searching and com- 

 paring of botanical terms and definitions be- 

 fore I found this out. When two high author- 

 j ities seem to conflict, or are most 



-V, ' provokingly silent and obscure 



^.^ where they should be the very 

 ""''^ ' reverse, it is often difficult to 

 get at the truth. Our only re- 

 course is books — more books — 

 many books — reference works; 

 and the average home is not 

 overstocked with these. 



The Latin word cinerea means 

 ashy gray, or ash-colored, and 

 not fine-leaved, as one authority 

 gives it. The heather belongs 

 to the heath family; but all heaths 

 are not heather, and this brings 

 us right to the point under dis- 

 cussion; viz., poisonous honey. 

 I do not claim to know whether 

 any living plant secretes poison- 

 ous nectar. I wish I did know, 

 as in that case I would soon end 

 the discussion. My aim is to try 

 to help find out. To this end, 

 allow me to again quote Peter 

 Henderson, the father of horti- 

 culture in America. Under the 

 head of " Poisonous Plants " he 

 sa3's: 



"Of the 100,000 known flow- 

 ering plants, it is stated that 

 10,000 may be considered dele- 

 terious, all being more or less 

 energetic in their action ; and of 

 these, probably fifty are deadly. 



It is a singular but generally 

 understood fact, that all plants 

 having green flowers are poison- 

 ous, either in their leaves, stems, 

 seeds, or roots." 

 He then adds: 



" These dangerous qualities 

 are generally vienlioncd in this 

 work " — meaning his " Hand- 

 book of Plants." Italics mine. 



Now, friends, I liave studied 

 the subject very carefull)'. Aza- 

 lea pontica is the heath from 

 which the honey was obtained 

 that is supposed to have poisoned 

 Xenophon's soldiers; but Mr. Henderson 

 makes no comment on the plant, further than 

 to state that it is a native of Turkey. In like 

 manner he has only good words to say of the 

 mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia ; but in 

 treating of its near relative, A'ahnia angusti- 

 folia, he tells us that it is deadly to slieep. 

 On the other hand, my encyclopedia gives the 

 following: 



" 'J'he leaves of Kalmia latifolia, the laurel 



