1P04 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



753 



a' little later the poplar (tulip-tree, or 

 whitewood). These two somewhat overlie 

 each other. The tulip always yields a 

 large amount of honey; but it is dark, and 

 of a reddish color, though of a good taste. 



This brings us to the end of May. Early 

 in June comes the persimmon. The honey 

 is of a golden color, and first class in taste. 

 This yield never fails; but the period of 

 blossoming is short — from 10 to 15 days. 

 After a few days, more or less according to 

 the season, the sourwood begins. This 

 gives us our best honey, almost water-white 

 in color, very sweet, with just enough of 

 the finest and most delicate aroma that can 

 be imagined. The blossoming lasts from 

 three to five weeks, but often the nectar 

 fails — at least here in the valleys. In the 

 mountain coves and hollows, where the land 

 is rich, deep, and moist, the yield never 

 fails, and is very abundant. 



The basiwood must be mentioned. It is 

 found now only here and there, having been 

 nearly all cut down for lumber. Its period 

 of blossoming lasts some three weeks be- 

 tween persimmon and sourwood, overlying 

 both. 



Of the eucalyptus and other trees recent- 

 ly introduced in California I can not say 

 any thing, from a lack of sufficient practi- 

 cal knowledge. For what I know, a large 

 part of Australia enjoys (?) a pretty rough 

 climate, and some of these trees and shrubs 

 are likely hardy enough to stand the win- 

 ters of a part, at least, of the eastern side 

 of the Rocky Mountains. 



A BIT OF FORESTRY. 



Groves of trees have been extensively 

 planted in the Western States. The cotton- 

 wood, owing to its rapid growth, has ob- 

 triinei the general preference. 



Judging by the illustrations I have seen 

 in Gleanings and other magazines it seems 

 that the trees have been planted at the dis- 

 tance they were finally to occupy, just like 

 planting an orchard of fiuit-trees. That 

 will not do. Trees thus planted throw out 

 enormous lateral branches, and have only 

 ■a short trunk, usually full of knots. When 

 cut, the whole outfit is useless for any 

 thing but firewood. Forest trees should be 

 planted close together, say two or three feet 

 apart. Then, instead of growing laterally, 

 they grow upward rapidly, having branch- 

 es only at the top, and even these die out 

 when still little as fast as others grow 

 above them. When the trees are 12 or 15 

 feet high the first thinning takes place. 

 The poles thus obtained have a sufficient 

 value to pay for the work. Later a second 

 and finally a third thinning take place. 

 This last is when the trees are perhaps 4 

 to 6 inches in diameter. This leaves the 

 remaining trees at the final distance they 

 are to occupy. The distance at which the 

 trees are to be maintained throughout their 

 growth is, roughly speaking, about one 

 sixth of their height, but varies with the 

 different kinds, the climate, and nature of 

 the soil. 



A second mistake is planting an inferior 

 quick-growing kind of timber alone. Such 

 should always be mixed with valuable va- 

 rieties. When the inferior timber finally 

 comes oft", there is left on the ground a half- 

 grown crop of valuable timber, worth more 

 later on than a second planting of inferior 

 lumber could have been, notwithstanding 

 its quicker growth. 



PLANTS. 



While the trees are growing, and even 

 after they are grown, there is no use in 

 leaving the ground under them naked. It 

 might as well be planted or sown with 

 something suitable for honey production. 

 A great many plants, some with very beau- 

 tiful flowers, could be used for that pur- 

 pose. Owing to their ability to resist 

 drouth, the sages and other California hon- 

 ey-plants deserve full investigation. 



From a practical standpoint, it is proba- 

 ble that the white and j eilow sweet clovers 

 are the best known for that purpose. I 

 would use both in order to have the flow 

 extended as long as possible. The Europe- 

 an books speak of a third kind {IMelilotus 

 officinalis), with a blue-purple blossom, 

 and possessing some medical properties. 

 They always recommend it as the kind to 

 be sown for the benefit of the bees. It 

 might be well to try it. 



In a back number of the Bee-keepers^ 

 Revieiv is a splendid illustration of the cu- 

 cumber-plant. It is a climbing plant grow- 

 ing chiefly along the creeks, and climbing 

 away up in the trees. It bears an immense 

 number of blossoms, yielding nectar quite 

 freely. A great many plants are called by 

 that name. What the real plant spoken of 

 there is, I don't know. Nothing like it 

 grows here. 



In Cuba and other tropical countries, 

 another climbing honey-yielding plant is 

 found — that is, the aguinaldo, or bellflower. 

 The readers of this will smile when I say 

 that this might be introduced here. But 

 how many of them know that our common 

 morning-gl^ry is a tropical plant, which 

 was first brought into gardens, then got 

 loose, so to speak, and has spread every- 

 where? Furthermore, the morning-glory 

 and the aguinaldo are very similar; and if 

 one has been acclimatiztd, why not the oth- 

 er? We might try, anyhow. 



Knoxville, Tenn. 



[Sainfoin was considerably talked about 

 as a honey- plant years ago, and our exper- 

 iment stations have tested it more or less; 

 but I believe it has never obtained much 

 favor in the United States. As basswood 

 timber is now rapidly advancing in value, 

 I should recommend i1, especially as it is 

 such a rapid grower, before any of the 

 other honey bearing trees. As aguinaldo 

 has no value except for honey, I am sure it 

 will not pay to undertake to introduce it in 

 the United States, and I feel like caution- 

 ing bee-keepers, especially beginners, about 

 undertaking to grow any plant for honey 

 alone. All of the clovers are valuable 



