October, 191' 



GI. EANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



767 



FROM THE FIELD OF EXPERIENCE 



Honey Dew that Wasn't so Bad 



Is it not a bold statement, wlien a bee- 

 keeper asserts that his honey is " pure 

 clover," "straight raspberry." or what not? 

 In a country of diversified growth, who 

 can sa}^ (unless after very close and pains- 

 taking- observation) what the bees derive 

 stores from, and what they do not? From 

 time to time mention has been m.ade of bees 

 feeding on exudations from certain trees, 

 (lonifers, chestnuts, etc. Nor is it all 

 "nasty dark stuff" from these sources. 

 The latest on the subject is in your issue 

 for Jauuaiy, describing- how the bees work- 

 ed on PinHn (jlabra. If Mr. Baldwin 

 (page 50, January, 1917) were to visit this 

 country in June or July he would have no 

 occasion to show surprise at the going's-on 

 of the Florida bees. This is a land of con- 

 ifers, the coast region being covered with 

 a dense forest of tirs, sjjruce, hemlocks, 

 cedars, with a sprinkling of maple, cotton- 

 wood, arbutus, etc., with a few oak in spots. 



From observations extending over many 

 years I am convinced that bees derive their 

 surplus (thru June and July) mainly from 

 forest growth, the Douglas fir being the 

 chief source. In the forenoon the ground 

 under many of the firs, particularly isolated 

 trees, will be well spattered with the exu- 



dation, and the needl&s sfudded with pale- 

 amber diamonds, and plenty of be?s, should 

 there be any in the neighborhood. Some 

 seasons this source will provide two or 

 three supers of sections. The capping is 

 always rather dark, the honey pale amber 

 and fair in quality, but it granulates quick- 

 ly. The honey should be taken off in good 

 time, as later something may be put in 

 which is not aj^petizing. 



In talking over this matter with Mr. J. 

 R. Anderson, Ex-deputy Minister of Agri- 

 culture of this province, he slates that he 

 has often seen honey-dew in the heavy 

 timber in such quantity that the whole of 

 the foliage looked as tho coated with var- 

 nish. Altho bees gather this at the outskirts 

 of the forest, he thinks they do not go far 

 into the forest in search of feed. 



There is but little else for the bees in 

 this district. Southern Vancouver Island, 

 the famed wliite clover being a negligible 

 quantity. 



Some years ago we had a serious visita- 

 tion of cutworms, about midsummer. A 

 field of carrots Avas badly infested, and was 

 visited at the same time by bees in large 

 numbers feeding on the bitten tops and 

 leaf stems. I never heard of carrot honey, 

 but no doubt some was gathered that .season. 



^'ictoria, P>. C. ' E. Flemixg. 



A bit of beautiful hill country in British Columbia iu>ar Victoria. 



