804 



XHE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



ALFILLARILIA, OR FILAREE, A California Honey-Plant. 



Our California correspondent, W. 

 A. Pryal, writes us as follows con- 

 cerning this honey-plant : 



The alfillarilla is an Erodium, and 

 two species grow in California, viz : 

 E. circutariuvi and E.muschatum; tliey 



Its growth is rapid, and by the first 

 of December many of the plants may 

 be found in bloom, and if the season 

 continues favorable, they will be a 

 foot or more in heighth by the middle 

 of February. Damp and cold weather 

 retard its growth and prevent its 



__^^Tig.l, fj 



belong to or are a form of " crane's- 

 bill.'" The seed-pods, seed and parts 

 thereof are quite odd, very much like 

 those of the geranium. The early 

 fall rains which usually commence 

 early in October are just sufficient 

 to start the sharp-pointed and spiral- 

 tailed seed of the filaree, as it is com- 

 monly called, into existence. The 

 genial sunny weather which follows 

 these showers, and which weather is 

 considered the finest California can 

 boast of, causes the plant to spring 

 up at once into vigorous life, as if by 

 magic. 



blooming for some weeks beyond its 

 usual time. On cultivated soil it 

 grows very rank ; while on hill and 

 pasture lands it rarely attains the 

 heighth of four inches, and it is of a 

 trailing habit, while that on fertile 

 soil is tall and robust. From my ob- 

 servations I believe that the honey 

 from Erodium muscliatum has not that 

 " rankish " taste as has Erodium cir- 

 cutarium, but the former is more 

 "musky." The engraving, Fig. 1, 

 shows the general form of the plant ; 

 Fig. 2, part of the flower stalk, show- 

 ing flowers, seed-pods, and the seed 



ready to fall to the ground ; and Fig. 

 3, a leaf. 



Its Honey Qualities.— Honey ob- 

 tained from these plants candies 

 shortly after being taken from tfie 

 combs. Its chief value is that its 

 greatest flow of honey comes at a 

 time when honey is much needed for 

 stimulating the queen to greater e'x- 

 ertions in laying. The How of honey 

 is enormous while it lasts, and the 

 bees soon till the lower part of the 

 hive with it. Its time of blooming, to 

 any consequence, is about Feb. 1-5, or 

 a little later, and often so continues 

 until the latter part of April. Like 

 all California honey gathered during 

 the winter months" and early spring, 

 it is of a pretty dark color. 



As Food for Stock.— It is one of 

 our " best weeds," for such it is, 

 though not a noxious one, as it is 

 easy to eradicate. Horses, cattle and 

 swine are quite fond of it. Its fat- 

 tening qualities appear to be excel- 

 lent. Milk obtained from cows which 

 have grazed on pastures where Ero- 

 dium muscliatum grows, has a musky 

 flavor — so much so that many people 

 are loth to drink it. 



The plants withstand our severest 

 winters, and possibly may be intro- 

 duced into otlier States. It is our 

 earliest honey source, and all honey 

 gathered from it is consumed by the 

 bees in brood-rearing, so whatever 

 had qualities it lias are not detrimen- 

 tal to the apiarist. 



Besides the names which I have 

 mentioned, it has other common 

 names among our people, the princi- 

 pal one being '• pin-weed ;" and by 

 referring to tlie engraving, one can 

 perceive why it is so called. It grows 

 everywhere, in the liighway, the 

 garden, back door-yard, in tlie valley 

 and on tlie hill-top. on high, dry and 

 low ground. 



^° The regular annual meeting of 

 the Indiana State Bee-Keepers' As- 

 sociation will he held on Thursday 

 and Friday, Jan. 22 and 23. 1.S8.5. The 

 meetings will be conducted in the 

 rooms of tlie State Board of Agricul- 

 ture, on the corner of Tennessee and 

 Market Streets, in Indianapolis, Ind. 

 It is proposed to make this the most 

 important and interesting meeting of 

 bee-keepers ever held in the State. 

 An extensive programme, including 

 all questions of importance to bee- 

 keepers, is being prepared and will be 

 soon sent out to bee-keepers tlirougli- 

 out the State. Prominent apiarists 

 from neighboring States have been 

 invited to assist and presumably 

 many of them will be in attendance 

 during the meeting. These gather- 

 ings are of vast importance, especially 

 to beginners, and all those at all inter- 

 ested in this important industry 

 should make it a point to attend this 

 meeting. 



Frank L. Dougherty, Sec. 



W The Central Illinois Bee-Keep- 

 ers' Association will hold its next 

 annual meeting in Bloomington, III., 

 on the second Wednesday in January, 

 188.5, at 9 a. m. 



^y. B. Lawuence, Sec. 



