ASTER OR STARWORT 69 



The plant is peculiar in that the nectar is not secreted by the 

 flower proper, but by a gland at the base of the petiole. The 

 season of flow lasts for several weeks in midsummer. 



As it comes for the most part after the close of the honey 

 harvest, the partridge pea in the northern States serves princi- 

 pally to keep the bees occupied until later flowers bloom in suffi- 

 cient quantity to provide a real honey flow. 



The quality of honey stored from this source is said to be 

 poor. 



Aster or Starwort. — There are said to be about 125 species 

 of asters in ]^orth America, and also many species in Europe, 

 Asia, and South America. These plants then must be familiar 

 to the bee-keepers in all temperate regions of the world. Some 

 species grow in open, shady woodlands, while others delight in 

 the open sunlight of the prairies. They range in height from 

 eighteen inches, or less, to eight feet. As a rule, the plants are 

 many-flowered, as will be seen by Fig. 35. A plant with a small 

 number of flowers was chosen in an attempt to secure greater 

 detail. Sometimes hundreds of blossoms occur on one plant. 



They range in color from white to blue and dark purple. 

 Blue is perhaps the most common color. They have a tendency 

 in some cases to become weeds, but are easily destroyed by culti- 

 vation, and are not often regarded as serious. The bloom in the 

 northern Mississippi Valley States comes very late, lasting until 

 killing frosts. In some years bees are found still working on 

 these plants in T^ovember. 



The asters, like the golden rods, are attractive to a large 

 variety of insect life, many different species seeking them in 

 addition to the bees. 



The white-rayed flowers are said to be the most honey pro- 

 ducers, some species, apparently, not yielding any nectar. The 

 value of asters as honey plants is a little uncertain. While they 

 yield considerable surplus in many localities, the honey makes 

 very poor winter stores, and many reports show heavy losses 

 from wintering bees on aster honey. The honey is said to be 



