PLANTS PRINCIPALLY VALUABLE FOR POLLEN 



79 



sufficiently common to yield some surplus honey, which is light 

 in color and mild in flavor. The wild cucumber, Echinocystis 

 lobata (Fig. 45) is another wet land plant common everywhere 

 along streams from N'ew England to Texas but abundant enough 

 to yield noticeable quantities of nectar in few places. 



Plants Principally Valuable for Pollen. — There are a large 

 number of plants commonly visited by the bees for pollen, which 



1 



Fig. 44. — Buckwheat is highly regarded in the East. (Sear's Productive Orcharding}^ 



produce no nectar. Others, like the willows and maples, are valu- 

 able for both. Inasmuch as pollen is absolutely essential for 

 brood rearing, it is important that it be within reach at all 

 seasons, as nearly as possible. In a few localities it is never 

 sufficiently abundant throughout the breeding season for best 

 results. Fortunately, in most places, pollen is within reach 

 most of the growing months. 



