AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



411 



Topics of Interest. 



PoUen-Prodncing Flowers. 



G. M. DOOLITTLE. 



We read a great deal in our bee- 

 periodicals and elsewhere about the 

 flowers that yield honey, but it is a rare 

 thing to find much alDOut our pollen- 

 producing flowers. Why this is, I do 

 not know, for surely the flowers which 

 produce pollen have an important bear- 

 ing on our pursuit. Of course, we can- 

 not derive cash directly from pollen, as 

 we can from honey, but without pollen 

 of some kind we could have no bees to 

 gather honey. 



Thinking about the matter a few days 

 ago, I concluded that a short article on 

 the sources of pollen, and how the 

 source from which it was obtained could 

 be determined by the color of the pellets 

 brought in by the bees, might not be 

 amiss. The pollen which comes the 

 earliest in the Spring has the most 

 attraction for us, for two reasons : First, 

 at that time we are anxious to see what 

 our pets are doing, after their long Win- 

 ter's sleep, which Spring has broken, 

 bringing life and activity to us as well 

 as the bees ; and, second, this early pol- 

 len is that upon which our hopes depend 

 for the bees to gather our future crop of 

 honey — if we have any. 



If we are not in a favored locality for 

 early pollen, I think it would pay to set 

 out some trees of the early bearing 

 kinds, such as the pussy willow, and 

 both the red and swamp elms, which not 

 only yield early pollen in abundance, but 

 are very nice as ornamental shrubs and 

 trees. No pollen bearer, in this locality, 

 is of more value, or of greater beauty, 

 than the swamp elm, and while its nat- 

 ural home is the swamp or low grounds, 

 yet it thrives well on high and dry 

 ground. Later on, there are so many 

 trees and plants which yield pollen 

 plentifully, that there will, without 

 doubt, be a fair supply, even in the least- 

 favored localities. If not, fruit trees 

 should be planted, first for the fruit, and 

 second, early supply of pollen. Next, 

 orchard grass should be sown for hay, 

 which yields pollen the earliest and most 

 abundantly of all the grasses in this 

 locality ; while, later on, the mammoth 

 red clover and corn tassels will give an 

 abundant supply. 



If there are no very early pollen 

 bearers, I think it is advisable to feed 



the bees some kind of ground grain as a 

 substitute. Of all the grains, I prefer 

 corn. Grind it very fine, place in a 

 large shallow box in the sunshine, hav- 

 ing it set on an inclined plane, when the 

 bees will take out the fine particles by 

 rolling the whole over and over to the 

 lower side of the box. When the meal 

 is worked down to the lower side of the 

 box, reverse it, and see how nicely the 

 bees will work it all down again. By 

 thus working it over twice, they will get 

 all the fine meal out of it, when the re- 

 mainder can be fed to stock, so that 

 there is no waste. Some think this does 

 not pay, but it will pay in more ways 

 than one, for the fun you and your 

 friends will have seeing the little fellows 

 roll in the meal, will pay you for all your 

 trouble. 



But how about the colors of the dif- 

 ferent pollens ? Do they all bear the 

 same colors as the flowers from which 

 they are gathered ? No, not all ; for all 

 know that the colors of the different 

 clovers are, a deep pink for the two 

 reds ; light pink to nearly white for the 

 alsike, and white for the white clover ; 

 yet all of the clovers give pollen of the 

 same color, which is of a greenish-brown 

 hue. I have examined very closely on 

 this point, for some have withstood this, 

 giving different colors to the pollens 

 from the different clovers, and also 

 describing the pollen as green, gray, etc. 



Now, how to tell the source from 

 which the different colored pollens come, 

 as we see them going into the hive : I 

 know of but one way to do this, which is, 

 by watching the bee as it loads up on the 

 flower, which thing I have done many, 

 many times. In this locality we have 

 first, skunk cabbage, blooming from 

 March 20 to April 20 ; color of flower 

 and pollen, yellow ; although the sheath 

 which surrounds the flower is purple. 

 Next in order, is the coltsfoot, with yel- 

 low pollen and flower, and the poplar 

 which blooms soon after. The flower of 

 this latter is of a brownish-white, but 

 the color of the pollen is black, or the 

 nearest to black of any pollen we have. 

 Then comes the pussy willow, soft 

 maple, and red and swamp elm. The 

 colors of the pollen from these are, 

 bright yellow, light pink, and very light 

 green, respectively, although the pollen 

 from the red elm borders on the yellow 

 shade. 



The pussy willow and soft maple 

 bloom two or three days earlier than the 

 elms, and about four days after the 

 poplar. Next in order comes the hard 

 maple, with about ten days intervening 

 between that and the elm, the color of 



