THB ffiMERICSPf mmm JO'^RNJlEr. 



615 



PLEASANTRIES. 



Time or Buckwheat and White 

 Clover Bloom. 



Written for the American Bee Journal 

 BY DR. C. C. MILLER. 



In response to the request of the edi- 

 tor on page 563, I reply that in tliis 

 locality, and I think it is the general 

 rule in all localities, the nectar disap- 

 pears from buckwheat bloom by the 

 middle of the day, so that whereas 

 there is no trouble from robbing in the 

 forenoon when buckwheat is yielding, 

 care must be taken to avoid everything 

 like exposure of combs or honey' in the 

 afternoon. Something, however, de- 

 pends upon the weather, for if the 

 morning is cold or rainy, the forenoon 

 of buckwheat bloom may be extended 

 into the afternoon. 



It is well to be somewhat familiar 

 with the habits of flowers as to bloom- 

 ing, although buckwheat is the most 

 notable exception to the general rule 

 that flowers yield nectar all day long. 



Wblte Clover Blooming and Not 

 ITieldlug Nectar. 



Considerable apprehension was felt 

 in this locality about the crop of white 

 clover this summer. The summer of 

 1887 was so very dry that white clover 

 seemed to be burnt up,rootand branch, 

 and the question was whether the sum- 

 mer of 1888 would see any white clover, 

 and if some did come from seed, 

 whether it would be forward enough to 

 bloom. I never watched more closely 

 in the spring for the first appearance 

 of growth. Contrary to my expecta- 

 tion, I think that I never saw so much 

 white clover starting. I cannot say, 

 although I should like toknow, whether 

 it came from the roots of last year or 

 from the seeds. 



Then I watched to see whether it 

 would bloom. Soon the blossom buds 

 appeared in profusion, and my fears for 

 the season subsided. I awaited with 

 confidence the gathering of a bountiful 

 harvest, for I feel sure I never before 

 saw the ground more white with clover 

 bloom, and I think that I never saw any 

 thing to equal it. But the flood of nec- 

 tar seemed slow about coming, and 

 after the time for it was all over, I was 

 obliged to confess that I was a '' false 

 prophet." and that very little honey 

 was gathered from white clover. 



Xow what was the trouble ? Is it 

 true that white clover, as some have 

 stated, produces no nectar the Hrst 

 summer it comes from seed ? It cer- 

 tainly looked a little that way this year, 

 providing the clover all came from seed 

 this spring or last fall ; and yet I can 

 hardly believe there is any difference 

 between a blossom on a plant a few 

 weeks old , ajid one on a plant a year 

 older. If the blossom needs nectar to 

 call insects to fertilize it, will not the 

 young plant produce it just as well as 



the old one ? I really would like some 

 one who can speak with authority, to 

 tell U3 more about this plant and its 

 habits. 



Tliat Houeyedoinaii. 



This man was mentioned on page 

 579, and I agree with the editor that it 

 was nothing strange that the man re- 

 ceived no stings from the bees alight- 

 ing upon the honey daulaed on him. 

 But I suspect there is very little foun- 

 dation—very likely nofoundation what- 

 ever— for the whole story. Let us look 

 at it. 



A man daubed himself with honey, 

 800 bees that were swarming in the 

 woods alighted on him and stayed there 

 until he transported them home. In 

 the tirst place, when bees are swarm- 

 ing, they are very intent upon the one 

 thing— swarming. I very much doubt 

 if you could get 800, or 80 bees, of a 

 swarming colony to alight upon a man 

 daubed with honey for the sake of get- 

 ting the honey. They are not just then 

 in the honey-gathering business. But 

 suppose you could get them to depart 

 from their usual habit, and forsaking 

 the cluster or the swarm in the air, 

 settle upon the man, how long would 

 they stay there ? Just long enough to 

 load up with honey and then off they 

 would fly, and no bee would comeback 

 for a second load to the man unless he 

 stood still at the spot where the bee 

 left him. 



You may bid defiance to the worst 

 robbers by simply keeping on the move 

 anything you want to protect from 

 them. So I suspect that the whole 

 thing originated in the brain of some 

 one anxious to get up a sensational 

 item for the newpapers. Sensational 

 items are in demand, and we can ex- 

 pect nothing different so long as the 

 truth is not more highly valued than 

 sensations. 



The Wiley Pleasantry. 



This "pleasantry" owed its popu- 

 larity and its successful run to the fact 

 that it was sensational. It is not that 

 newspapers or reporters so much pre- 

 fer the false to the true. A true sen- 

 sation is preferable to one that is false, 

 but there is a lamentable absence of 

 care as to whether truth or falsehood 

 is promulgated, providing only that it 

 is sensational. Get up a contradiction 

 of the Wiley statement that shall be 

 equally sensational, and it willpromptly 

 go the rounds. But no matter how 

 strong may be Prof. Wiley's retraction, 

 it will not be likely to find currency 

 anywhere except in the columns of 

 those papers specially devoted to the 

 interests of bee-keepers. The retrac- 

 tion may be very true, but it is not sen- 

 sational. 



The holding the breath to prevent 

 stinging goes the rounds for the same 

 reason, and the bee-periodicals are not 

 altogether guiltless, because at least 

 two of them have published it with no 

 word as to its truth or falsity. We 

 hardly ought to blame other papers for 

 neglecting to inquire closely into the 

 truth of every item admitted to their 

 columns, if the same thing is done 

 right in our own ranks. A notable 

 instance of this is in the following : 



Tlie Stiug-Trowel Theory. 



That bees ever use their stings to 

 work wax, I believe is just as untrue as 

 that artificial comb honey is made, and 

 yet this error had its origin entirely 

 among bee-keepers. It is true that it 

 is not like the Wiley affair in mis- 

 chievous tendency, and I do not sup- 

 pose Mr. Clarke would have made the 

 statement he did, if he had supposed 

 mischief would arise from it ; still he 

 was far from warranted in putting 

 forth as an ascertained fact, that which 

 was a mere play of his imagination. I 

 do not believe he ever had any proof 

 that his fancy was a fact, and I con- 

 fess I would very much like to see Mr. 

 Clarke himself the first one to give the 

 " sting trowel " its quietus. I would 

 like this for the sake of the truth, and 

 also for the sake of Mr. Clarke as well. 



Marengo, Ills. 



FALL FLOWERS. 



The Autumn Honey-Flow in the 

 Middle States. 



Written for the Orange Bulletin 

 BY H. B. GEER. 



After the heat of the summer has 

 passed, and the first fall rains begin, 

 then spring into life and beauty the 

 autumn flowers that are usually loaded 

 with delicious nectar— resorts of pleas- 

 ure and profit for the millions of honey- 

 bees, that, after some weeks of idleness 

 and inactivity, are only too glad to 

 again return to the fields and their 

 duties. 



During the spring and early part of 

 last summer the flowers, such as strug- 

 gled into existence despite the drouth — 

 were nearly or entirely fruitless, and 

 the sources of hnney very limited in- 

 deed. But after tlie rain had come 

 again, it brought out the autumn 

 flowers here in Tennessee, and also, as I 

 learn, in Missouri, and the honey-flow 

 during the month of September was 

 better and more of it than during aU 

 the previous months of the year. 



Chief among the fall honey-plants of 

 Tennessee, is the golden-rod. Here it 

 blooms in great profusion, and its 

 bright golden plumes may be seen nod- 

 ding and waving in nearly every field 

 and meadow— especially in the waste 

 places or fallow land, and in the fence 

 corners. It yields honey of a rich 

 yellow color which has a very pleasant 

 flavor. In fact I think it the finest 

 honey that our bees can obtain from 

 any source in the fall of the year. 



In Missouri, where the writer is in- 

 terested in apiculture, the asters are 

 our chief reliance for fall honey. There 

 they bloom in great profusion from 

 about the first of September until frost. 

 There are a great many varieties of 

 asters, and they all yield a fair grade 

 of honey, which every bee-keeper is 

 glad to receive, after the spring and 

 summer supply has proven a failure, as 

 was the case last season. 



Honey partakes of the nature of the 

 flowers from which it is gathered, more 

 perhaps than one would suppose. For 



