1918 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL 



123 



but not too closely, as the next flow 

 comes about June 1. It is saw pal- 

 metto and mango. During this time 

 a little more increase can be made 

 and extra combs can be built. In 

 July cabbage palmetto may yield, 

 giving a light extracting, but at this 

 time plenty of honey must be left in 

 the hives, for the fall flow is a long 

 ways off, which is from goldenrod 

 and a few other fall flowers, but the 

 flow is not certain by any means, and 

 if stores are low bees will go down 

 and only wholesale feeding will save 

 them. So plenty of stores should be 

 left from the saw palmetto flow, 

 which may be later removed if the 

 other flows come. 



Jacksonville, Fla., is one-third of 

 the way between the extreme south- 

 ern point in the State and Washing- 

 ton, D. C. This gives some idea of 

 the length of this narrow strip of 

 land lying between the Atlantic and 

 the Gulf. Florida also extends west- 

 ward nearly as far in a narrow strip. 



more watered sections from titi. 

 Here bees need but little stores left 

 on for winter. I have heard bee- 

 keepers here say they have never 

 known bees to perish. 



Apiary work should begin here in 

 February. Tupelo gum thinly scat- 

 tered along small streams follows 

 with light yield, also some gallberry. 

 In summer and late fall bees live in 

 a hand to mouth manner. 



In flat, wooded sections gallberry 

 gives a good flow in May, and a glim- 

 mering flow follows from scattering 

 partridge pea. 



The High Sand Ridge Section. — Here 

 the early flow is from chincapin, 

 which comes in April, but this shrub 

 covers only a small area. In other lo- 

 calities gallberry comes in May, but 

 in most parts is not an early honey 

 plant. With these exceptions, the 

 main flow comes in July, from par- 

 tridge pea. So it is very important 

 to see that bees have plenty of stores 

 for winter, and spring, too ; but for- 



Another Wilder Apiary 



In this narrow border of country we 

 have just as widely different condi- 

 tions to contend with. 



In the central and eastern sections 

 conditions are similar. Here we have 

 no very early honey-flow, as we are 

 out of the citrus section. The long 

 period of breeding in early spring 

 consumes lots of stores. So the bees 

 must be left very heavy with stores 

 or else they will collapse before the 

 flow comes, which is mostly from 

 saw palmetto and a little gallberry. 

 The bees should be strong here for 

 the main flow, which is never very 

 heavy. But a light flow follows it 

 either from cabbage palmetto or par- 

 tridge pea. So the honey may be ex- 

 tracted closely from the supers when 

 there is a lot of honey in the brood- 

 nest. Apiary work should start here 

 the first of April and increase made 

 in May. After July IS the bees 

 should be looked after for wintering. 



Northern Florida.— The flow comes 

 on here the first of March, in the 



tunately the summer farewell gives a 

 flow here until frost, which always 

 leaves bees in good condition for 

 winter. 



Increase should be made and combs 

 built if posible during chincapin or 

 gallberry flow, so as to make harvest 

 as heavy as possible during the main 

 flow, for during it there is a great 

 scarcity of pollen, and bees slack up 

 brood-rearing wonderfully. Later 

 pollen comes in and they build up 

 well for winter. 



Here beekeeping is easier than in 

 any other section. One good apiarist 

 can care for 500 colonies or more 

 without help. 



West Florida. — Here beekeeping 

 seems to be narrowed down to the 

 tupelo gum. They have no fall flow, 

 and bees are wonderfully reduced in 

 strength after winter, and work to 

 get ready for the flow which comes 

 and goes almost in the month of 

 May. Some titi in small streams gives 

 them a wonderful start, then, just 



after its close, a light flow comes on 

 from snow vine. Here beginners do 

 not do much at beekeeping, because 

 conditions are not so favorable for 

 the inexperienced; but here is where 

 our best apiarists keep bees, and 

 they do not reach fame until ad- 

 vanced in years. 



Let me say before I quit Florida 

 that I have not mentioned all honey 

 plants here, but only the main ones. 

 Ask the natives about certain plants 

 and in most cases they can point out 

 every variety to you. By all means 

 know them, what you may expect 

 from them and when. Watch the 

 bees. 



Bradentown, Fla. 



Garden Flowers That Beautify 

 the Home and Many of which 

 Provide a Wealth of Pol- 

 len for the Bees 



By W. J. Sheppard, Nelson, B. C. 



A GOOD selection of varieties of 

 flowers will keep up a con- 

 stant succession of bloom in 

 the garden from early spring to late 

 fall. While making this selection the 

 preferences of the bees can at the 

 same time be studied and adminis- 

 tered to. What is more delightful 

 than to quietly stroll around to ad- 

 mire a well arranged and well cared 

 for and beautiful garden, filled with 

 choice and fragrant flowers, and to 

 listen to the restful and contented 

 hum of the bees engaged in their 

 daily task of sipping the nectar, or 

 gathering the pollen from the blos- 

 soms? 



In early spring, crocuses and the 

 blue scillas, or squills, are the first 

 of the garden flowers here to open 

 and attract the bees. A little later on 

 white arabias, yellow alyssum and 

 the lovely azure-blue forget-me-nots 

 make their appearance, all of which 

 are great favorites and assiduously 

 visited. We have tried wallflowers, 

 but have always lost them through 

 the snow breaking them down in 

 winter. Some of the flowering shrubs 

 that begin to open at about this time 

 are a great source of attraction. 

 Many of these make a splendid back- 

 ground for the flower borders. The 

 different varieties of the flowering 

 currants are continually crowded 

 with bees. Then there are the Si- 

 berian pea tree, berberis, in variety, 

 white and yellow broom, oleaster, 

 furze, or corse, single lilacs, weige- 

 las in variety, etc. 



As a general rule perennials are to 

 be preferred in the flower borders, 

 as when once planted and established 

 they come up year after year and do 

 not require very much attention, ex- 

 cept staking and tying up. The per- 

 ennial larkspurs, or delphiniums, are 

 splendid and make a grand show. The 

 colors — white, pale yellow and vari- 

 ous shades of blue — ranging from 

 lovely sky blue to dark indigo and 

 purple shades, are always to be ad- 

 mired. The belladonna, which 

 are of medium height, and the little 

 dwarf butterfly variety remain in 



