VOL. LVIII— NO. 10 



HAMILTON, ILL., OCTOBER, 1918 



MONTHLY, $1.00 A YFAR 



NOTES ON ASTERS AS SOURCES OF NECTAR 



Items of Interest About a Widely Distributed Family of Late Blooming Plants 



of Great Value to the Beekeeper 



THE aster family is very widely 

 distributed, being common in 

 Europe, Asia and South Africa, 

 as well as America. There are more 

 than 200 recognized species, of which 

 at least 125 are found in the United 

 States. They are extremely common 

 in the eastern and southern States, 

 although some kinds are to be found 

 in every State in the union, and from 

 Canada to Mexico. Every American 

 beekeeper may be sure that his bees 

 are within reach of at least one 

 species of aster, and, in most locali- 

 ties, there are several species. Some 

 species produce nectar much more 

 abundantly than others, and it is 

 probable that the flow from all kinds 

 is more or less affected by soil or 

 climatic conditions. So few bee- 

 keepers differentiate between the 

 species that it is very difficult to se- 

 cure satisfactory information re- 

 garding their comparative value. 



Asters are very seldom mentioned 

 as sources of nectar in the south- 

 west. Yet twenty-one species are 

 listed as occurring in New Mexico. 

 They seem to be of importance prin- 

 cipally in the eastern States. There 

 are numerous reports of honey from 

 asters in the southeastern States of 

 Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi, 

 the amount of surplus increasing 

 northward. 



In most localities, the aster honey 

 is mixed with that from goldenrod. 

 and the two sources are usually 

 spoken of together. In the Septem- 

 ber, 1917, issue of the American Bee 

 Journal, appeared an extended arti- 

 cle on goldenrods. Like the asters, 

 they are of wide distribution, and, 

 like them, they seem to produce nec- 

 tar more abundantly in the moist 

 climate of the eastern States. Both 



BY FRANK C. PELLETT 



bloom late in autumn, the crop often 

 being cut short by frost. 



According to Lovell, the asters are 

 never common enough to yield a 

 surplus in Maine, and the honey is 

 always mixed with goldenrod. 



As to the quality of the honey, 

 there are many conflicting reports. 

 Many reports are to the effect that 

 the quality is poor and not suitable 

 for table use. The fact that the honey 

 is seldom unmixed with that of other 

 fall flowers, may be responsible for 



if aster. Aster sagittifolii 



this impression. C. P. Dadant had 

 one year, in Illinois, a crop of about 

 six barrels which was almost pure 

 aster honey. This honey was se- 

 cured late in the season, after other 

 plants had ceased to yield, and was 

 almost white and of very fine qual- 

 ity.. 



There are numerous reports that a 

 strong odor is apparent in the apiary 

 when asters are yielding. We quote 

 some of these: 



"We had a fall flow from wild 

 asters that filled the hives with 

 honey for wintering and gave a 

 few gallons of extracted honey. 

 The honey is of good color and 

 weight, but rather strong for ta- 

 ble use. It also granulates very 

 quickly. When the bees are gath- 

 ering this honey the hives give 

 off a rank and somewhat sicken- 

 ing odor, which can be detected 

 for quite a distance away. * * * 

 This odor disappears as the 

 honey ripens and the flow ceases, 

 but the strong taste never en- 

 tirely disappears. It is as strong 

 as basswood and not nearly so 

 pleasant." 



D. E. Andrews, Bloomington, Ind.. 

 page 98, American Bee Journal, 1907. 

 "The odor is not unpleasant, 

 but is very noticeable when the 

 bees are bringing much of it in, 

 and it can be distinguished a 

 considerable distance from the 

 hives. The amount of 'smell' is 

 such a good criterion as to the 

 amount of honey that one can 

 tell the quantity he is getting 

 from these indications alone." 

 W. H. Reed, Herrodsburg. Kv. 

 Page 228, Gleanings, 1911. 



"In the Shenandoah valley in 

 Virginia, where I lived for four- 

 teen years, there were many 



