THE BEE-KEEPERS' REVIEW 



Honey Resources of New Jersey 



E. G. OAim, New Egypt, N. J. 



Given at the National Beelieepers' Association Meet. St. Louis, Feb- 

 ruary lyth. 1914 



Wlien we Jerseymen see in the 

 Bee Journals the map of our state 

 and three or four others as well 

 placed upon such a state as Texas 

 with a liberal amount of large 

 remnants to spare we wonder if 

 we are large enough to attract any 

 attention whatever as honey pro- 

 ducers still we recall the saying 

 that the best goods sometimes come 

 in small packages and are encour- 

 aged to make as much little noise as 

 possible. 



Although New Jersey is near the 

 small end of the list of states 

 when size is compared, when the 

 diversity and quantity of nectar se- 

 creting plants is considered it oc- 

 cupies no mean place in the list. 



Because of the diversity of the 

 landscape — sea shore. lakes and 

 hills, upland and meadows the flora 

 of the state is very rich and its 

 nectar secreting and pollen bearing 

 flowers abundant. While not all are 

 of consequence because of the 

 LARGE amount of nectar which 

 they furnish, great numbers are 

 helpful at some season in furnish- 

 ing either the surplus honey or the 

 food to rea,r the surplus honey 

 gatherers. 



Beekeepers are apt to lay stress 

 on the presence of some SURPLUS 

 honey plant and ignore the numerous 

 blossoms which furnish the nectar, 

 in small quantities perhaps, but that 

 which is so much needed for rapid 

 brood-rearing, for, no matter how 

 well supplied a colony is with stores 

 a little new nectar has a very ben- 

 eficial stimulating effect. 



When therefore honey resources 

 are considered it is well to take 

 account of the more important blos- 

 soms which secrete nectar for 

 brood-rearing as well as those 

 which give the surplus. 



I shall name the different honey 

 resources as nearly in their order 

 of blooming as possible. 



Usually the first blossoms on 

 which the bees work in the spring 

 in New Jersey to any extent are 



those of the maples which give 

 both pollen and nectar in liberal 

 quantities. Sometimes enough nec- 

 tar from this source is gathered 

 to seal in colonies already well 

 supplied with stores. This is a 

 fairly reliable and regular yielder 

 although subject to damage by frost 

 some seasons. The elms and wil- 

 lows now come in bloom and the 

 bees hold high revel while these 

 last. After these there are a var- 

 iety of early blossoms, none very 

 conspicuous for a considerable 

 amount of nectar until fruit blos- 

 soms open, when, the weather being 

 favorable the bees are able to gather 

 somewhat more than enough for 

 their immediate needs. Although 

 considerable interest is being shown 

 in orcharding in New Jersey at 

 the present time, one orchardist hav- 

 ing 450 acres planted to peaches 

 and apples, still these have no par- 

 ticular attraction to the apiarist 

 as a surplus honey source, at the 

 same time their value to furnish 

 the new nectar so necessary for 

 best results in brood rearing is 

 fully appreciated. 



There is a light but fairly steady 

 flow between fruit bloom and 

 clover thus making it unnecessary 

 to provide artificial stimulation to 

 guard against a slackening of 

 brood rearing at this critical time 

 as is the case in some states. 



After fruit bloom there are a 

 number of wild blossoms lead- 

 ing up to locust (Robina psou- 

 docaeia) the next blossom to 

 furnish surplus honey. This oc- 

 curs in a number of places 

 in the central part of the state and 

 furnishes a, most delicious honey 

 in large quantities some seasons 

 but is such a fickle yielder the bee- 

 keeper can safely make any 

 plans in which this honey resource 

 figures. Locust is followed by tulip 

 poplar (Liriodendron tulipifen) 



which occurs generally throughout 

 the state. Although this yields 

 well the nectar is quite dark and 

 high flavored and immediately pre- 



