OR, MANUAI, OF THB APIARY. 425 



(Sinapis alba) and rape (Brassica campestris), (Fig. 229), all 

 look much alike — all are species of the great family Crucif erae — 

 and are all admirable bee-plauts, as they. furnish much and 

 beautiful honey. The first, if self-sown, blooms in Michigan 

 July 1st, the others June 1st ; the first about eight weeks after 

 sowing, the others three or four. The mustards bloom for 

 four weeks, rape for three. These are all specially commend- 

 able, as they may be made to bloom during the honey-dearth 

 of July and August, secrete honey late as well as early in 



Fig. 229. 



Rape. 



the season, and are valuable plants to raise for seed. The 

 mustards were grown in Southern California for seed during 

 the Civil War, and have run wild in parts of San Diego County 

 where they grow very extensively. Though the hills are 

 yellow with this plant for miles, I have heard no special com- 

 mendation of it for honey. Very likely our scant rainfall is 

 not favorable for nectar-secretion. Rape seems to be very 

 attractive to insects, as the flea-beetles and the blister-beetles 

 are often quite too much for it, though they do not usually 

 destroy the plants till after they have blossomed. Rape is 



