THE PASTUKAGE OF BEES. 71 



holes are made hj humble-lDees, which, have greater powers. 

 No one can watch humble or earth bees at work in a field 

 of beans, and remain in doubt that they do some work in 

 this way. They do push their trunks through the petals 

 of the flowers with a view to reach the honey ; but the 

 question is, Can bees make holes for themselves, or do they 

 merely make use of the holes made by humble-bees 1 We 

 have never seen a honey-bee make a hole through the 

 petal of a bean-flower ; but, from the scarcity of humble- 

 bees in some neighbourhoods where bean-flowers are found 

 well pierced, we are ready to believe that the " jemmies " 

 of our own friends are used for breaking through the thick 

 walls of bean-flowers. 



Maple, sycamore (or plane), and lime trees are of great 

 value to the bee-farmer. Maples are not so abundant in 

 this country as sycamores and limes. Honey is not dis- 

 tilled from the flowers of the sycamore, but it liter- 

 ally lies on them, and is clammy and sticky to the touch 

 of human hands. Elsewhere we have said that the honey 

 gathered from the flowers of sycamore and gooseberry 

 trees is of a sea-green colour, rich and highly flavoured. 



The strong and rather pleasant scent of lime-trees in 

 flower, and the music of bees busy at work on them, 

 indicate that honey in abundance is collected from them 

 in the month of July. 



Wimberry, raspberry, and hramhleherry deserve honour- 

 able mention as honey- producing plants. Wimberry- 

 bushes — acres, and scores of acres of them — abound in 

 moorland districts. They flower early, and are rich in 

 honey; but as few bees are permanently kept in such 

 neighbourhoods, the honey produced by them is lost. 



Borage, mignonette, heliotrope, lucktolieat, and dirds'- 

 foot trefoil (lotus comieulatus), gorse, and broom, are 

 useful in their day. 



