MANUAL OF THE APIARY. 237 



bloom early in June, and remains in blossom even to October. 

 This belongs to the same family — Mallow— as the hollyhock, 

 and like it, blooms and fruits through the season. 



JULY PLANTS. 



Early in this month opens the far-famed basswood or lin- 

 den, Tilia Americana (Fig. 93), which, for the profusion 



Pig. 9Z.— Basswood. 



and quality of its honey has no superior. The tree, too, from 

 its great spreading top and fine foliage, is magnificent for 

 shade. Five of these trees are within two rods of my 'study 

 window, and their grateful fragrance, and beautiful form and 

 shade, have often been the subject of remark by visitors. 



Figwort, Scrophularia nodosa (Fig. 94), often called rattle- 

 weed, as the seeds will rattle in the pod, and carpenter's 

 square, as it has a square stalk, is an insignificant looking 

 weed, with inconspicuous flowers, that afford abundant nectar 

 from the middle of July till frost. I have received almost as 

 many for identification as I have of the asters and golden- 

 rods. Prof. Beal remarked to me a year or two since, that it 

 hardly seemed possible that it could be so valuable. We 



