42 HANDY BOOK OF BEES. 



pierced, we believe that the "jemmies" of our own 

 friends are used for breaking tbrougb 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- 

 tUled (does not drop) from the flowers of the sycamore, but 

 it literally lies on them, and is clammy and sticky to the 

 touch of human hands. It continues a long time in 

 flower, coming into flower before apple-blossoms disappear, 

 and lasting tiU white clover is in bloom. 



The strong scent of lime-trees in flower, and the music 

 of bees busy at work on them, indicate that an abundance 

 is collected from them in the month of July. 



Wimherry, raspberry, and hrambleberry deserve honour- 

 able mention as honey-producing plants. 



Borage, mignonette, heliotrope, buckwheat, birds'-foot 

 trefoil {Lotus eornieulatus), gorse, broom, and wild thyme, 

 are all honey-plants, and useful in their day. 



White or Dutch clover is the queen of honey-plants. 

 It is widely cultivated in this country, and continues to 

 flower a long time. In Scotland the farmers use more 

 clover-seed in laying down land in grass than the farmers 

 of England ; hence the clover-fields are, generally speak- 

 ing, better there than here. The use of bone-dust and lime 

 as manure has a great influence in the production of 

 clover. 



Pastures eaten bare by cattle are, of course, not so good 

 for honey as those less severely eaten. Sheep are fonder 

 of clover than cattle, and are more able to nibble off its 

 young heads ; hence sheep-pasture is inferior in a honey 

 point of view to cow-pasture. 



Clover is perhaps more uncertain in its yield of honey 

 than most other plants, inasmuch as it is more easily 

 affected by cold nights. Some years ago, a stock-hive from 



