114 



BEEKEEPING IN THE SOUTH 



Fig. 57. Beehives among tlie wild asters in X'irginia. 



nectar in nearly every part of the southern states. Many plants 

 have nectar secreting qualities attributed to them, when in reality 

 such plants are seldom visited by bees. Doubtless many will 

 criticize the lists given here. We leave their accuracy to the test 

 of time. We enter a plea that beekeepers do more careful ob- 

 serving in their beekeeping practice. There are few industries 

 in which less is known of the "why" of things than in beekeeping. 

 Method of Listing. 

 Plants are listed by states in the alphabetical order of their 

 commonest local names. No attempt has been made to arrange 

 the plants in the order of their importance. There are few sur- 

 plus honey plants which are always important throughout one 

 entire state. The scientific name follows the common name as 

 nearly as it has been determined. The usual order of its bloom 

 in a normal season, compared with others on the list, varies too 

 greatly because of the elevation and latitude to list. Plants con- 

 sidered as surplus honey plants in this list are those credited by 

 better beekeepers in the several states as being their principal 

 sources of surplus honey, or those which the author knows to be 



