AUSTRALIAN HONEY PLANTS 239 



the northern States of U.S.A. it is considered good pas- 

 ture for milch cows. 



A large variety is cultivated by the market gardeners 

 of the eastern States U.S.A. as a vegetable. It blooms 

 in early spring, yielding a fair honey of yellow tint, and 

 pollen very similar in colour to that of Flatweed. Coming 

 so early in the spring (cold wet weather appears to 

 favour it) it is of value to colonies building up after a 

 severe winter. The whole habit of Dandelion closely 

 resembles Flatweed. 



Date-Palm, {Phcenix dactylifera). A splendid honey- 

 plant. Several plantations are to be found in South 

 Australia, but no large honey-crops have been reported 

 up to the present time. Probably no bee-keeper has tried 

 the localities sufficiently to give reliable reports. 



European heather, {Erica Tetralix). The European 

 Heath is a good honey-yielder, but the plant is distinct 

 from the shrubs iadigenous to Australasia commonly 

 known as "Heath." It is a curious fact that while 

 European heather yields considerable pollen the bee 

 cannot gather it. The pollen-bearing anthers are so 

 situated that the bee, in seeking the nectary of the flower, 

 must disturb them with her head. The liberated pollen is 

 then distributed over the bee's brow, out of reach of the 

 insect's pollen brushes; she is thus unable to pack it into 

 the pockets on the legs. In Scotland and various other 

 places the honey from these plants is dark, and owing to 

 its peculiar consistency cannot be extracted by centrifugal 

 force, i.e., the honey-extractor. The tiny blossoms — 

 borne in great quantity — measure only i/4 inch in length 

 and are somewhat egg-shaped. The reason for including 

 the Ericas in this work is to enable the apiarist to 

 distinguish them from the so-called "Australian Heaths" 

 {Epacris). 



Epacris, (misnamed Heath), {E. impressa). The so- 

 called "Heath" of Australia is not Heath at all, though 

 the long ' ' tubes ' ' of the Epacris are not quite unlike some 

 of the flowers of the true Heath {Erica). The Epacris is 

 abundant in Victoria, and frequents the poor thin sandy 



