sear yessEis op 



AUSTRALIAN HONEY PLANTS 259 



Red Gum of Western Australia, (E. calophylla). This 

 is unknown to the Eastern States, but it is a splendid 

 honey-tree. Blooms from beginning of February until 

 end of March every second year. The average yield per 

 hive during a good season is about 150 lbs. In Western 

 Australia it alternates with the Yate tree. In South 

 Australia large crops are gathered from this source. The 

 colour is amber-orange. Also useful for pollen. This is 

 classed as the best honey gathered in Western Australia, 

 though rather on the thin side. A variety of the former 

 is also a splendid honey 

 tree. It is a pink-flower- 

 ing beautiful tree worthy 

 of a place in any garden. 

 Known botiinically as E. 

 calophylla var. rosea. 

 During May, 1914, in Vic- 

 toria, the author gathered 

 a teaspoonful of nectar 

 from three blooms grow- ^'^- «^- «^* •^"■" °* '^^^*"" Australia. 

 ing on a young tree at North Gippsland. The amount 

 secreted was certainly most remarkable. 



Ribbon Gum, (var. of E. viminalis), blooms about 

 March in the Eanges and yields nice amber-coloured 

 honey. 



Stringybark, (Red), (E. macrorrhyncha) . Widely 

 spread over Victoria. It has "on" and "off" seasons, 

 but yields a bumper crop every three years. The buds 

 have a sharp peak on top, not unlike the buds of the Red 

 gum. This variety receives its name from the pro- 

 truding valves of the seed vessels: mahros — large, 

 rhynchos — ^beak. This Stringybark is a valuable tree for 

 pollen. Bees breed up very strong and winter finely on 

 the honey, which is at times dense enough to prevent the 

 extractor-reel revolving. It blooms in profusion in the 

 autumn, beginning about first of February. The pollen 

 is abundant and creamy in colour. The honey-flow lasts 

 up to six weeks and is very heavy. The unripe honey 



