270 MONEY IN BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



carry the fertile pollen from flower to flower. In this 

 way seeds are made fecund and the species multiplied. 

 For instance, a tree newly "rung" will yield honey very 

 heavily in the endeavour to have as much seed as possible 

 made fertile in order that the species may be perpetuated. 



Most garden flowers yield honey and pollen, but as it 

 takes a large area of any plant to make a honey flow, the 

 scattered dispositions of the gardens preclude the pos- 

 sibility of securing a large crop. About the cities 30 or 

 40 lbs. per colony is considered a fair return. Some of 

 the outlying suburbs do much better. The flowers of 

 outstanding value to bees are Eosemary, Gaillardias, 

 Stocks, Sunflowers, Lupins, and Poppies. A New South 

 Wales apiarist wrote to the Editor of the Australasian 

 Beekeeper as follows : — Is it known amongst beemen that 

 the Poppy flower is poisonous to bees? We have always 

 had a few growing in our flower garden till the other day, 

 but one morning, about seven o'clock, my wife drew my 

 attention to a large bloom just opened, for it was crowded 

 with bees, although the honey-flow was well on. So I 

 got a Miller's cage and caged five, and put them in my 

 office ; in about one hour one was dead ; by eleven o 'clock 

 I came in and every bee was dead. The next morning 

 there were more blooms opening, so I took two cages and 

 caged six bees from one hive, put them in the honey 

 house and caged five off the poppy bloom and put them 

 side by side. At eleven o'clock four of the poppy bees 

 were dead, but the bees from the hive were alright. So I 

 decided no more poppies should grow in my garden." 

 Mignonette, Honey Suckle, Freesias, Crocus, Hollyhocks, 

 Salvias, Ericas, Cornflowers, Pseony Eoses (particularly 

 for pollen). Wistaria, Primroses, and the highly-scented 

 Lavender must not be forgotten. Some of the "Prunus" 

 shrubs are splendid for bees, as is also the Ivy. 



Mr. Beuhne writes on plants injurious to bees: — "A 

 writer in Munchener Bienen Zeitung gives quite a long 

 list of plants which either injure bees physically through 

 contact with spines, or trap them. The principal offender 

 amongst the latter is the Snap Dragon. Some time after 



