56 SOURCES OF HONEY. 
den, ranks with the finest. It is hardy and bears trans- 
planting better than many other forest trees. This 
stately tree, with its graceful clusters of fragrant flowers, 
adorns village or country grounds, while the soft music 
of the industrious bee, among the branches, is attractive 
to the dullest ear. The honey resources of the country 
might be greatly increased by planting such trees. 
Basswood honey is, without doubt, of the most superior 
quality and flavor. The blossoms are very numerous, 
and though there are occasionally seasons when they yield 
but little, the tree is generally a very reliable source of 
honey. The yield of honey usually continues for about 
ten days. In localities where the altitude varies from 
warm valleys to high hills or mountain ranges, the yield 
will often be extended to two or three weeks. 
The largest yield of honey I have ever known in a 
given time, was from Basswood. I have seen twenty-five 
pounds gathered in one day by a single swarm, and 
larger collections are reported by other parties. Of 
course, such amounts must be secured by the non-swarm- 
ing plan under the most favorable conditions. In 1874 I 
commenced with 100 swarms and did not take any sur- 
plus honey until Basswood blossomed, July 20th. Dur- 
ing the next forty days I secured 10,000 lbs. of surplus, 
and increased the colonies to 119, giving me an average 
of 100 lbs. each, from my old stocks. I mention these 
figures to illustrate the value of this tree for bee-forage. 
I should here explain that I took advantage of the differ- 
ence in altitude, and moved a number of colonies six 
miles to higher ground, where the trees did not come into 
flower for two weeks after they failed in the valley. 
I have never observed such a profuse yield of honey 
from Basswood, as in that season. The flowers seemed 
to be dripping with liquid sweetness, and one had but to 
press them between the fingers to obtain a drop of genuine 
nectar. 
