BEE PASTUEAGE. 99 



pasture ten times as many cattle as another, and the same 

 difference may be true of pasturage for bees. 



PEINCIPAL SOUnCES OF HONEY. 



There are three principal sources of honey, viz : clover, 

 buckwbeat and basswood. Clover is the only universal 

 dependence, as that is found almost everywhere, in greater 

 or less profusion. Buckwheat is the main source in some 

 jilaees. Basswood is of brief duration, but comes in very 

 opportunely where it abounds, just as clover begins to fail, 

 and before buckwheat appears. Where all these are 

 abundant, there is the true Eldorado of the apiarian. Yet 

 to fipd a place where there is a great plenty of both clover 

 and buckwheat is very diflBcult. I have failed after a long 

 and patient search. I find clover, without buckwheat, in 

 satisfactory abundance. But when I begin to find buck- 

 wheat, clover correspondingly diminishes. Where buck- 

 wheat is a universal crop, but little of the surplus honey is 

 clover, as in the counties of Greene and most of Albany. 

 The question is asked : " What section of country is best 

 for keeping bees ?" It is difiicult to answer. In clover 

 regions the superior quality and enormous crops of honey 

 in some seasons wiU. give very desirable results, but when 

 an occasional failure occurs, it is disastrous in the extreme. 

 In buckwheat sections, there is never a great yield of clo- 

 ver, but seldom a failure in buckwheat honey. 



If the first yield fails, the last usually suppKes the defi- 

 ciency, and all strong colonies will generally have sufficient 

 winter stores. I have now been speaking of large apiaries. 

 A section can hardly be found where man can live, where 

 a few stocks would not thrive, even if no dependence 

 could be placed on the prominent sources just mentioned. 

 There will be some honey-yielding flowers in nearly all 

 places. 



