212 Beekeeping 



of amber honey in the autumn in swamps. Among the best- 

 known regions in which these plants are of value may be 

 mentioned the lower Delaware River and Illinois River 

 valleys and the Kankakee swamp. 



(4) Willowherb. — Important in northern Michigan in 

 burned over forest areas. 



(5) Sweet clover. — In some sections, especially in hme- 

 stone regions, this plant is exceptionally abundant and is the 

 source of large crops of honey of a sUghtly greenish color. 

 It is especially valuable in northern Kentucky and southern 

 Indiana. 



(6) Blue thistle. — ■ Important in the Shenandoah valley. 



(7) Raspberry. — Northern Michigan where the forests 

 have been burned over and in parts of New York. 



(8) Beans. — In southern Cahfornia, where beans of 

 various kinds are grown in great quantity, beekeepers find 

 it profitable to move their apiaries to the bean fields after 

 the sage honey-flow. The honey is white, of excellent flavor 

 and granulates quickly. 



(9) Heartsease. — Mississippi valley. A heavy yielder 

 of nectar in late smnmer. 



Variation within a region. 



It must not be understood that the territory within either 

 a general or a restricted region as here defined is equally 

 good throughout. The cutting of forests, the extensive 

 cultivation of some plant which restricts the growth of 

 honey plants, local differences in soil or drainage, the pres- 

 ence of large towns and a multitude of other factors may so 

 reduce the number of individual honey plants where they 

 would normally grow as to make extensive beekeeping un- 

 profitable. On the other hand, the cutting of forests may 

 make a region better by allowing a honey plant to spread 

 (e.g. willowherb) or the planting of some nectar-yielding 

 species, either under cultivation (e.g. alsike clover, alfalfa) 

 or in waste places (e.g. sweet clover), may greatly increase 

 the value of a region to the beekeeper. In fact, the entire 



