114 Texas Department of AIgricultuee. 



Texas persimmon of the western part of the State, while the yellow 

 kind is common in East Texas. Several species of crotons {Groton), 

 in May and June, yield pollen. These are found in most parts of the 

 State, and furnifsh some pollen even during severe drouths. 



The cacti (Opuntia), of which the large kind, with its thick, fleshy, 

 green, and pear-shaped leaf-like stems, known as "prickly-pear," is 

 most common, sometimes yield much honey, and are great pollen 

 yielders nearly every season. The honey is not considered good for 

 surplus as it is astringent in character and strong in flavor; but it is 

 valuable for sustaining the colonies during the early summer when 

 very little else is in bloom. 



A rich golden honey is produced by a small plant known as 

 "marigold" (Gailliardia), which often covers the prairies in May 

 and June. The flavor of this honey is rather marked. The vast 

 fields of Indian corn and sorghum are much visited by the bees dur- 

 ing their bloom in May and June, and these yield immense quantities 

 of pollen. Of some importance both for pollen and honey are also 

 the melons, and all of the members belonging to the gourd family 

 (Cucurlitacea) . Lippia Ugitstrina, known as "white brush," is most 

 common and abundant in Southwest Texas. It is a very frequent 

 bloomer during the season, depending upon the abundmice of rain, 

 and is so fragrant that the whole adjoining country is pwfumed with 

 its odor. 



In Bast Texas abounds the bitter- weed {Helenium), which begins 

 to bloom in June, and lasts until frost. This plant is not affected 

 to any great extent by drouth, and blooms very regularly every sea- 

 son. Bees rarely work on it, except during such a dry season when 

 there is nothing else, and then the bright colored honey is so bitter 

 that it can not be eaten. The comb built during such a flow is of a 

 characteristic bright yellow. A yield from this source alone is ob- 

 tained only occasionally, hence it need not be feared. Blended with 

 mild flavored honey from other sources its quality is not too bad to 

 be used. 



Another common weed is the ragweed {Ambrosia), of which there 

 are several species. This is much like the croton in distribution, and 

 yields pollen. 



A valuable fall bloomer in most parts of the State is the Droom 

 weed (Guttierezia) , beginning to bloom in August and continuing 

 until frost. The honey is amber in color, strong flavored, but is most 

 excellent for winter stores, and the colonies build up on it for the 

 winter in splendid condition. This plant is sometimes not so abundant 

 during a dry season, but comes quite regularly year after year. 

 Where abundant, much fall honey is obtained from Virginian crown- 

 beard (Verbesina) , often called "wild tobacco." It blooms in Octo- 

 ber, but the dry siunmers cause a stunted growth of the flowers in 

 many seasons, when it yields only sparingly. 



While these follow in the order of their respective blooming pe- 

 riods, it must not be understood that all of them exist over the en- 

 tire State, or in any one locality. While some of them have a very 

 wide distribution, others are restricted to the particular habitat over 

 a comparatively very small area. It is impossible, in limited space, 

 to give a more comprehensive list with the distribution of the various 



