BEE MANUAL. 285 



settled districts. The eucalypti heretofore generally planted 

 in New Zealand are E. globulus (blue gum) and E. rostrata 

 (red gum). Of the acacias a greater variety have been already 

 cultivated ; amongst the rest, the following : — 



"~~ 1. A. lophantha, common wattle. 



2. A. decurrens. black wattle. 



3. A. dealbata, silver wattle. 



4. A. pycnantha, golden or broad leaf wattle. 

 «e= 5. A. longifolia, long-leaf wattle. 



6. A. melanoxylon, light wood or blaokwood. 

 «" 7. A. undulata, Kangaroo Island prickly acacia. 



Of these, the most valuable as bee forage in this country is the 

 first (notwithstanding the objections referred to by Mr. Bonnej ), 

 as it blooms luxuriantly from May to August, both months 

 inclusive, and sometimes also in April and in September, and 

 during all that time affords ample stores of both nectar and 

 pollen ; so that where these trees are convenient, bees cannot 

 know what want is during the late autumn and the whole of 

 winter. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 are the sorts valuable as producing 

 tanners' bark ; they are all great nectar and pollen producers 

 in July and August. No. 5 is an evergreen shrub, with long 

 lancet-shaped leaves, which blossoms luxuriantly from July to 

 September, but which also exudes nectar from a pore in the 

 upper edge of the leaf, near the stalk, and furnishes food for 

 the bees in that way for a couple of months before the blossom- 

 ing time. It is thus available for bee forage (and is a great 

 favourite with the bees) from early in May until the end of 

 September. No. 6 is somewhat similar to the last as regards 

 its leaves and blossoms, but is a tree, not a shrub, and one 

 of the largest of the acacias. No. 7 is used as a hedge plant, 

 and flowers from the beginning of August to the middle of 

 October ; it is therefore available as bee forage when all the 

 other acacias are out of bloom, but at a time when there is 

 generally abundance of other spring forage. 



EUROPEAN PLANTS AND TREES. 



The climate of New Zealand and of most parts of the Aus- 

 tralasian colonies is so favourable to the growth of many 

 European plants, that we already enjoy the advantages of most 

 of the old-world bee forage. The clovers (and especially white 

 clover), which are the sources of probably the finest quality of 

 honey, not only grow well when sown in pasture or meadow 



