294 AUSTRALASIAN 



Giant mignonette (Fig. 139) is another grand bee plant. All 

 the mignonettes are good for bees, and handsome as garden 

 plants. The giant variety has not the sweet scent of the 

 smaller and common kind, but the flowers are exactly similar 

 in appearance. I have had it in blossom for seven successive 

 months, and during the whole of this time it was continually 

 visited by bees, even when clover was at its best. 



DUKATIONJ3F THE HONEY SEASON. 



From what has been already said under the heads of 

 " Climate " and of " Native Flora," both in this and in the 



Fig. 138.— MELIHOT CLOVEB. {Melilotus). 



first chapter, it will readily be seen that within the range of 

 New Zealand and Australia there must be considerable dif- 

 ferences in the time of commencement, and in the duration of 

 the so-called honey season, or that in which the apiarist expects 

 to take his crop of surplus honey. This is one of the points 

 deserving of the most particular consideration, as the judicious 

 bee-keeper will have to regulate many of his operations in 

 accordance with the peculiar circumstances of his district in 

 this respect, in order to obtain the best general results, and to 

 grade his honey according to the sources of supply which pre- 

 dominate during different portions of the honey season. I 

 shall here add only a few observations with reference to my 



