60 



MANUAL OF APICULTURE. 



Fig. 46. — Dwarf Essex or vrinter rape {Brassica napus). 



and ornament as well as for timber, catnip for sale as an herb or to 

 secure its seed, and melilot for forage or green manuring are the only ones 

 which, under present conditions, might in some cases be profitably 

 cultivated. There may be introduced with advantage, however, all 



such honey-producing plants 

 as, with one sowiug or plant- 

 ing, will readily propagate 

 themselves and without cul- 

 tivation extend their area 

 along roadsides and over 

 waste lands, always except- 

 ing of course such as may 

 become troublesome weeds. 

 For this purpose most of the 

 plants referred to above are 

 available, and many others 

 which like these are adapted 

 to one portion or another of 

 our country might be added, 

 as, for example, pleurisy root 

 or butterfly weed {Asclepias 

 tul)€rosa)j Indian currant or coral berry [Symplioricarpos sympliori- 

 carims), viper's bugloss {EcMum vulgare), lady's thumb [Polygonum 

 persicaria), horsemint [Monarda citriodora), willow-herb {Upilobium 

 angustifoUum), etc., but of course it can not be expected that they will 

 thrive and thoroughly establish themselves without further attention, 

 except in such localities as present very favora- 

 ble conditions for their growth. Furthermore, 

 there is always the risk that a plant which 

 yields honey abundantly in one part of the 

 country may not do so in another region, even 

 though it grows well, so that it is necessary 

 in most cases, especially with wild plants, to 

 test them anew before extensive introduction, 

 no matter how well established their reputation 

 as honey i3roducers may be elsewhere. 



Among plants of economic value in other 

 directions fruit trees and shrubs are to be 

 counted as of much importance to bees. The 

 apj)le and the cherry yield well, the others less, 

 though the gooseberry, were it more plentiful, 

 would be of considerable value. Strawberry 

 blossoms are, in general, visited sparingly and 

 yield only a small amount, but the raspberry, coming later, when the 

 colonies are stronger, is a most important source, greatly liked by the 

 bees, and furnishing as fine a quality of honey as is known. Ten acres 



Fig. 47.— Summer or bird rape 

 (Brassica napus) . 



