136 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



of fresh flowers, for about three weeks. But few if 

 any flowers produce such quantities of honey as the 

 raspberry, in proportion to the number of flowers. 

 Bees work on them from early dawn until dewy eve, 

 singing a cheerful song all the while ; even a shower 

 of rain will not drive them from it. The honey is 

 of the finest quality. These facts should be turned 

 to good account, when we consider the value of the 

 raspberry (being a certain crop,) as a market fruit, 

 and also for family use, and the ease with which it 

 can be cultivated. In the country, large plats of 

 ground, even fields, should be devoted to its culture, 

 and in towns and cities plats in every garden should 

 be set aside for its cultivation, as well for its fruit as 

 for the honey it produces. 



Catnip, motherwort, hoarhound, honeysuckles and 

 various other kinds of flowers, put forth about the 

 same time ; each would be of great value, if in suffi- 

 cient quantities. 



EARLY SUMMER FLOWERS. 



At the head of this list preeminently stands white 

 clover (trifolium repens), which is found along the 

 roadsides in meadows, grain fields, gardens, pasture 

 fields, in fact it may be seen every where. The seed, 

 which are very abundant and very small, are driven 

 in every direction by the winds ; this has been over- 

 looked by previous writers. The heads, which contain 

 the seed, are quite small and very light ; the stalks 

 stand erect until winter sets in and the ground is 

 frozen, by which time the stalk of it has become 



