140 BEES AND BEE-KEEPING. 



and spreading in its habits, similar to white clover, 

 and yields both honey and pollen ; it will bloom con- 

 tinually, from the middle of June until killed by 

 frosts in the fall. It is easily raised in large quantities 

 if the ground is clear of weed seed, plowed and well 

 pulverized by harrowing before sowing. Sow thinly 

 and brush it in with a light brush ; all that is required 

 after this is to pull out any large-growing weeds that 

 may chance to make their appearance before the 

 mignonette spreads over the ground ; when it takes 

 possession of the ground, it needs no further care. 

 A bed of these flowers will perfume the air for quite 

 a distance around, so rich is it. Bees will work on 

 it from daylight until dark; two or three may be 

 seen at once on a single head or flower. 



CEPHALANTHUS, OR BUTTER-BUSH. 



The cephalanthus Canadensis, or butter-bush, which 

 grows in swamps and low, wet, marshy grounds in 

 almost every part of the United States, preserving 

 the same appearance wherever found, produces honey 

 of the highest excellence. The honey gathered from 

 this shrub is of a very light straw color, of a thick, 

 heavy body and very excellent flavor. Bees thrive 

 and store honey very rapidly when they have access 

 to large quantities of these flowers. The time of 

 blooming varies with different localities, but it gen- 

 erally begins to put forth flowers about the first of 

 July, and continues for three or four weeks. 



In the Sacramento and some other valleys in Cali- 

 fornia, the cephalanthus abounds along streams of 



