166 SOUR-WOOD, OB SOEKEL TEEE. 



laurel in appearance. The tree is covered with these little cups, which 

 are so rich in honey that it is pleasant to suck the honey from the blos- 

 soms. Rev. J. "W. Shearer tells us that he has often, -whilst riding along 

 the road, broken off bunches of the blossoms and sucked them, to get 

 the refreshing honey, or shaken the honey from their cups into his hand 

 and eaten it. He declares it to be in flavor and appearance superior to 

 any honey with which he is acquainted. It is a slow growth, and the 

 wood is hard and firm. The general growth of the tree is somewhat like 

 the dog-wood. 



In addition to the above mentioned shrubs, and trees there are many 

 which produce much honey in different parts of our broad and diversi- 

 fied land. The first place must be given to basswood and sour-wood, 

 among honey producing trees, and these followed by the magnolias, 

 orange, lemon, locust, maple, the poplar or tulip tree, white-wood, red- 

 wood, fruit trees of all kinds, the persimmon, the button-wood, the 

 butter bush, chestnut, the Judas tree, black gum, mezquith, and 

 many others. 



SHEXJBS — B ASPBEBBIE S , 



First among shrubs stands the raspberry, and of these the red rasp- 

 berry is the best for honey . In the South the androm«das ef different 

 kinds, known by various names as " heath worths, " "bee meadow," and 

 "leather leaf," are more profitable for honey. 



THE SUMAC 



yields an abundance of good honey wherever it is found. There are in 

 some sections two varieties— the early and the late. Both are shrubs 

 growing from five to fifteen feet high. The early variety has red berries 

 when ripe, and the late, yellow berries. The early sumac begins to 



