DiAKY OP HONEY PLANTS. 173 



tiiree feet high, — a rod above the plant capped by a bunch of yellow 

 flowers. It blooms in September, and in some sections furnishes an im- 

 portant part of winter stores for bees. In many places both the Golden 

 Bod and the Asters abound, and as they blossom at the same time the 

 honey is apt to be mixed. The Aster yields a lighter colored honey than 

 the Golden Bod, when the weather is such as to secrete it rapidly. 

 Few apiarians are aware of the immense quantities of honey which 

 may be obtained from, the Aster, because hives are generally filled with 

 honey for winter, and the bees are not stimulated to active effort, and 

 bees at this season are loth to build comb in boxes for storing it. 



Since the introduction of comb-foundation great amounts of Aster 

 honey may be gotten from the broodnest, by the use of the extractor. 

 So soon as the harvest opens, remove all the sealed combs, and fill their 

 places with sheets of comb-foundation. The bees are stimulated to tho 

 intensest activity. Every few days the honey should be extracted. 

 Yifhen the harvest is over remove these new frames, to be kept for build- 

 ing up in Spring, and return the fall combs for winter. It was from 

 the white aster that Rev. J. W. Shearer secured, in Tennessee, such a 

 yield in 1874. He commenced with one swarm, as reported in the 

 Magazine at the time, and in September and October extracted near 

 five hundred pounds of aster honey, from five colonies, to which they 

 had been increased during the summer, besides leaving a full winter 

 supply in each of the five hives. With improved methods of securing 

 this honey, it should receive more attention wherever this flower abounds . 

 In the Fall the fields are white with the aster throngh many parts of the 

 Eastern and Middle States. There are many varieties of aster called 

 popularly by different names "Iron "Weed," "Farewell Summer," 

 "Bag-weed," " Stickweed, " &c. in different regions. The Blue Aster 

 is not so common, but is asgood a honey plant. 



