294 AUSTRALASIAN 
Giant mignonette (Fig. 139) is another grand bee plant. All 
the mignonettes are good for bees, and handsome as garden 
plants. The giant variety has not the sweet scent of the 
smaller and common kind, but the flowers are exactly similar 
in appearance. I have had it in blossom for seven successive 
months, and during the whole of this time it was continually 
visited by bees, even when clover was at its best. 
DURATION _OF THE HONEY SEASON. 
From what has been already said under the heads of 
“Climate” and of “Native Flora,” both in this and in the 
Fig. 188.—MELLILOT CLOVER (Melilotus). 
first chapter, it will readily be seen that within the range of 
New Zealand and Australia there must be considerable dif- 
ferences in the time of commencement, and in the duration of 
the so-called honey season, or that in which the apiarist expects 
to take his crop of surplus honey. This is one of the points 
deserving of the most particular consideration, as the judicious 
bee-keeper will have to regulate many of his operations in 
accordance with the peculiar circumstances of his district in 
this respect, in order to obtain the best general results, and to 
crade his honey according to the sources of supply which pre- 
dominate during different portions of the honey season. I 
shall here add only a few observations with reference to my 
