20 
THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 
certainly is deserving of a place in the list. About two years 
ago, we mentioned the fact that it was an evergreen, and 
almost an everflowering shrub or small tree in this State. 
Our tree has been almost constantly in bloom since that time. 
We do not think that there has been a month at any time 
that there have not been flowers on it. Of course, it blooms 
more freely early in the spring, and is at this time covered 
with bloom. One tree is trained to a single trunk, which 
is 14 inches in circumference, three feet from the ground, 
and 15 to 18 feet high. It would often have ripe berries, 
green ones and flowers at the same time if there were no 
birds. But the latter pick the berries as fast as they color. 
Try an Elder, you will not regret it. 
Vegetables in Alaska. — All plants have their limits 
as to temperature. There is a maximum and minimum 
for each species beyond which it cannot go. Some of our 
northern plants do not grow well in the tropics, because it 
is too warm ; other plants will not grow in the north, because 
it is too cold. As far north as Alaska most of our common 
garden vegetables can be grown near the coast, but com, 
melons, peppers, egg-plant, tomatoes and pumpkins show 
their tropical origin by declining to ripen in such a climate. 
Bees. — Many a botanist, who knows that bees assist in 
pollinating the flowers has but a hazy idea of the number 
of kinds engaged in the w^ork. The bumble-bee and the 
honey-bee are commonly supposed to be the only ones. The 
fact is, however that there are nearly five thousand kinds 
of wild bees, big and little, most of them living solitary 
lives instead of in colonies as our honey-bees do. A single 
days collection will bring a dozen or more kinds. These 
solitary species do not lay up a store of honey, but always 
leave enough food in the shape of pollen and nectar with 
the eggs to suflice until the young bee can forage for itself. 
According to a writer in Harper's Magazine, certain bees, 
