the famous honey of Hymettus, which is made from thyme.
The horse-mint is a very important honey-plant of the lower Mississippi Valley and of Texas. Its corolla tubes are so long that only the Italians and other long-tongued bees can get its honey. Catnip, motherwort and gill-over-the-ground and gall-berry all furnish an abundance of nectar.
The blue thistle emigrated to Virginia in colonial times, and now covers with a heavenly blue thousands of acres of the desolate, uncultivated, red Virginia soil. It is a great boon to the bees of the region, as its blossoms creep slowly up its stalks, thus affording nectar for many weeks. It is related to borage, which is another good honey-plant.
Spider flower (Cleome fungens), the Rocky Mountain bee-plant (Cleome integrifolia), and figwort (Scrofularia venalis) have all been planted by bee-keepers in their honey-gardens, because they give such a great amount of honey per plant.
During September and early October the bees work busily on the various species of goldenrod and asters, and gather from them a considerable amount of honey, which is rich in colour and taste. The two common species of Impatiens also give the bees good fall pasturage.
Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) comes wherever forests have been cleared and burned off. It blooms late and yields a fine quality of honey. The unlovely Spanish needle (Coreopsis) also gives much honey. The milkweed yields good honey, yet it
