W

HEN sage is mentioned, we of the east are likely to think of the common garden sage, Salvia officinalis, which for at least three centuries has been cultivated for its aromatic leaves. Of this there are several varieties, some with broad and some with narrow leaves. The garden sages are good honey plants, but seldom sufficiently abundant to amount to much as honey producers. The honey from the garden sage is said to be nice and white like that from catnip or motherwort.

The name sage is derived from its supposed power to make people wise by strengthening the memory, for which it was used in ancient medicine.

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There are upwards of five hundred species of sages, widely distributed in the temperate and warmer regions of both hemispheres. Probably most of the species yield honey, although but few are known to be important. Rayment mentions the wild sage, Salvia verbenaca, as introduced into Australia from Europe, but yielding honey during the dry months of the year. (Money in Bees in Australasia). There are more than two hundred species known to occur in Mexico and Central America and it is very probable that when beekeeping is developed on a commercial scale in those countries that the sages will be found to be very important honey plants.

Since practically all sage honey that goes to market in America is from California, the sages from that State are of first importance. Sage is known to occur in other western States and the question is sometimes asked whether any honey is secured from this source elsewhere. In answer to this question Mr. J. E. Miller, of Caldwell, Idaho, writes, in

3

By Frank C. Pellett

Gleanings in Bee Culture (Sept. 15, 1908), as follows:

"My neighbor, Mr. Garfield, experimented with one colony of bees by taking it eight or nine miles away from alfalfa or other cultivated fields, and setting it among the white sage. He went out to look after it every week and took fresh water. We do not know the exact amount of honey the bees gathered, but they did fully as well as those left at home near the alfalfa.. The honey was of that water white color peculiar to California sage honey. Mr. Garfield sent samples to Califor

THE HYBRID SAGE OF CALIFORNIA. (Photograph by Homer Mathewson.)

nia and it was pronounced A 1 white sage; so we are convinced that the white sage of South Idaho does yield just as much and just as good honey as that of any other State."

It is probable that one or more species of sage occur in nearly every State, but they increase in abundance westward. In the arid country west of the Missouri river they become sufficiently common so that an appreciable amount of honey might be expected in many localities. It is quite likely that sage honey in small amounts is mixed with honey from other sources, and so not detected, in many localities outside of California. The fact remains, nevertheless, that sage, as an important source of surplus, is not reported outside of that State.

The quality of sage honey is of the best, being water white in color, of a heavy body and delightful flavor. Since it does not granulate, it is much sought for by bottlers in the east, who blend it with clover or alfalfa. There are many who regard sage honey as the finest in the market. In this connection A. I. Root in an early edition of his A B C of Bee Culture, wrote:

"I well remember the first taste I had of the mountain sage honey. Mr. Langstroth was visiting me at the time, and his exclamations were much like my own, only that he declared that it was almost identical in flavor with the famed honey of Hymettus, of which we had received a sample some years ago. Well, this honey of Hymettus, which has been celebrated both in prose and poetry for ages past, was gathered from the mountain thyme, and the botany tells us that thyme and sage are closely related."

Although there are several species of sage which yield honey in California the quality does not differ materially, as far as can be ascertained from printed reports. It is all described as "water-white, unexcelled flavor, of heavy body and does not granulate."

Prof. A. J. Cook wrote to the

American Bee Journal (June 21, 1906) concerning the sage as follows:

"Chief among the honey-bearing mints are the incomparable sages of California. These are not excelled even by the clovers or linden. The honey is white, delicate of flavor, and must ever rank among the best in appearance and quality. Not only this, but the quantity is often phenomenal. This comes from the fact that flowers are borne in long racemes or compact heads, and as the separated flowerets do not bloom all at once, but in succession, the plants are in bloom for weeks. The sages, then, are marvelous honey producers, first, because of the generous secretions of each floweret, and second, because of the immense number of these flowerets and the long period of loom."

At another time Mr. Cook wrote that the honey from all the sages is so much alike that it would be indistinguishable. (American Bee Journal, Aug. 3, 1905).

Richter, in his Honey Plants of California, speaks of the white sage, Salvia apiana, Jep., as "very common on the dry plains toward the foothills, and ascending these to about 3,000 feet."

Writing in Gleanings in Bee Culture, P. C. Chadwick describes a journey which he made in the San Bernardino mountains with the intent to find out the highest elevation at which bloom could be found in sufficient quantities to support bees. Up to an elevation of 7,000 feet he found white sage in abundance, and all alive with bees. (Western Honey Bee, Sept., 1914.) Richter gives its range as common from Santa Barbara county southward, blooming from April to July. "As abundant as the black sage, but not as good a yielder, nor has the honey as fine a flavor."

Black sage, Salvia mellifera Greene, also known as ball sage, or button sage, is generally credited as being the principal source of sage honey, most of the honey which goes to market under name of white sage, being produced from this plant. Quite probably it is the best honey plant on the Pacific Coast. Richter says of it: "As a general rule every fifth year an excellent crop is obtained, and every third or fourth year a total failure is experienced, the flow being dependent upon winter rains, with warm spring quite free from cold winds and fog. When in bloom a certain amount of warm weather is required before it produces nectar."

The range of black sage is given as "Mt. Diablo, Los Trampas Ridge, near Hayward, San Mateo county, Glenwood and Brieta, southward to Southern California. April-May.' Jepson. "Coast ranges and ascending to 5,000 feet in the San Bernardino mountains. March to June. San Diego County, February to May."

Mr. J. E. Pleasants, of Orange, California, writing in American Bee Journal (June, 1914), describes the peculiarities of the sages, as follows:

years it produces a good harvest, others very light.

"The silver, or purple sage, which has silvery leaves and brilliant light purple blossoms, is usually a good producer, but is much restricted as to locality."

The purpie sage Salvia leucophylla, also called white-leaved sage, or silver sage, is reported as a good yielder, although not as abundant as either of the foregoing species. The Richter catalogue gives the range as occasional in the foothills of the Santa Monica and San Fernando mountains, April to July, and from San Luis Obispo to San Diego counties and not extending inland beyond the coast ranges.

Salvia amabilis, loving sage, is reported from Santa Barbara MarchJune, but probably not important.

Salvia carduacea, thistle or annual sage. "Inner coast range valleys, and throughout the San Joaquin valley, Southern California, June." Jepson. "A well-known honey plant." Richter. Salvia columbariae, annual sage.

"Throughout the coast ranges, Sierra Nevada and Southern California, on hill and mountain slopes." Jepson.

Salvia sonomensis,, Greene, creeping sage. "Montana species at middle altitudes. Ramona mountains west of Calistoga, Mt. Shasta, Calaveras and Mariposa counties, San Diego County. May." Jepson. "Also June, Sierra foothills from Sierra to Inyo counties, main source of honey in many districts." Richter

Concerning the regularity of yield from sage, Mr. P. C. Chadwick wrote in Gleanings in Bee Culture (Jan. 1, 1911), as follows:

"South of the Tehachapi Mountains lies practically the entire sage of our State, notwithstanding eastern people and many of our westerners term every form of small growth on the vast slopes of the Rocky Mountains 'sage brush.' There is no denying that the button (or black) sage is, of all honey plants, our chief surplus producer. Neither does it average a crop more often than every other year, regardless of rainfall; for it seems neces sary, from its semi-arid nature, to be dried out or rested before it comes back to its prime yielding condition. I have seen it return

some surplus for three consecutive seasons; but the middle season was not what could be considered a crop, even after a sufficient rainfall."

Again he writes to the same journal to the effect that the sage ranges soon give place to other crops (Dec. 15, 1911):

"If I should predict that thirty years hence the sage ranges of California would be almost a thing of the past there would doubtless be criticism of my views; but I firmly believe that we shall face uch a condition, for emigration to this part of California is increasing rapidly Hillsides are yielding to the plow, where twenty years ago it would have been thought almost impossible.'

Some writers give two hundred pounds per colony as a fair average in a good sage year, so that with even one good year in three it comes well up with the yield of many plants more constant in their production.

It is through the kindness of Mr. Homer Mathewson, of Kentucky, that we are able to present to our readers

1 "Bee Bayou," in Louisiana.

1 "Bee Branch," in Arkansas.

1 "Bee Camp," in Indiana. 1 "Bee Cave," in Texas.

3 "Bee Creek," in Illinois, Missouri and Texas.

1 "Bee Fork," in Missouri.

1. "Bee Grove," in Indiana.

1 "Beegum," in California.

4 "Beehive," in Alabama, Colorado, Georgia and Montana.

1 "Beehive Crossing," in New York. 1 "Bee House," in Texas.

1 "Bee Hunter," in Indiana. 1 "Beelake," in Mississippi. 1 "Bee Lick," in Kentucky.

1 "Bee Log," in North Carolina. 1 "Bee Ridge," in Florida."

1 "Bee Spring," in Kentucky. 1 "Beetown," in Wisconsin.

2 "Bee Tree," in Maryland and North Carolina.

2 "Beeville," in Tennessee and Texas.

1 "Drone," in Georgia.

2 "Honey," in North Carolina and Washington.

1 "Honey Bee," in Kentucky.

1 "Honey Bend," in Illinois.

2 "Honey Brook," in Pennsylvania.

1 "Honey Camp," in Virginia.

7 "Honey Creek," in Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

2 "Honeycutt," in North Carolina and Tennessee.

1 "Honey Ford," in North Dakota. 3 "Honey Grove," in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Texas.

1 "Honeyhill," in South Carolina. 3 "Honey Island," in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

1 "Honey Landing," in Alabama.

1 "Honey Pod," in North Carolina.

1 "Honeymans," in Oregon.

1 "Honeymans Spur," in Oregon.

1 "Honey Pot," in Pennsylvania.

1 "Honey Springs," in Texas.

2 "Honeyville," in Utah and Virginia.

2 "Wax," in Georgia and Kentucky.

Most of these names were very probably given to the locations which bear them because of the finding of bees in the vicinity. The honeybee is said to have settled ahead of the white man throughout this country, since the Indians called her "the white man's fly." Over half of the names are located in the Dixie region or Southern States, showing that nature spread the bees more promptly and lavishly in the warm countries.

The evidence that, in most cases, names were given after the things found, unless they were given after the original homes of the settlers, is very apparent in the Indian names of localities, according to the tribes that occupied them. No. Piscataquis, except in Maine; no Mishicott outside of Wisconsin; Petoskey indicates only Michigan; Minnetonka is found nowhere but in Minnesota; no Bayou Goula out of Louisiana; no Snohomish except in Washington; no Tamalpais out of California; no Apalachicola except in Florida.

There are a number of Londons, a number of small Paris, Berlins, Viennas, 33 Washingtons. So both great men and great cities have been patrons of our new cities.

Names of bees and of their products exist but little in other countries as names of places or cities. We find one "Beeton" in Canada (given by the famous D. A. Jones), one "Abejar" in Spain, one "Honeybourne" in England. The long list of names found in the United States evidently indicates the thrift of bees in this country.

Bibliography---Sacbrood

TH

HIS is the title of Bulletin No. 431 of the United States. Department of Agriculture, mentioned on page 155 of our May issue. Dr. White is the scientist who has the credit of at last placing the description of the two diseases named foulbrood on a positive scientific basis. He isolated "bacillus larvae" and cultivated it so as to prove that the same disease could be reproduced by its spores. He did similar work on "bacillus pluton." These two diseases are popularly named "American foulbrood" 'and "European foulbrood."

Dr. White now gives us a similar basis in regard to what has been called "pickled brood," under the

name selected by him of "sacbrood." He gave this name because in that disease the body wall of the larva which has died of the disease toughens, permitting the easy removal of the remains intact from the cell, as in a sack. Dr. White avers that the name "pickled brood" is incorrect in speaking of this disease.

The brood that dies of sacbrood, with but few exceptions, dies in capped cells, when the larva is stretched in the cell, preceding the change to pupa. It turns slightly yellow, which in a few days changes to brown. If the dead larva is not removed, its surface becomes wrinkled by evaporation and it finally forms a scale. This is never at any time adherent to the cell wall.

In the first stages of the disease, if larvæ are crushed, suspended in syrup and fed to healthy bees, a large amount of the sacbrood is readily produced. But as the larva dries, its capacity for infection lessens, until in the last stages it shows no evidence of being infectious, when fed to bees.

The dried scales of sacbrood in the last stage have often been compared in appearance to the end of a Chinaman's shoe. This description, we be

FIG. 1.-End view of Healthy in normal position in cell. turned aside with forceps. 8 diameters. (Original.)

Worker Larva Cap torn and Enlarged about

FIG. 2. Looking into a cell containing larva dead of sacbrood. (Original.)

lieve, was first given by N. E. France, the well-known Wisconsin bee inspector, who called it as others did, "pickled brood."

The point of heat at which sacbrood is neutralized is of importance and interest to beekeepers. Dr. White found the following degrees of heating to destroy the virus of the disease:

When suspended in water, 136 degrees or over.

When suspended in glycerine, 163 degrees or over.

When suspended in honey, 158 degrees or over.

In a drying room, time 22 days, sacbrood also lost its virus.

When kept in honey, it produced no disease after 31 days. So it is safe to say that sacbrood loses its danger after a month.

FIG. 3.-Third stage. Dorsal view of anterior third of larva dead of sacbrood.

(Original.)