Bee botany and entomology
I send you a package of flowers that grow in
our garden. The bees work on them much. Can
you tell me what they are, and whether they are
worth cultivating for bees to work on?
LEWIS T. COLBY.
Enfield Center, New Hampshire, Aug. 5, 1878.
The specimen sent is Veronica Spicata, a tall perennial from Europe. It is one sort of Speedwell, of
which we have about a dozen species. Bees like the
flowers of all.
At Lansing, we have a good deal of Veronica Virginica, or Culver's Physic.
The plant sent is sometimes raised for ornament.
W. J. BEAL.
Agricultural College, Lansing, Mich.

MINTS.
Enclosed I send the blossom of a plant; can you
give its true name, and inform me whether bees
gather large quantities of honey from it? My bees
go about 1-1/2 miles for it, and seems extremely busy
on it from 10 A. M. until sundown.
This year is my first with the fdn. comb. I would
not be without it. The comb machine I got of you
has more than paid for itself in making up wax for
others in this section. W. H. STEWART.
Orion, Wis., Aug. 23d. 1878.
P. S. This plant thrives only on the poorest sandy barrens. S.

Answer, by Prof. W. J. Beal, Mich. Agricul. College.
This is Monarda Bradburiana, one of the horse
mints or bergamonts, all of which, I have no reason
to doubt, are good for honey. I have never known
a plant of the mint family which bees did not like.
We have about eighty species of mints in the region
to the north and east of Kentucky and the Mississippi and many more to the west. Among those of-
ten sent me are Teucrium Canadensc, Germander.
Lycopus, (two species), Pycnanthamum (2 or 3 species).
Thyme, Summer Savory, Calamintha, Balm, Cullinoia or horse balm, Sago, three species of Monarda,
Catnip, Scutellaria (2 or more species), Stachys or
bedge-nettle, and Motherwort.
As to the quantity of honey made by any of these,
I know nothing.

ASTERS.
J. Chapman, Home, Mich., sends a piece of one of
our common asters. There are, east of the Mississippi, in the United Sates, about 60 species of asters,
all good for bees. They look a good deal alike-
There are several species which closely resemble
this one sent me now. It is probably Aster miser, a
very common species and one extensively variable;
I have not a complete specimen now. Asters and
golden rods are two leading genera of our antum
wild plants.  W. J. BEAL
Lansing, Mich., Aug. 12th, 1878.

CLEOME OR ROCKY MOUNTAIN BEE-PLANT.
J. A. Simpson, of Warren Co., Ills., sends me
Cleome integrifolia, which is sometimes also called
Rocky Mountain Bee-Plant. Cleome is the best
name for it ; this is short and easy. He requests an
answer in GLEANINGS.  W. J. BEAL
Lansing, Mich., Sep,, 22d, 1878.