“The honey flow from the bloom of Lima bean follows so closely the flow from the mountain sages that bees must be moved hastily to the bean fields. It is better to move the bees a couple of weeks before the bean flow begins; but I have moved colonies about ten miles and had them fill up in six days with water-white honey. As a rule, bees should be moved to the bean fields from July 1 to 10 — the earlier the better. Sage bloom ends usually between June 20 and the first of July, but in wet seasons it may continue longer. With sufficient rainfall and favorable weather I have secured from 40 to 140 pounds per colony of choice Lima bean honey. If it has been properly ripened, extracted Lima bean honey compares favorably with the white clover honey of the eastern states. It is water-white, delicious in flavor, and excellent when candied. It absorbs moisture much more than any other honey, and must be extracted as soon as it is completely capped over and ripened or otherwise it loses its fine flavor. Extra-strong colonies are required to ripen this honey thoroughly. Weak colonies can not do this as well, unless the hive space is contracted proportionately to the strength of the colony. Even then strong colonies give the best results, as near the coast the heavy ocean fogs are very penetrating. The honey can be ripened much better farther inland where the air is dryer. A number of beekeepers extract Lima bean honey when it is only partially capped over, and then it ferments.

“Honeybees are believed to he a great benefit in the pollination of Lima bean bloom. A ranchman, to whose bean fields I moved a large number of colonies, declared that he harvested a much heavier crop of beans from the vines in the vicinity of my bees than elsewhere.”

LINDEN. — See Basswood.

LOCUST, BLACK (Robinia Pseudo-Acacia). — This is one of the finest honey trees of the eastern and southern states. It belongs to the great family of the Leguminosae, which includes many of the best honey plants, as the clovers, Acacias, and locusts. It is a native of the mountains from Pennsylvania to Georgia, and westward to Missouri and Arkansas; but it has become extensively naturalized in Canada, New England, and the eastern states. Large plantations of it have been made for timber. The wood is hard and very durable, and is much used for posts. There is a saying that stone will crumble before locust will rot. The tree grows to great size, and is long-lived except when attacked by borers. It spreads rapidly by sprouts rising from the roots, which run for long distances near the surface of the ground. When the trees are cut, or killed by borers, the roots send up a great many sprouts, which grow very rapidly and flower within two or three years. See Honey Locust.

The white fragrant flowers resemble pea-blossoms, but are in pendent clusters like those of Wisteria. The tree blossoms in May or June, remains in bloom for about ten days, and yields a large amount of water-white honey of heavy body and mild flavor. It is, however, an unreliable yielder, not blooming at all in some seasons, and in others the bloom secreting nectar very sparingly. The black locust is reported to yield a surplus in Sacramento and Marin counties, California. In many localities it is becoming more abundant. Also called white locust, red locust, yellow locust, green locust, false acacia, post locust, and locust tree. (Fig. 67.)

LOGWOOD (Haematoxylon campechianum). — A tree common in the West Indies and Central America. There are large areas in the tropics where this tree is the predominating growth. It yields an almost water-white, heavy honey, with a pleasant flavor and the fragrance of the bloom. In Jamaica, logwood is the principal source of honey and one of the heaviest yielders of honey in the world. Logwood usually blooms twice, once in November and again about Christmas time. The earlier flow is usually light, and the honey is mixed with that from other plants in bloom at the same time. This early flow is chiefly valuable for increasing the number of bees. The second flow, which begins about Christmas time, may last through January. With strong colonies and sufficient rain a large surplus has been secured — in one instance 500 pounds from a single colony. But continuous dry weather