G. M. Doolittle writes from Borodino, NY -- in 1882:

I believe I know from what my bees get pollen of the various colors
... In this locality, the first pollen comes from skunk cabbage, and
is of a bright yellow. The next, and immediately after, is from
"pople," as it is called here ... The color of this pollen is black
... The blossom is quite similar to that of the pussy willow, except
that, while the willow blossom stands upright, the blossom of the
pople is drooping, and sways back in forth in the wind. The
pollen-spikes are also black, while those of the willow are yellow.
Next comes the pollen from the pussy-willow, which is an
orange-yellow color. These are the three earliest kinds; but before
the pople and willow fall, soft-maple and elm take the attention of
the bees.

Right here I shall have to disagree with friend Root, for he says, "I
should say the yellow pollen came from  soft-maples." I have watched
bees many times at work on soft-maple, and they invariably gathered a
light-pink pollen while they were at work thereon. Elm, both of the
swamp, the white, and the slippery kind, all furnish abundance of
pollen, all of which are different shades of green -- that from the
swamp elm being so light that it might be termed yellow by the casual
observer. Next comes the hard-maple, which gives an abundance of
pollen of a lemon-yellow color. Following this comes, dandelion, wild
grape, etc., till our interest is lost in pollen by seeing the combs
growing white with newly secreted wax used in lengthening out the
cells to store honey that is now coming in.

["pople", or "popple", is poplar -- includes aspen. Our writer
certainly is a careful observer! pb]

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