BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
About 20 years ago I bought my first alsike-color, see, and sowed it alone on the south side of a hill. The season was dry, and it grew only about a foot high; and as it was said the first crop produced the seed, I cut it for seed and felt disappointed at getting so little that I was ready to pronounce it a humburg, and plover it up the same tall. Some years afterward I saw a bushel of seed at the Dane
him a better quality of hay when mixed with other elovers and timothy, and at the same time increase the annual honey crop of the bee-keeper. One or two years after the free giving of seed, the farmers will begin to find out its value, and will then want it and be willing to pay for it. Some bee-keepers then furnish it at half price.
So excellent is the quality of the hay that many farmers grow alsike year after year,
notwithstanding that red clover or peavine yields a larger tonnage, but not necessarily more milk or cheese-per aere. It is in such localities that an increase of the annual honey crops is noted.
Mr. Wm. McEvoy, one of the most extensive bee-keepers of Ontario, also foul-broed inspector there, finds it profitable to furnish seed to his neighbors. Hewrites in _Gleunings in Bee Culture_ for March 1st, Vol. XXXIV';
How can we secure more honey of tree best quality? Askere colour vs, alpha.
This is the all-important question, and I am well aware that nearly every one, if he answered, would say," By increasing and moving the bees to where they can gather honey from clover," This can be done: I will like increase of bees not lead to eroneishing on other bee-keepers' rights? It certainly will if the parties moving bees from place to place do not provide for their share of the pasture. Almost any locality can be made a good one by seeding down 20 acres each year for three years with sikke clover. I am going in for increasing, and starting out-appliers in places where no bees are kept, and will supply enough alike-clover is used down 20 acres each year for three years. It will cost me only about the price of 200 bis, of extracted honey each year; and for this little outlay I shall be immensely paid with a fine quality of the best honey, Woodburn, Ont., Cam., Feb. 12, 1995.
Following the practice of Mr. McEvoy, we have for several years been furnishing alsike clover seed to farmers at half price providing that the fields where it was to be soon were within half a mile of some one of our yards. We have also furnished it free to those who would sow it in fields within a few rods of the yards.
By continuing this policy we have enormously increased the alsike-clover acreage within half a mile of our yards. Our men observed that the amount of clover honey gathered has noticeably increased, and that less feeding of sugar syrup in the fall has been found necessary. After the alsike is once introduced it will keep on self-sowing, and, what is more, the farmers will discover that it will take root where the ordinary red clovers fail to make any satisfactory showing. Whenever the ground becomes "eloversick," or whenever there is any ground on which the ordinary red clovers do not seem to make a satisfactory growth, the alsike will usually do nicely. Farmers all over the country are beginning to learn the value of this forage-plant, particularly when sown with timothy.
After a few years it will not be necessary to furnish seed free and at half price, for the farmer will find the crop so valuable that he will pay full price for it; but he must be educated at first by giving him a bonus.
Winter-killing and its effect on the clovers.
There are two kinds of winter-killing. One is known as the "leaving-out" process, by which the alternate freezing and thawing of a water-soaked soil breaks the roots of the clovers, dismembering them until there seems to be butt little of them left. The other kind of winter-killing is from what might be called the dry process. In this the ground is frozen to a great depth, freezing the roots and plants solid. While it may thaw and freeze somewhat, it is claimed "that the severe cold wind blowing over the surface when the ground is not protected, if it continues for any length of time, will kill almost any clover." But on the other hand it is claimed that white clover suffers less from winter-killing than any of the clovers. Unlike the common red, peavine, and alsike, it has no great tap-root. It is essentially a vine like the strawberry, having shallow roots at frequent intervals shooting down into the ground for short distances. During the heaving process of winter-killing, the white clovers are lifted up and down, and apparently are but little harmed by the process except in cases where there is very severe cold without snow that attacks root and branch alike.
The effect of doubt and winter-snows on the clovers.
One authority says the drier it is in the fall, up to a certain limit, and the more prolonged, the more the root system is strengthened and the more it grows. If this drouth is followed by winter or spring rains, plants will grow amazingly.
Nearly all the writers agree that clover has freaks of yielding enormously some years and failing almost entirely in others. Some of them assert that a drouth in the fall is not burtful, but beneficial, providing _other conditions that follow_ are favorable. Others assert that a severe drouth in the fall is invariably followed by a failure of clover honey the following year, and there is considerable proof to support the statement. All acknowl
universal, while the yellow is seen only in occasional patches. The former is larger, stronger, and more thrifty than the yellow. The latter seems to be almost exactly the same thing, only that it is smaller, and the flowers yellow; but it has this distinct advantage, that it blooms two or three weeks earlier than the white variety.
quality of sweet-clover honey.
We have tasted a number of samples that came from localities where nothing but sweet clover is grown. While the color is of a slightly greenish cast, and the body good, the flavor is only fair. We should hardly consider it equal to ordinary white clover or alfalfa, yet a little of it in any honey improves the flavor. This flavor is due to an attribute known as _eomarin_, extracted from the sweet-clover plant, and used as a substitute for vanilla. Hence, when a small quantity of pure sweet-clover honey is put into other honey it gives a vanilla taste so highly prized by many.
Sweet clover is quite an important honeyplant in Utah. One of our subscribers, Mr. J. C. Swaner, has had considerable experience with this plant. In _Gleemings in Jice Culture_ for Jan. 1, Vol. XVII., he writes :
Sweet clover grows here along the waterness, most waste places, the roads, and in neglected fields. It grows from six inches to as many feet in height, according to the location, and is covered with an abundance of bloom from top to bottom, yielding in most seasons an abundance of nectar, which, after being gathered and stored, produces honey or the very best quality and color. It does not generally bloom the first year; but in the second it commences about the first of July, and keeps up a continual bloom until killed by frost furnishing been with pastrange, generally from the middle of July until the latter part of August.
Sweet clover is sometimes used for pasture, and also for making hay, if cut when young, but it is a long way behind alfalfa for that purpose. Though it is sometimes rebished by stock, very few would slow it for feeding. When eaten until green it is in a measure a cause of hoven, or short, in cows. If you wish good milk or butter you had better not feed it to mille cows, as it imparts a very disgreeable taste. Faton of by stock it soon recovers, producing an abundance of bloom for the bees.
As sweet clover is a biennial it is not a very hard weed to eradinate, and seldom troubles cultivated, fields, thought it does sometimes seed a field; and if such field is planted to grain the following season, it will come up, and is cut off only with the reaper. Next season, if the same field he neglected, it will quite likely be covered with sweet clover, and that, too, sometimes as high as your head. But where a field is cultivated as it should be for two seasons, the clover entirely disappears. The plant requires a little moisture in the soil the first year, but after that it will grow without. I consider it, for any route, a great deal better to see a readable lined with it than with sandowers, etc.
## 10.4 Colour.
Now, to sum up, sweet clover yields our main honey crop in this locality. It is our best honey; and I may say without boosting, it compares favorably with the finest grades known.
salt Lake City, Utah. J. C. Swaner,
## 10.4 Sweet Clover in Colorado.
It is remarkable that sweet clover can be made to grow where nothing else will take root. We have seen it on the alkali lands of Colorado and California--lands where nothing could exist, except, perhaps, a kind of alkali weed that is absolutely useless to either man or beast; and yet we hear how sweet clover is regarded as a noxious weed by State legislatures and township trustees. Even in Ohio, mayors are ordered to cut down along municipal roadsides all weeds, including sweet clover, and yet there is nothing so good as a soil-binder for loose lands as sweet clover. We should not be surprised if it were worth millions of dollars to railroad companies to prevent the washing away of embankments, for that is where it does best, on hard yellow clay or other soil where nothing else can grow and take root.
There are big dumps near Cleveland where refuse, einders, and slag of every sort are thrown; but we have noticed how sweet clover seems to find its way along the edges of these dumps, and it seems to be creeping all over, making the waste land productive of at least some good.
sweet clover for inoculation soil.
It has been clearly demonstrated by experiments conducted in several states that sweet clover is excellent for preparing soil which requires inoculating with bacteria before it will grow satisfactorily some of the well-known clovers, notably alfalfa, which frequently refuses to grow unless this is done.
The following letter by a practical farmer in the _Rural Nee-Yorker_ explains just how this is accomplished :
Inoculation for alfalfa.
At present I have about 15 acres of alfalfa, all of it seeded the first time, part inoculated when seeded. I have used soil from an old alfalfa-field, and that where sweet clover grows along the roadside, as it does everywhere in this locality when permitted, and I have thought I obtained the best results from the use of sweet-clover soil. I have seen sweet clover five-or six feet in height growing along the road on the hardest kind of subsoil two or three feet below the surface soil. I believe the bacteria on such sweet clover to be more vigorous as a nitrogen-gathecer than that obtained from alfalfa as it is usually grown. The proper time to apply the soil to the intended alfalfa-field is after the ground is allowed and leveled, before the seed is shown. I understand a bright sunshine will kill the bacteria. It should be shown on a cloudy day, and immediately cultivated in the ground, I have always sown the soil broadcast by hand, using a pair to carry dirt in. If I had to purchase the soil, I think 100 pounds might do, I see more if it can be readily obtained. If taken from an alfalfa-field I should want to know that the bacteria were well developed. The bacteria will not be present to any extent in alfalfa that is measured heavily enough to supply the nitrogen requirements of the plant. In one field of alfalfa I inoculated a strip about two nodes wide in the middle to find out the benefits of inoculation. The narrow strip has been a great contrast to the adjoining ground, and I am convinced that the yield was twice as great, of a better grade of lay than that which was not inoculated. There was a perfect stand on that inoculated. It was inoculated with sweet-clover soil. The held has been sown three years, and last year the yield was four tons per meter; and I believe that, if it had all been inoculated when seeded, it would have been at least six tons. There was not quite the difference this last year between that which was inoculated and that which was not, which proves it will inoculate itself in time. I have a 96 acre farm, 70 acres under plow, and sell on an average 150 hogs per year, besides lots of other stuff.
Land which, for some reason not easily explained, has become "clover sick," can be redeemed by the use of sweet clover by the same method. There may be exceptions to this, but, as a general statement, It is true, for there have been too many experiments to admit of doubt.
II. R. Boardman, in _Gleanngs_, Vol. XXII., writes of it as follows:
As a grage-plant,
I once supposed, as most people do now, that sweet clover was entirely worthless as a grage-plant for stock--that nothing would eat it; but I have demonstrated to my entire satisfaction that horses, cattle, and sheep, will notonly learn to eat it, but will thrive upon it, both in pasture and dried as hay, and that hops are fond of it in the green state. I say, they _learn_ to eat it, because most stock have to acquire a taste for it, not taking readily to it at first. I gave it a fair trial for pasture last summer. My horses and family cow fed upon it almost entirely during the dry part of the season. They became fat and sleck, without the help of grain or other feed. The milk and butter from the cow showed no objectionable flavor. The amount of feed furnished was something. It has a habit of continually throwing out or renewing its foliage and its bloom; also, when cut or fed back, it keeps constantly fresh.
East Townsend, O. H. R. Boardman.
It is now well established that cattle do _sometimes_ eat sweet clover green, although some consider it objectionable as pasturage. Prof. Tracy, of the Mississippi Agricultural College, and Prof. Charles E. Thorne, of the Ohio.Agricultural Experiment Staudenst, Wouster, speak highly of it as a hay plant, but say, as do others, that stock must _learn_ to eat it. Livingston's catalogue calls it "quite valuable for soiling." Its general character as a good honey-plant is well established, and it may be well worth while to give it a thorough test. On some alkali lands of the West it is the only plant that will live and thrive.
The following, by Alva Agee, editor of the _National Stockman and Former_, is striking testimony to the value of sweet clover as a soil-renovator. No two men are held in higher esteem by scientific farmers in this country than Alva Agee and F. E. Dawley, both very successful farmers on their own account.
Test sweet clover.
How many of our readers are going to test sweet clover as a soil-improver for thin land? This is a legume, making free use of the air's nitrogen and growing rank on land that is poor. Its value as a soil renovator certainly has not been appreciated. We should have more definite data on this subject. When the clover is cut early for hay, as is done in the case of alfalfa, the hay's nutritious and Hon. F. E. Dawley, of the New York institutes, who has grown it for many years as a cover crop in an orchard, says that this cattle like the hay after it has been sweated in the now. The ability of sweet clover to furnish a big amount of humus-making material to poor land is probably its most attractive point. There is prejudice against this plant because live stock does not prize it, as a rule, and it is a weed where not wanted, but I believe it will furnish more nitrogen and good humus to a very poor soil than any other plant we have, provided the sweet clover bac bacteria are present in the ground. In that respect it is like nifuffs and all other legumes.
Farners' Bulletin No. 18, of the general government, in speaking of the value of sweet clover on poor soils, says: "As a restorative crop for yellow loam and white line lands this plant has no superior, and for black prairie soils it has no equal."
_CRIMSON CLOVER._
(_Trotollin-m incarnatum_).
This species, if grown largely, would certainly have one special advantage over any of the other clovers, in that it comes into bloom before any other, and very soon after apple-blossoms; in fact, it fills the gap between apple-bloon and white clover. The color of the bloom is quite distinct from that of the common red clover; in fact, it looks more like a great long tapering strawberry than any thing else. Almost every season, while ours is in bloom, people stop their teams to look at it and inquire about it; and on Decoration day sometimes they come for miles just to get huge bouquets of these great crimson blossoms that almost shuttle one by their beauty and brightness. In visiting other bee-keepers where they have succeeded in growing it, we found a similar report; and one who has never seen an area of crimson clover in bloom can scarcely comprehend the beauty, not only of its gorgeous blossoms, but by the beautiful clean bright-green foliage that distinguishes it, as well as the colors of the blossoms, from any other plant.
While this variety is not exactly new, the idea that it can be sown during July or August, and yet winter over as far north as the State of Ohio, is a comparatively new discovery. In States south of the Ohio River it may be sown in September, October, and even November. In our locality we obtain excellent results by sowing it the same time we do buckwheat (for particulars see Buckwh at); or it may be sown with all sorts of garden crops, especially those that are to come off soon, all through the months of July and August. With very favorable full weather it may succeed, or partially succeed, through the month of September. Some of our best crops have been secured by broadcasting it among early corn, just before it is cultivated the last time. If you want to raise some nice turnings, without any addittona1 expense, mix thoroughly an ounce of turnip seed with 5 pounds of crimson clover before the dover is sown. In sowning it among corn, as mentioned above, we use a broad-cast seed-sower, the operator sitting on the back of a horse so as to get him above the tops of the corn.
sowing crimson clover in the spring.
As the clover is a hardy cold - weather plant, sowing it in the spring is not, so far as we can learn, a success. The trouble is, when put in in the spring, even if put in quite early, the blooming time is quite apt to come just when the weather is hot and July and even August, it sometimes makes it, and a drowth is almost sure to cause an excellent crop. When sown as above,it naturally makes a large amount of feed, equal to any of the clovers; and some of our experiment stutions have estimated that a good stand plowed under while in blom is equivalent to ten tons per aere of the best stable manure.
As it comes in bloom a little before any of the other clovers (when wintered over), it may be plowed under for almost any crop. On our grounds we saw regularly four or five acres each year, and have had no failure. It is no more than fair to state, however, that in our locality, the northern part of Ohio, there have been many failures. In fact, one of our standard writers on agriculture says thousands of dollars have been wasted by farmers trying to grow crimson clover. The reason of our success is, we think, first, our ground is all thoroughly underdrained; second, it has had large amounts of stable manure, and is comparatively rich. The best stand we ever had, we think, was in the spring of 1899. We had several acres of wheat last year that lodged badly. The consequence was, enough wheat ratlted out and was left on the ground to make pretty thorough seeding. This wheat grew up the fall so rank as to fall down before winter. Well, the crimson clover was sown right on the wheat stubble in August; and when the wheat fell over, the clover pushed up through and was thus well matched through the winter. The consequence is, we have at the present writing, April 25, a tremendous growth of clover and wheat together. This we propose to turn under as soon as the clover is in full bloom--say the middle or latter part of May. We have grown excellent crops of potatoes on crimson clover turned under in this way, for several years past; and, in fact, we have secured a splendid stand of crimson clover by sowing it after potatoes were dug that were planted comparatively early. One year we sowed crimson clover as fast as the potatoes were got out of the ground; that is, as fast as we dug fifteen or twenty rows we worked up the ground with a customary and acme harrow, and sowed the clover. The first put in (in \(\Lambda\)ugust) wintered splendibly. That put in along the fore part of September did fairly; but where we did not get the seed in until the list of September or fore part of October, it was mostly a failure. Perhaps one other reason why we succeeded is that our seed of late years has been of our own growing. It is in easy matter to grow seed; and where it is worth only $2.50 a bushel, the present price, we think the seed can be grown profitably in our locality--that is, on good ground with the conditions mentioned.
QUALITY of crimson-clover honey.
The quality of the honey from crimson clover ranks fairly with that of any of the clovers. Some have called it superior. There has not been enough of it in our locality to make a perectible difference in the honey-yield; but when in bloom there are as many bees on the same area as we ever saw, even in a buekwheat-field. As we plow it under while in full bloom, the bees are gradually erowled down to the last beads standing; and after the last head goes under, for some time there will be quite a lot of bees swimming over the ground, apparently wondering what has become of their abundant pasture in so short a space of time. We have as yet had no reports, to our knowledge, from hundreds of acres or more in blosson at the same time, as is often the case with alfalfa, white clover, and sometimes red clover. A fair-sized apiary needs many acres of _any_ plant to give a good yield of honey.
Another great advantage 11 has over almost every thing else for poultry is that it is green and luxphant through the winter when almost every other plant is killed by the frost. 1f you want to give your poultry green feed, with but little trouble, get in crimson clover as soon as a crop is harvested.
_SAINFOIN CLOVER_ (_Onobychis sativa_).
This excellent farm crop, has been grown for ages in Europe, and at the present day is raised very extensively, more particularly in England, France, and Belgium, where it is a standby. The name "sanfoin" literally means _healthy hony_, presumably because it does not bloat animals to which it is fed. It certainly makes fine hay--possibly the very best known. It also produces choice honey in liberal quantity--the honey almost identical with white-clover honey. Grown and cultivated very much as alfalfa is with ns it has this difference--it is not suited to a semi-arid country. It has been grown quite successfully at the Ottawa, Ontario, experiment station, and throughout all Ontario, sainfoin does not yield as much hay as alfalfa, being finer in the vine, and not so tall. It commences to bloom shortly after fruit-blossoms fall, and stays in bloom long enough to allow bees ample time to gather a crop. The blossoms do not come all together, but in succession, hence it is not practical to cut it just before blooming time, as is now done with alfalfa. It would seem to be a grand crop for those who raise fruit-blossoms fall, and stays in bloom long enough to allow the bees ample time to gather a crop. The blossoms do not come all together, but in a succession, hence it would not be practical to cut just before blooming, as is now done with alfalfa. It would seem to be a grand crop for those who raise fine horses and cattle, also poultrymen who feed cut clover. It is not likely it will ever yield so large a crop as alfalfa, but in every other respect it is probably superior.
\(PIN\) _Clover_, _OR ALFLIARIA_.