Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1893-10-12
PLANTING For HonEY.
Result of Experiments Conducted mt Lam
sing, Mich.

Result of Experiments Conducted ut Lam
sing, Mich.
The following is from the special re-
port of j. Fl. Larrabee to the depart
ment of agriculture, Washington. The
experiments were conducted at Lansing,
Mich:
There were in bloom at this station
this season three acres of sweet clover
(Melllotus alba1, sown In June, 1891.
1t was sown upon rather poor clay soil,
came through the winter in good con-
dition. 1t began to bloom July and
continued in bloom till the goth of
September. The period of greatest
bloom and honey secretion was from
July 20 to September l. It grew rapid
ly and was very rank, reaching a
height of about six feet. The amount
of bloom was great and the bees were
continually busy upon it, yet during
the period from July "a to August 10,
while 1t was in full bloom and while
all other natural sources were absent,
no honey of any appreciable extent
was gathered and the hive upon scale
lost in weight. Probably some honey
was obtained during the season from
this sweet clover, but in such limited
quantities as to make any estimate of
the value of the plant as honey pro-
ducer impossible. At the present time
the ground is covered with brush, SO
that labor will be necessary in clearing
the land before blowing can be done.
With the idea of obtaining an opin-
ion of the value of sweet clover as a
silage plant, an alcohol barrel was
filed with cut stalks, solidly packed
and sealed alright. This was done on
July ii, just as the clover was getting
fairly into bloom and while the stalks
were yet tender and nutritious. On
September % the barrel was opened
and the ensilage was fed. A horse that
had previously eaten corn silage ate it
very readily, but another horse and a
cow that had never eaten silage would
not touch it. Several experts upon the
subject pronounced it excellent. There
is no doubt but that it would be a very
desirable plant for the purpose If the
feeding value per acre could be made
equal to that of corn. An estimate
made from the amount cut for silage
gave between six and seven tons per
acre. Although its feeding value may
be much higher than that of corn, it is
still doubtful if it will pay to use it for
this purpose alone, from the above esti-
mate.
In concluding these experiments in
planting for honey carried on by Prof.
Cook and now concluded for the pres
ent, desire to say that no results have
been obtained with any plant sown or
planted for honey alone that will war
rant the beekeeper in expanding money
and labor in this direction. Beekeep
ers have in the past spent much time
and money in the effort to cultivate
some plant for the honey the bees may
obtain from its flowers. In no case
coming under my observation have
these efforts been a success and the
practice has never been continued at a
profit. Therefore let me caution all
apiarists against spending money in the
attempt to cultivate at a profit any
flower for honey alone. Beekeepers
should cease these useless efforts and
turn their attention more persistently
to extending the area of all wild honey
producing plants and urging upon all
the superiority of alsike clover and
Japanese buckwheat as farm crops and
the linden as d shade tree.