8 Farmers’ Bulletin 1215. 
the growth of the plants that the beekeeper can expect to get a. 
heavy secretion of nectar. (Fig.1.) Soils having an abundance of 
lime are found wherever white clover is a major source of honey. 
While white clover plants are observed growing in soils that are 
deficient in lime, under such conditions these plants secrete nectar 
only under the most favorable climatic conditions, and failures in 
the clover-honey crop are frequent in such regions. 
ALSIKE CLOVER. 
Alsike clover also is a native of the Old World and is not native 
to America. In ordinary farm practice it is grown as a biennial, 
although a few plants may survive after seed production. It is 
propagated by seed and not from creeping stems. The roots are 
shallow and branching. The stem is erect and rarely exceeds a 
height of 2 feet, except on low, rich land or in the far north. The 
flowers are white to pinkish-rose, the color being deeper to the north- 
ern part of the range. The flowers of this species turn back on ma- 
turing, as do those of white clover. The leaflets are shorter and 
relatively broader than are those of red clover. The heavy bloom- 
ing period may begin slightly before that of white clover and is 
often curtailed by cutting. When the plants are pastured the bloom- 
ing period may be prolonged if the climatic conditions are favor- 
able. The chief agent for pollination is the honeybee. 
In general, the conditions favorable for nectar secretion for alsike 
clover are the same as those for white clover. This species dif- 
fers from white clover. however, in the fact that it is a regular 
farm crop in some places, and such locations are unusually favor- 
able for the beekeeper. It is increasing as a farm crop, espe- 
cially in locations where, because of increasing soil acidity, red 
clover is no longer so profitable. Alsike clover is grown alone 
and with timothy for hay, and in some limited localities it is grown 
for seed, thus giving the maximum time for nectar secretion. It 
does not yield nectar equally well in all places where it is grown for 
hay, since the best yields are possible only where the soil and climatic 
conditions are most favorable. In the northern part of the range 
of this species the nectar secretion is greatest. 
RED CLOVER. 
Red clover is a native of the Old World, having been cultivated as 
a farm crop for many centuries. It is a biennial, rarely perennial, 
propagated by seed. It has a branching taproot extending deep into 
the ground, the depth varying with the character of the soil. The 
stems are erect and vary in height, being higher than those of alsike 
clover. The flowers are bright red or purple, remaining erect after 
