1046 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



amount of pasture. For this reason it is recommended 

 tliat, so far as possible, it be seeded in the late win- 

 ter or spring. In the southern states, as far north 

 as the Ohio River, the practice is to seed quite early 

 in the spring, during Pebruai-y or the early part of 

 March. In the states further north the date is cor- 

 respondingly later, UTitil in Wisconsin it is usually 

 seeded in the latter part of April or first of May. 

 When the rainfall is sufficient, a stand can be ob- 

 tained by seeding in small grain, such as fall wheat 

 or spring-sown crops like oats and barley, but in 

 seeding with grain one runs some risk of having the 

 sweet-clover plants killed out by drouth during the 

 summer. Owing to the rather slow germination of 

 the seed it is usually best to seed at the rate of 15 

 to 20 pounds of hulled seed and 25 pounds of un- 

 liullfd seed to the acre. 



INOCULATION. 



On poor soils, in localities where sweet clover is 

 not common, it is quite important that the soil be 

 inoculated at seeding time to insure good results. 

 Even in localities where sweet clover is plentiful the 

 early grov/th has been made much more vigorous by 

 thoroughly inoculating the soil. Inoculation can be 

 accomplished by mixing soil from a field where sweet 

 clover, burr clover, yellow trefoil (black medic), or 

 alfalfa f?rows abundantly, pound for pound, with 

 sweet-clover seed. This mixture should be sown 

 after sunset or on a cloudy day, and immediately 

 harrowed in, since daylight greatly injures the in- 

 oculating germs. Inoculation is also accomplished 

 in the South by using unhnlled seed. Pure cultures 

 of the inoculating bacteria may be obtained free of 

 charge from the Department. 



HARVESTING. 



When hay is desired, sweet clover should be cut 

 just before it begins to bloom. At this time the 

 leaves are most abundant, and the stems have not 

 .^ et become woody. Sweet-clover hay should be ted- 

 ded while m the vS■^^ ath ; and, just before the leaves 

 become dry enough to shatter, it should be raked 

 into windrows. After lying in the windrow for a day 

 it may be put into shocks and cured. When sweet 

 ciover is seeded in the spring with a nurse crop, 

 only a small amount of pasture is produced that 

 autumn; but where it is seeded alone in the spring 

 a cutting of hay may be made in the autumn. The 

 following year a hay crop and a seed crop, or two 

 cuttings of hay if seed is not desired, are usually 

 (btained. In the South, where seeded alone, two 

 cuttings may be obtained the first year, and either 

 (wo cuttings of hay and a seed crop or three cu(- 

 tings of hay the second year. Where seeded alone 

 in the North tl-.ere is no danger of the hay becom- 

 ing woody the first year, and for that reason it does 

 not need 'o be cut until it has attained its largest 

 growth in the fall. 



PEED PRODUCTION. 



In harvesting the seed it is important that the 

 pla)its be cut before the seed is fully matured. One 

 must watch the seed crop carefully, and as soon as 

 the lower racemes or spike-like arrangements of 

 (lowers are dry and mature it is best to cut the cron. 

 Even where it is mown and the seed flailed out, 

 probably not more than three-fourths of the racenu's 

 should be allowed to become fully mature. Swoet- 

 dover seed ran be thrashed most easily by the 

 ordinaiy thrashing-machine; but if it is to be hulled 

 a regular clover-huUor with special rasps is used. 

 In semi-arid and irrigated sections the hulls are so 

 dry that an ordinary grain-thrasher will remove 

 n;ost of them. Since the seed shatters very easily, 

 sweet clover should be cut when it is wet with dew. 

 If the first growth be cut for hay when it is 2% 

 feet tall, leaving a six-inch stubble, the seed crop 

 will come on much more evenly. Care should be 

 taken to cut the stubble of th(! preceding hay crops 

 &i h:g!. <is r<'fsiblc, to that there will be siidcient 

 Stems remaining to resume growth, as this plant. 



unlike alfalfa, does not form new crown shoots. 

 Seed yields vary from two to eight bushels to the 

 acre. 



ERADICATION. 



The failure of the farmers throughout the United 

 States to make use of this valuable legume has 

 large!}' been on account of the fear that it could 

 riot be eradicated from their farms if once started. 

 Tue biennial nature of the plant makes the problem 

 of eradication very easy. It will not persist when 

 continually mowed so that it cannot produce seed, 

 nor is it troul^lesome in clean cultivated or inter- 

 tilled crops. 



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QUESTIONS ABOUT ILORIDA, DUCKS, CHICKENS, BEES, 

 ETC. 



1. Do you think that the raising of Indian Runner 

 ducks in southern Florida is profitable — more partic- 

 ularly for eggs? 



2. Were you called upon to decide whether you 

 had better raise Indian Runners or any other breed 

 of poultry that you might select as a source of in- 

 come, which would it be ? 



.3. In California there is a prejudice against duck 

 eggs, hence the people that deal in eggs alone do not 

 encourage one's raising ducks. Is this so in Flor- 

 ida? 



4. What variety of fowls do you advise keeping in 

 Florida — that is, if you wished to make eggs the 

 leading feature of the enterprise? 



5. What do you advise as a source of income in 

 connection with Indian Runners or poultry — that is, 

 lor Florida, and if one had five to ten acres of land? 



6. Do you advise keeping the white Indian Run- 

 ners in Florida or the colored ones? 



7. Does the warm country of southern Florida 

 feem to affect unduly the Indian Runners? 



8. Do you know of any section in southern Flor- 

 ida, oast or west coast, where you think that one 

 might profitably start an apiary? A friend once 

 visited Sarasota, and was quite taken with the place. 

 He also spoke of some near-by islands. 



9. Will you please mention in the order of their 

 importance such plants as are grown in Florida 

 suitable for bees? 



10. As a money-maker only, apart from any per- 

 sonal choice as to a place of residence, etc., do you 

 consider California or Florida the best state — that is, 

 suitable for bees ? 



11. What variety of bees do you consider the very 

 1 est for Florida ? 



12. Were one starting the bee industry in Florida, 

 would he do better to buy his apiary stock in that 

 state, in Georgia, or some of the other slates north 

 of Florida? 



13. A gentleman said to me the other day that he 

 thought there was an overproduction of honey in 

 this country. Is that so? 



14. Does extracted alfalfa honey rank lower as 

 a market product tlian other grades? 



15. What about the orange-blossom as honey- 

 producer? 



10. About what proportion of our honey is ex- 

 ported ? 



San Jose, June 15. 



1. The Indian Runner ducks are profit- 

 able in Florida when eggs are worth 40 or 

 50 cents a dozen; and as Ave get them to 

 lay when the hens are laying little or none 

 at all, the dneks do very well, especially if 

 yon have an opi^ortnnity to let them run in 

 the canal as we do. If you are obliged to 

 keep them confined, unless you use great 

 care and economy their feed will cost jpore 



