May, 1914. 



163 



American Hee Journal 



A Swiss Bee Convention Gkoit — ['holographed by Jos. Walther ) 



results for honey production, for soil 

 fertility and for animal food are ob- 

 tained by letting them reach a fair 

 stage of development, rather than cut- 

 ting, as is the fault of so many hus- 

 bandmen before the blossoms open. 



It, therefore, becomes important for 

 every one interested in tilling the soil, 

 to plant legume crops at every oppor- 

 tunity. They can be used as filler 

 crops at the time of year when nothing 

 else is grown, as, for example, by sow- 

 ing crimson clover just before the last 

 time the cultivator is run through the 

 corn field. Last year the writer sowed 

 3 quarts of crimson clover and ji pint 

 of cowhorn turnip seed to the acre in 

 a corn field. After the corn was har- 

 vested he removed tons of the best 

 turnips for cow food and table use, 

 and, at the present time, has a good 

 clover sod on what would otherwise 

 be barren and stubble. The time has 

 come when it must be regarded as 

 slothful for a man to leave his soil 

 without a clover crop as to leave his 

 implements exposed in the field during 

 the winter. From this crimson clover 

 sod next May will spring a wealth of 

 scarlet bloom, looking like a field cov- 

 ered with ripening strawberries and 

 humming with bees as in the swarming 

 season. 



Legumes are averse tr. acid soils. 

 The soil wherein they are to grow 

 should be sweetened by the use of at 

 least one ton of lime, or one or two 

 tons of finely ground limestone, per 

 acre, before seeding. In the case of 



corn, this can be done by spreading 

 the lime broadcast just before planting 

 in the spring. 



Soil inoculation is another impor- 

 tant point in order to be sure of an 

 abundant growth of soil bacteria and 

 nitrifying nodules, and consequently 

 legume growth. This can be effected 

 best by sowing broadcast two or three 

 hundred pounds per acre of soil taken 

 from a field which has previously 

 grown the legume crop tliat is to be 

 planted. Another means of inocula- 

 tion is to sow the crop and let it reach 

 fair maturity, or even go to seed again 

 on the same soil. Then turn it down 

 and seed again. After two or three 

 repeated efforts on soil where lime has 

 been used, there will be an inoculation 

 and a good growth in the future. 



A third means of inoculation is 

 through cultures prepared by different 

 commercial concerns and sent by mail. 

 This is the most expensive and least 

 satisfactory means of inoculation. As 

 a rule, we do not recommend it. The 

 best is by sowing soil from the field 

 that has grown the crop desired. Apply 

 it in the evening or on a cloudy day, 

 just before sowing seed, and harrow in 

 both soil and seed. 



While, as a rule, each legume has its 

 own kind of bacterium, there are ex- 

 ceptions, as, for example, in growing 

 white sweet clover to produce the in- 

 oculation for alfalfa. In this case the 

 bacterium is the same. 



Legumes have their own proper or 

 best respective seasons for seeding. 



We sow red clover and alsike in our 

 grain fields in February, when the 

 ground is honey-combed with frost. 

 Just as early as the soil can be worked 

 in the spring we sow Canada field 

 peas, with or without oats. A few 

 years ago, in our own fields, we drilled 

 Canada field peas, oats, red clover and 

 alsike, and had a good stand of the 

 three legumes, so that, as the peas and 

 oats were cut, the clover field remained. 

 Later in the spring, just after corn 

 planting, is the proper time for cow 

 peas, soy beans, field beans or soup beans. 



Midsummer is the best time for sow- 

 ing crimson clover, and the early part 

 of August for seeding with alfalfa. 

 Later in August, or early in Septem- 

 ber, we sow hairy or winter vetch, 

 with or without rye, but prefer one 

 peck of vetch and two or three pecks 

 of rye to the acre, to give one of the 

 best crops that can be used for a win- 

 ter cover crop, renewing soil fertility 

 and also keeping the bees busily and 

 profitably engaged. 



In conclusion, let me say that the 

 man who knows how to use legumes in 

 each crop rotation, and keeps the 

 legumes always on his ground as a 

 cover crop, will have honey in his 

 hives and money in the bank. 



Harrisburg, Pa. 



[The foregoing article on soil fer- 

 tility appeared in Gleanings in Bee 

 Culture for April 15. We deem it of 

 sufficient importance, however, to bear 

 repetition in our columns. — Editor.) 



