200 HOW TO KEEP BEES 



of bees, it will pay him to reap one crop from his 

 land and let his bees reap another. 



Of all such plants the clovers are the most impor- 

 tant. Not only do they make the best of forage and 

 hay, but they also help to fertilise and aerate the 

 soil, and should be a factor in every crop rotation. 

 Clovers and other legumes have upon their roots 

 nodules filled with bacteria, which are underground 

 partners of the plant. These bacteria fix the free 

 nitrogen of' the air and leave it in the soil available 

 for plant food. Red clover is not so great a source 

 of honey as are the other clovers, since its corolla 

 tubes are so long that usually it is only worked by 

 bumblebees. But the long-tongued Italians are able 

 to get considerable honey from red clover at times. 



Crimson clover grew as a weed for a long time in 

 America before it became an important factor in 

 horticulture. It is an annual and its home is in 

 southern Europe. It thrives best in loose, sandy 

 soils and is of great value as a cover crop for orchards. 

 It is a good honey-plant. 



Alsike is a perennial and grows in low meadows, 

 from Nova Scotia to Idaho. Its blossoms look like 

 that of the white clover, except that they are larger 

 and are tinged with pink. This is a valuable clover 

 for pasturage, and also for hay, and it stands next 

 to the white clover as a honey-plant. 



The white clover is the very best plant for pro- 

 ducing honey in the United States east of the Rocky 

 Mountains, and the flavour of its honey is famous 

 the world over. While in hard soil, the white clover 



