206 Beekeeping 



the business of honey-production and guides the beekeeper 

 in choosing suitable locations for his apiaries. 



Variation in intensity of honey-flows. 



In general, the nectar-flows increase in rapidity or intensity 

 as one goes northward and with this rapidity in the honey- 

 flow usually comes a shortening of the period during which 

 nectar is secreted. As a rule, the northern honeys are lighter 

 in color, although there are many exceptions which will be 

 pointed out later. In the more northern localities, the 

 beginning and end of the honey-flows are usually sharply 

 marked, while in the South there is a gradual increase in the 

 honey-flow to the maximum and a correspondingly gradual 

 cessation of the honey-flow. 



Variation in the value of plants. 



There is a striking difference in the value, from a beekeep- 

 er's standpoint, of plants according to locality, and the causes 

 of these phenomena are in most cases not understood. A 

 few of the more striking examples will serve to illustrate 

 this variation. White clover yields nectar most abundantly 

 in the northern range of this plant, while farther south the 

 flow of nectar from this plant is less intense and the honey is 

 often somewhat darker. Alfalfa yields nectar freely in 

 the irrigated districts of the West, but is usually of no value 

 to the beekeeper east of the Mississippi River. Buck- 

 wheat is the source of large honey crops in parts of southern 

 New York and Pennsylvania, while in Indiana and Illinois 

 it secretes much less nectar, again increasing in value to the 

 beekeeper in Michigan. Exceptions to these general state- 

 ments sometimes arise because of abnormal climatic condi- 

 tions. For example, a heavy honey-flow from alfalfa was 

 recently obtained in the vicinity of Syracuse, New York. 

 This was probably not due to the plants becoming accli- 

 mated but occurred in a dry season. In some seasons white 

 clover yields well much farther south than the limits pre- 

 viously given. Other examples are given later. 



