60 SOURCES OF NECTAR 



head of the list of honey plants of the world, if the present rate 

 of spreading continues. Large quantities of honey from this 

 source are now reaching the markets from Colorado, Idaho, and 

 other western States. Sweet clover is not regarded as important 

 in portions of Ontario and some of the eastern States. It yields 

 more freely in the dry hot summers of the West. 



In Iowa one farmer, Frank Coverdale at Delmar, had nearly 

 200 acres of this crop on his farm. Sweet clover was the princi- 

 pal crop grown, and everything was planned to utilize it to the 

 best advantage. Cattle, hogs and other stock were kept to con- 

 sume the hay. Bees also were kept to gather as much of the 

 nectar as possible. In 1913 more than a carload of fine comb 

 honey was produced from the 300 colonies of bees on the farm. 



Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis). — The yellow 

 variety of sweet clover is not nearly so widely spread as the white, 

 and is not of so much value as forage. The honey yield, however, 

 is good, and it is valuable as a honey-producing plant. 



Alfalfa (Medicago saliva). — Alfalfa, or lucerne, is coming 

 to be widely cultivated as a forage plant. It does not thrive 

 to any extent except under cultivation. It is at its best in the 

 irrigated regions of the West, where it is grown in very large 

 acreage for hay and for seed. Under western conditions, it is a 

 very valuable forage plant, yielding large quantities of fine honey. 

 It seems to be of little value for bee pasturage in moist regions 

 of the eastern States. Although blooming freely, it does not seem 

 to secrete nectar, except in rare instances, and seldom produces 

 seed in any quantity except in seasons of extreme drouth, when 

 the bees will seek it freely foi' a time, 



Basswood or Linden (Tilia americana). — The basswood, 

 known as whitewood, linden, or limetree, is widely disseminated 

 in eastern North America, being found from New England to 

 Florida and Texas. It has also been introduced into California 

 in a few localities. 



In times past basswood was a very important source of honey, 

 but of late years the linden forests are being rapidly cut ofi^, and 

 the land turned into farms or pastures. Wherever it is to be 



