BEEKEEPING IX THE SOUTH 



73 



one of the first instances of this plant's yielding surplus honey 

 east of the Mississippi River which has come to the attention of 

 the author. 



The Melilotus Area. 



Northern beekeepers who are accustomed to seeing fields of 

 cultivated sweet clover grow, should visit the sw^eet clover or 

 "black land" belt of Mississippi and Alabama, w^here thousand 

 of acres of this plant grow wild. The land is of a limestone typ^ 

 and the plant makes a thriving growth. This makes a veritabl 

 paradise for bees, and as sweet clover wherever found makes a 

 dependable honey plant in spite of drouth or flood, the value of 

 this region as a honey producer can easily be seen. However, 

 much of this land in Alabama, near W. D. Achord, is being 

 bought up for pasturing and is being fenced, where blooded stock 

 is being introduced. This may mark the end of honey plants 

 in much of this region at a not far distant time. 



Mi^'^ 



m-.'- 



. --4 



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viwJW^' 



•%5 



Fig. 31. Where Tennessee Bees hum. Apiary of J. j\l. Da\is at Spring 



Hill. 



