504 



AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



Alsike or S-wedish Clover 



(TrifoUum liybridum) , besides being a 

 good grazing plant, is a most excellent 

 honey-plant. Emily E. West, on page 

 512, tells very plainly as to the manner 

 in which it is cultivated so as to reap the 

 best results in hay and for its seed. 



Mr. M. M. Baldridge, of St. Charles, 

 Ills., one of our well-known corres- 

 pondents, has devoted much careful 

 study to this clover, and has this to say 

 concerning this clover : 



The bees have no trouble in finding 

 the honey, as the blossoms are short, 

 and the heads no larger than white 

 clover. The blossoms at first are white, 

 but soon change to a beautiful pink, 

 and emit considerable fragrance. It is 

 a clover which every farmer can and 

 should cultivate, whether he keeps bees 

 or not, as it is superior to the common 

 red for hay or pasture for all kinds of 

 stock. . 



It is thought by some to be a question 

 whether it pays to plant anything for 

 honey alone, but here is something 

 which, aside from its rich honey-yield- 

 ing qualities, is profitable both for for- 

 age for farm stock and for the value 

 of its seed. 



We once lived within a few rods of a 

 ten-acre field of Alsike clover, and dur- 

 ing its blossoming the bees fairly roared 

 upon it all the day long. It was almost 

 impossible to walk Into the great pro- 

 fusion of blossoms on a warm day, on 

 account of the myriads of bees that were 

 using their little "extractors" so indus- 

 triously in gathering the diamond drops 

 of nectar. 



We commend to the careful perusal 

 of our readers the article referred to 

 above, and trust that those who have 

 not as yet done so, will test the matter 

 for themselves. 



A Bee Association has been es- 

 tablished in Arizona. The subject of 

 producing honey is receiving marked 

 attention in that territory. Mesquiteand 

 alfalfa are the principal plants upon 

 which the bees feed. Both produce 

 clear, crystal like Jioney of fine flavor, 



Xlie Honey Harvest lasts but 

 a few days, or at best only a few weeks, 

 so the wise bee-keeper will be prepared 

 to get honey "while the sun shines." 

 Many an otherwise good apiarist fails to 

 appreciate the value of having every- 

 thing on hand when the " deluge of 

 honey " comes, that is, if the honey does 

 appear in the flowers. All supplies 

 needed in the apiary should be ordered 

 long enough before the time for their 

 use, so that there may be no unneces- 

 sary delay on their account when the 

 honey harvest begins. Too often it is 

 the case that these important matters 

 are neglected until too late, and supply 

 dealers and manufacturers are so far 

 behind their orders that the bee-keepers' 

 harvest time is almost ended ere the 

 needful supplies are received. The 

 bright apiarist never "gets caught" 

 that way more than once. Order your 

 supplies early, and be happy. 



At>t>e Oiotto Ulivi, of Campi- 

 Bizencio, Italy, died from the effects of 

 influenza recently. The British Bee 

 Journal of March 17, 1892, contained 

 the following-concerning his death and 

 characteristics : 



Unfortunately for bee-keeping, al- 

 though an advanced and thoroughly 

 practical and scientific bee-keeper, the 

 good that he might have done was com- 

 pletely counteracted by his violence of 

 language, and intolerance of those who 

 differed from him. A strong anti-par- 

 thenogenesist, he did not hesitate to 

 abuse all those who upheld the Dzierzon 

 theory, and, forgetting that there are 

 two sides to every question, he put down 

 as charlatans all who differed from him, 

 and even the great Huber was called by 

 him " a buffoon !" He was the inventor* 

 of what was known as the ''Giotto hive 

 and principle," which was tried here 

 about 15 years ago. 



In Bee-Keeping: the principal 

 requirements are good bees, plentiful 

 pasturage, suitable climate, proximity 

 to a good market, and an energetic bee- 

 keeper who understands how to manage 

 bees, and nuirkot the product. 



