from which he has taken 532 pounds of surplus the 

 past season, and surely his location would naturally 

 be much poorer than almost any spot outside of a 

 city. But looking over the ground there, what do we 

 find? Vacant lots and parks all around that city are 

 covered with a rank growth of sweet clover which 

 commences to bloom in June, and keeps at it until 

 frost. Whether this came about by accident or 

 design I can not say; but certain it is that it is an 

 enviable position for any bee-keeper, and one which 

 might easily be imitated; for when once started this 

 plant readily seeds itself and spreads with great 

 rapidity, and we can scarcely imagine a locality 

 where there are not many vacant strips and corners 

 which might as well be growing sweet clover as 

 other weeds which are not honey-producers. 

 May 1st, 1909. 



AMOUNT OF SWEET-CLOVEE SEED TO SOW TO THE ACRE. 



Mr. Root: I believe you are advising wrongly 

 when you suggest sowing 4 Ibs. of hulled or 8 to 10 

 of unhulled sweet-clover seed per acre, for the reason 

 that, at any time of the year you may sow it, there 

 is only a part of it that will germinate the same 

 season it is sown, the rest not starting till the next 

 season. I have sown at least 25 or 30 acres, and put 

 on not less than 8 to 10 Ibs. of unhulled seed and 

 sowed it early in the spring too, and I have never 

 been able to get a good stand the same spring, and 

 the next spring the rest of the seed would come up, 

 and for another year I would still have only a partial 

 stand, so you see that leaves me until the third year 

 before I can have a perfect stand, as the seeding the 

 second year seeds itself. 



I believe we should sow not less than 20 Ibs. of 

 unhulled seed, or 12 to 15 of the hulled per acre; then 

 you may rest assured you will get a stand. 



I have sown several thousand acres of alfalfa, and 

 the ones that are successful in getting a stand are 

 those that are not afraid to put on at least 15 to 20 

 Ibs. per acre, and then your ground needs to be in 

 perfect order. I sowed about three acres last spring, 

 9 



