.rr 



1911 



ALTHO Ten- 

 nessee has 

 a wide 

 I'ange of honey- 

 producing' flora, 

 it is safe to say 

 that the great 

 majority of our 

 marketable honey 

 principally white 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



THE CLOVERS OF TENNESSEE 



521 



HoiiJ oAlsike Closer is ^placing 

 the Red for Hay and Pasturage 



By J. M. Buchanan 



comes from the clovers, 

 and alsike. On account 

 of its wider distribution, white clover is, 

 perhaps, the most important member of the 

 clover family, from the standpoint of hon- 

 ey pi'oduction, altha alsike is a close second. 



Dr. Phillips, in his late book on practical 

 beekeeping, places the southern limit of 

 the " white-clover belt " at tlie Ohio River. 

 It is veiy likely that at the time that was 

 written the doctor had not been thru the 

 famous bluegrass region of Kentucky and 

 Tennessee in clover-blossom time. Wherever 

 bluegrass grows, white clover is found in 

 its highest perfection. Thruout the central 

 and eastern sections of the state with the 

 exception of the mountains and sandstone 

 ridg'es, white clover grows spontaneously, 

 and furnishes a large quantity of nectar 

 from May 1 to July 1, and sometimes later. 

 The iioney from this is generally equal to 

 tliat produced in the northern states. 



For the past ten years alsike clovei- has 

 been planted by the farmers in ever in- 

 rreasing quantities, for hay and pasturage. 

 While the hay crop is not quite so large as 

 from red clover, the quality is better, and 

 it seems to afford moi'e pasturage. One 

 great advantage alsike has over red clover 

 is the certainty of getting a stand when 

 sown. Perhaps on account of a lack of 

 lime in the soil it has been diflieult to get 

 a good stand of red clover. While alsike 

 will grow with less lime than red clover, 

 still it responds favorably to a lime treat- 

 ment, wliich seems to increase the growth 

 and also the nectar secretion. On good 

 soil, well limed, I have seen alsike two or 

 three feet high, while many individual stalks 

 would measui'e ovei- four feet in length. 



As compaied to white clover in nectai 

 secretion, I would say that an acre of 

 alsike is worth two or three of white 

 clover, even at its best, while the quality of 

 the honey is so much alike that it would 

 require an expert to distinguish the differ- 

 ence. The period of bloom is also much 

 longer than that of white clover, lasting, 

 where pastured, practically all summer. 

 Then when cut for hay the second crop 

 furnishes a good bloom if the season is 

 not unusually dry. 



Occasionally we get a crop of honey from 

 red clover; however, this is generally from 

 the second crop, and in dry seasons, when 



the corolla tubes 

 are not too deep 

 foi' the bees to 

 reach the nertar. 

 Crimson clover 

 has been planted 

 extensively as a 

 cover crop and 

 winter pasture for the last few seasons, and 

 is becoming- more popular each year. This 

 grows luxuriantly, and furnishes quite a 

 quantity of nectar early in the season, 

 which makes it valuable as a help in build- 

 ing up the colonies in the spring. So far 

 as I have been able to judge, the honey 

 from crimson, unlike that from other mem- 

 bers of the clover family, is rather dark in 

 color. However, this may in part be due to 

 an admixture of nectar from other sources, 

 as the period of bloom occurs along with 

 that of fruit-trees and wild flowers. 



Along' the roadsides in many parts of the 

 state white sweet clover {Melilotus alha) 

 is found growing wild, altho as yet tliis 

 plant has not been extensively cultivated 

 here. This blooms during the late summer, 

 at a time when there is generally a dearth 

 of honey floi'a. The flavor of sweet-clover 

 honey is so strong that it is not very popu- 

 lar on our markets, many people seeming 

 to thin4v it artificial. 



Alfalfa is grown extensively in some 

 sections of Tennessee, but it seems to se- 

 crete very little nectar. This is also true 

 of Japan clover, or lespedeza, which is the 

 principal hay crop of the western part of 

 the state. 



The young plants of both white and al- 

 sike clover made a good growth last fall; 

 and, altho the winter was more than usual- 

 ly severe, the ground was covered with 

 snow during the coldest weather. 

 Franklin, Tenn. 



[The fact that alsike clover is replacing 

 the red in so many localities means much 

 to the beekeepers of America. Think how 

 many locations for bees would be literally 

 transformed if the red clover which is in 

 reach of the bees, were replaced by alsike. 

 Here is good advice : " Do your bit. Help 

 prevent a sugar shortage by planting al- 

 sike instead of red clover and secure a 

 better and surer crop besides." Some sug- 

 gastions made to farmers, these days, are 

 not very pi-actical, from the farmer's own 

 standpoint, but here is one that is worth 

 while. As beekeepers, let us take advan- 

 tage of a steady movement in tlie right 

 direction and convincingly preach the gos- 

 pel of the sowing of alsike by offering to 

 pay a part of the cost of the seed. It is 

 worth while to the farmer and to the bee- 

 keeper as well. — Ed.] 



