AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



53 



was in full bloom, and while all other 

 natural sources were absent, no honey 

 of any appreciable extent was gathered, 

 and the hive upon the scale lost in 

 weight. Probably some honey was ob- 

 tained during the season from this sweet 

 clover, but in such limited quantities as 

 to make any estimate of the value of the 

 plant as a honey-producer impossible. 

 At the present time the ground is cov- 

 ered with brush, so that labor will be 

 necessary in clearing the land before 

 plowing can be done. 



With the idea of obtaining an opinion 

 of the value of sweet clover as a silage 

 plant, an alcohol barrel was filled with 

 the cut stalks, solidly packed, and sealed 

 tight. This was done on July 14th, 

 just as the clover was getting fairly into 

 bloom, and while the stalks were yet 

 tender and nutritious. On Sept. 23rd 

 the barrel was opened, and the ensilage 

 was fed. A horse that had previously 

 eaten corn silage ate it very readily, but 

 another horse and a cow that had never 

 eaten silage would not touch it. Several 

 experts upon the subject pronounced it 

 excellent. There is no doubt but that it 

 would be a very desirable plant for the 

 purpose if the feeding value per acre 

 could be made equal to that of corn. An 

 estimate made from the amount cut for 

 silage gave between 6 and 7 tons per 

 acre. Although its feeding value may 

 be much higher than that of corn, it is 

 still doubtful if it will pay to use it for 

 this purpose alone, from the above esti- 

 mate. 



In concluding these experiments in 

 planting for honey carried on by Prof. 

 Cook, and now concluded for the pres- 

 ent, I desire to say that no results have 

 been obtained with any plant sown or 

 planted for honey alone that will war- 

 rant the bee-keeper in expending money 

 and labor in this direction. Bee-keepers 

 have in the past spent much time and 

 money in the effort to cultivate some 

 plant for the honey the bees may obtain 

 from its flowers. In no case coming 

 under my observation have these efforts 

 been a success, and the practice has 

 never been continued at a profit. There- 

 fore, let me caution all apiarists against 

 spending money in the attempt to culti- 

 vate at a profit any flower for honey 

 alone. Bee-keepers should cease these 

 useless efforts and turn their attention 

 more persistently to extending the area 

 of all wild honey-producing plants, and 

 urging upon all the superiority of Alsike 

 clover and Japanese buckwheat as farm 

 crops, and the linden as a shade tree. 



Agricultural College, Mich., Nov. 17. 

 (Concluded next week.) 



Bees SMrarming; Out — Treatment 

 or Foul Brood. 



Written Jor the American Bee Journal 

 BY RANDOLPH GKADEN. 



I have seen the question asked in the 

 Bee Journal more than once, as to 

 what caused the bees to swarm out and 

 leave their hive with brood and plenty 

 of honey in the spring of the year, but I 

 have as yet not seen it fully explained. 

 There are several causes, but the prin- 

 cipal one, especially where the bees have 

 been wintered upon the summer stands, 

 is cold weather ; for in the spring when 

 the bees are rearing brood rapidly, and 

 cold, windy, cloudy weather, too cold for 

 the bees to fly, sets in for several days, 

 and some times as much as eight or ten 

 days at a time, and the bees are greatly 

 in need of water, and also pollen, they 

 will venture out for water and pollen, 

 and become chilled and perish. Still 

 the brood is hatching out in the hive, 

 and in need of water, and the old bees 

 become less and less every day, so that 

 in a few days the older bees are almost 

 all lost, which, of course, raises a com- 

 motion in the hive, so much so that when 

 the weather turns warm suddenly, and 

 the sun shines warm, the bees make a 

 rush to get out of the hive, and in the 

 excitement the queen and all rush out, 

 and very often the queen gets lost, and 

 the bees being nearly all young, rush for 

 some other hive, and enter it, or scatter 

 about; and if the queen is not found, all 

 is lost except the hive and contents, 

 which may be used to hive an early 

 swarm of bees, provided, however, that 

 such hive must be looked after, as the 

 moth-miller may destroy the combs. 



Still, some may think after reading 

 Mr. McEvoy's article in the American 

 Bee Journal for May 11th, that such 

 hives will become foul broody. Any 

 fair-minded bee-keeper knows that can- 

 not be true, otherwise there would not 

 be an apiary in the length and breadth 

 of our land, that contained a dozen colo- 

 nies of bees or over, any great length of 

 time, but what would become foul broody 

 sooner or later. Still, there are many 

 bee-keepers, yes, old bee-keepers, that 

 say they never saw foul brood. 



If I am asked as to how foul brood 

 originates, I will have to say as does Dr. 

 Miller, " I don't know," and as Prof. 

 Cook would say, " How does diphtheria 

 and scarlet fever originate ?" which was 

 about the substance of a reply he gave 

 me when I asked him that question some 

 time ago. 



How to get rid of foul brood is a very 



