278 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



ism when a fine sample of what I wanted 

 was laid on my desk. It is called Pchelo- 

 vodnie Listork. The Russians still use the 

 Greek alphabet, thus causing- their books 

 to have a very strange appearance to us. 

 The kindred people, such as Poles, Bohe- 

 mians, and Slavs, use the common Roman 

 letter, but the Russians still use Greek. 

 This is all caused by the latter being 

 Greek Catholic and the others Roman Cath- 

 olic. But Russia is fast forging to the 

 front, and now has at least one bee journal 

 that, in outward appearance at least, is 

 equal to any published. 



By the way, a Mr. Titoif is working- in 

 this establishment at the present time, and 

 will spend about two years here in learn- 

 ing- all he can about bees and hive man- 

 ufacture. He is an accredited representa- 

 tive of the Russian Department of Agricul- 

 ture, and will probably do much toward 

 introducing modern apiculture in that vast 

 empire where the most modern and the 

 most ancient tools are used side by side. 



Vcela Moravska is the name of a 40 page 

 bee journal published in the Bohemian lan- 

 guage, address not known. It is nicely 

 printed, and is doubtless fully up to the 

 times. 



PLANTING FOR HONEY. 



"Good morning. Is this Mr. Doolittle, 

 the bee-keeper?" 



" That is what some people call me." 



" Well; I have been reading your conver- 

 sations in Gleanings for some time back, 

 so I came to see you (by letter) this morn- 

 ing. I have an idea, and I want to ask you 

 about it." 



' ' Ideas are good things to have ; and if 3'oa 

 have one that is of value, no doubt the read- 

 ers of Gleanings will be glad to hear 

 about it." 



" But this idea was not for the benefit of 

 somebody else. I wished your advice re- 

 garding it, that I mj'self might be benefit- 

 ed by your advice." 



" Perhaps I shall not be able to advise 

 you very much, but I will do the best I can. 

 What is the idea?" 



" My idea is that, if I can sow or plant 

 something that will bloom about the time 

 white clover fails, I can greatly increase 

 my crop of honey, and the same be a good 

 investment for me. Now, what I want to 

 know is, what is likely to pay best for honey 

 alone, or for honey and some crop of fruit or 

 seeds." 



" This question covers the ground of much 



discussion which has come about during 

 the past; and I believe that the conclusion 

 come to by nearly all practical bee-keepers 

 is that it does not pay to plant really good 

 land with any seed or plants for a crop of 

 honey alone. ' ' 



" That is discouraging. I had ten acres 

 of excellent land, right close by my bees, 

 and I had hoped that there was something 

 I could plant for honey that would bring 

 me better returns than the good crops I 

 raise on it, of corn, potatoes, cabbage, etc. 

 I have a notion to try the thing any way. 

 I could stand it for a few years, even if I 

 did not get big returns from it. If I do this, 

 what would you advise putting on it?" 



" If I were to think of planting for honey 

 alone I can think of nothing better than 

 melilot, or sweet clover; for in this locality 

 this plant commences to bloom at about the 

 time white clover begins to fail, and contin- 

 ues to bloom from then till frost comes in 

 the fall, to a greater or less extent." 



" But will not sweet clover furnish food 

 for stock as well as honey for the bees?" 



" Some say that stock can be taught to 

 eat it, in which case it becomes a valuable 

 forage-plant, and pays better than almost 

 any other forage- pi ant, aside from its hon- 

 ej'-producing qualities; but. so far as I 

 know or can learn, no animal will touch it 

 in this locality." 



" What next would you advise me to try?" 



" Alsike clover is one of the best plants 

 for both honey and hay; and for quick re- 

 turns there is probably nothing better, tak- 

 ing every thing into consideration, than is 

 this clover." 



"But that blooms at the same time the 

 white clover does, does it not?" 



"Yes, unless precaution is taken it will 

 bloom at the same time the white clover 

 does; hence it is of less value than it would 

 be, so far as honey is concerned, could it 

 begin to bloom at about the time white clo- 

 ver failed." 



" You spoke about precaution being tak- 

 en. What did you mean by that?" 



" Alsike clover can be made to bloom very 

 nearly when wanted, within reasonable 

 limits, by turning stock on it, and letting 

 them keep it eaten down short till about 

 two weeks before you wish the bloom to 

 commence, when it will give a good crop of 

 blossoms and a fair crop of hay, though the 

 hay crop will not be quite as large as it 

 would if it could have had its own way." 



" Is there nothing else that will help this 

 matter out?" 



"As you are somewhat young in years, 

 if you have the patience to wait I would ad- 

 vise you to plant basswood. In the list of 

 honey-producing trees and plants it stands 

 first in bountiful yields; and in fine flavor, 

 beautiful color, and qualit}' of the honey 

 produced, it is second to none, while the 

 day is coming when any thing in the way 

 of basswood lumber will sell at a price that 

 will make it profitable to the one who can 

 furnish any lumber of that name." 



" Are 3'ou confident of this?" 



