84 



ALFALFA AND BEES. 



The writer conducted a number of experiments upon the fertiliza- 

 tion of the alfalfa bloom. The first work consisted in covering a large 

 number of blossoms with fine cheese-cloth'. It soon became evident 

 that this would exclude all insects, and the good services of the bee 

 would not be demonstrated, so that this line was discontinued and 

 another taken up. 



A large number of representative ripened pods were gathered from 

 an alfalfa field less than one-half mile away from a large apiary, and 

 a like number from another field of much the same soil and, practi- 

 cally, under like conditions as the first field, except that the second 

 field was situated twenty-five miles away from a colony of bees. No 

 bees were observed in the field, arid the character of the surround- 

 ings, there being no timber or probable living places, was such as to 

 preclude the possibility of wild bees in the vicinity. The pods from 

 each locality were carefully opened and number of seeds in each 

 counted. The results and comparison to be made therefrom are cer- 

 tainly of interest. 



Per cent, of increase of the first field over the second, 66? . 

 ALFALFA AS A HONEY PLANT. 



My observations upon this subject during the past season have 

 been that it will yield the greatest amount of nectar under circum- 

 stances which tend to give the plant the most vigorous growth ; that 

 is, proper amount of heat and moisture, upon suitable soil. If the 

 plant is upon upland, dry weather will affect the secretion of nectar 

 before it will be affected in the>alley, such as the Arkansas valley, 



