98 OBSERVATIONS BY APIARISTS. 



D. F. YOUNG, Long Island, Phillips county: "I find alfalfa a great 

 honey producer where there is a medium amount of moisture in the 

 ground. I believe alfalfa to be a great honey producer, equal to white 

 clover or buckwheat. Winter in cellar, and think this requires less 

 honey for the winter." 



WM. M. BOTTOM, Dexter, Cowley county: "Alfalfa is the best honey 

 plant we have for all seasons ; not so good as white clover or buck- 

 wheat, but the latter does not do well here. In my opinion, as soon 

 as this southern and western country becomes settled up, and groves- 

 and orchards are planted and ponds built, rainfall will increase, and 

 as the country grows older the raising of tame grasses will become 

 successful, and with it profitable bee-culture." 



JOSEPH HUFFMAN, Garden City. Finney county: "Alfalfa under 

 favorable conditions is considered a good honey plant. We have not 

 had sufficient irrigation in this section to test its worth as a honey- 

 producing plant. Alfalfa in this country is a better honey-producing- 

 plant than white clover, sweet clover or buckwheat is in the eastern 

 states. Quality of alfalfa honey is the best." 



A. L. DANIELS, Allendale, Lyon county. "As to profit derived 

 from bees, have not had enough to pay expenses and labor, but the 

 pleasure of having pure honey of my own has kept me at work/' 



J. W. BUTTON, Glasco, Cloud county. "I took 1400 pounds of 

 honey from twenty-six stands. We have a large amount of alfalfa 

 here. I do not think bees make much honey from alfalfa, as I 

 have failed to find many at work on it. I find that my bees make 

 more honey when the corn is in tassel, but the alfalfa is in bloom at 

 the same time. I have seen more bees at work on corn than anything 

 else. Have not given bees special attention, but am beginning to 

 think it will pay to giv r e them the care they require." 



CAPT. J. H. WING, Syracuse, Hamilton county ; 150 colonies. " Ital- 

 ians and hybrids. I have tried several stands of pure Cyprians and 

 find their disposition quite objectionable. I find, however, that bees 

 developed from these Cyprians crossed with Italians or Carniolans, 

 give, all things considered, one of the most satisfactory strains of bees. 

 Alfalfa furnishes our main honey flow. The quality of the honey is 

 second to none." 



SOME HIVE YIELDS. 



Without any direct attempt at procuring the yields of the differ- 

 ent apiaries within the state, or securing the highest yields, the re- 

 ports here shown have come to the department giving amounts of 

 honey produced. It is believed that these reports will be read with 

 interest and will give a representative knowledge of what may be ex- 

 pected from bees. 



