PASTURE FOR BEES 81 



liuence the flow of nectar are not fully under- 

 stood. One plant will yield most freely under 

 given conditions when another will not yield 

 at all. Some plants yield best under warm and 

 moist conditions, while others require hot and 

 dry weather. For this reason plants that fur- 

 nish honey in quantity in one locality, often fail 

 entirely in another. Alfalfa is one of the best 

 honey plants in the West, but of little value in 

 the humid climate of the East. Buckwheat is 

 a dependable source in New York, but seldom 

 produces any surplus in Iowa. 



All these things must be taken into account 

 by the beginner who expects to realize a good 

 return from his bees. He must learn the kind 

 of blossoms on which to place the most depen- 

 dence in his locality, and plan his operations 

 so as to have his bees in the best possible con- 

 dition at the time of the bloom of these plants. 

 In Iowa it is of little importance to have col- 

 onies strong after the close of the white clover 



