56 A Modern Bee-Farm 



Cultivation. 



It will be understood that most of the above clover crops, 

 etc., are sown over corn in the spring, the plant being -well 

 established by the time the same is harvested, and having the 

 ground all to itself the second year. As to mamire, that 

 question is left to the reader to feed his crops as he will, re- 

 membering that what is worth doing at all is worth doing well. 



Sanfoin is an excellent plant on chalk soils, .giving two 

 crops yearly, as also will several of the clovers if treated liber-, 

 ally. The former is allowed to remain from two to ten or 

 .twelve years, according to the nature or cleanliness of the 

 ground ; when brought under cultivation, a second" sowing 

 will be of no avail until after a period of fourteen years. Red 

 clover {TrifoUiim pratense) is nearly always ploughed in after 

 the one full season's growth, and does not follow on the same 

 ground again until after a term of seven years. Yellow trefoil or 

 hop clover, should be mixed with clover and sanfoin to make 

 a good first crop. After the first mowing the trefoil does not 

 again appear; but the main crop then branches out and fully 

 covers the ground. 



I have found that for all small seeds such as clovers, the 

 ground should be finely pulverised and rolled before the seed 

 is sown. Do not rake or harrow after it is in, but use the 

 roller again and again, when the ground is dry. 



Whatever may have been said in the past, it must be dis- 

 tinctly understood that Red Clover {Trifolium pratense) is not a 

 reliable bee plant. I have had considerable horiey from it 

 when the- weather has been just right, following a dry time for 

 the growth of the second crop, but should the plant have a 

 favourable season for full development, the bees do nothing 

 upon it however fine the weather fnay be. A crop yielding 

 only one year in four cannot be recommended. 



When growing plants for honey which have no further 

 use, one must make the most of the land under cultivation. 

 To permit the ground to be occupied by a single variety 



