Beekeeping in Kansas. 5 



PLANT CROPS FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE BEES. 



When the owner of a cow wishes to provide sufficient pasturage for this 

 animal he can estimate the amount of land that will be required to raise the 

 amount of food necessary to provide that cow with nourishment throughout 

 the season. Having made this estimate, he can then plant whatever crop he 

 decides, put a fence around the pasture, and everything has been provided 

 for in the line of food. The fence will keep the cow in the pasture, and at 

 the same time will prevent other animals from getting in and taking that 

 which was not originally intended for them. However, in the case of providing 

 pasturage for bees the question is not so easily solved, for several reasons. 

 First, it would be impossible to estimate the exact amount of acreage which 

 should be planted in order to provide enough food for any given number of 

 bees; second, bees are no respecters of fences, and not only would the bees 

 for which the pasturage was intended avail themselves of the opportunity of 

 feeding there, but it would be equally open to all other bees in the com- 

 munity. In other words, it would not pay to plant crops with the sole idea 

 in mind of their serving as sources for honey. It would be much better in 

 locating an apiary to select, if possible, a location which is already provided 

 with plants which furnish both nectar and pollen, for it must be borne in 

 mind that not only nectar-producing plants are necessary, but we must also 

 have pollen-producing plants. In choosing this location one should be careful 

 to see that there is a continuation of food supply throughout the summer. If 

 there are only one or two honey plants which furnish nectar in any great 

 amount it might be that the period between the flows of honey would be so* 

 long and the honey flows might be so short that the bees would consume during; 

 the period of drought all of the honey which they stored during the honey flow. 

 It is always possible, however, to improve any location in the matter of honey 

 plants, and probably the best way to do this would be to join with the- 

 farmers in that community and encourage them to plant forage-crop plants 

 that will at the same time furnish nectar. Prominent among this class of 

 plants would be alfalfa, clover, sweet clover, alsike and buckwheat, because 

 plants should serve a dual purpose of being both forage and honey plants. 

 The beekeeper who would contribute toward the purchase of seed to encourage 

 his neighbors in the planting of these dual-purpose crops would be well paid 

 for his investment. 



Some of the sources of honey which particularly apply to Kansas are, in 

 the early spring, the elm trees, which furnish pollen, while the soft maples 

 furnish both nectar and pollen. These are followed by the dandelion, which 

 is one of the most valuable plants from the beekeepers' -standpoint that we 

 have, because it blooms so early in the spring and furnishes an abundance of 

 pollen, which is so necessary for brood rearing. The fruit bloom in those 

 sections of the state where fruit is produced furnishes nectar for brood rearing. 

 Most of the nectar furnished by this class of flowers is consumed in rearing 

 brood, and it is rare that any surplus is stored from this source. After the 

 fruit bloom comes the white clover bloom in those parts of the state where 

 clover is found. This is a very valuable source of nectar, and it is at this time 

 that the beekeeper should put on his supers, so as to allow the bees to store 

 the large surplus which they should gather from white clover. Of the sweet 



