76 A Modern Bee-farm 



into the soil than red clover, and are more numerous. It 

 loosens stiff clay land, which, after a time, becomes as 

 friable as if sand had been mixed with the soil. It has 

 been shown by one of the Experiment Stations that an 

 expenditure of 2.65 dols. on crimson clover as a fertilizer 

 put as much nitrogen into the soil as 15 dols. worth of 

 nitrogen purchased in commercial fertilizers." 



Every bee-keeper should bring the advantages to be 

 derived from the growing of this clover before the notice 

 of his farming neighbours. It will benefit them, and 

 at the same time help largely to make his own success 



assured. 



Melilot Clover. 



In my own trials with this clover on several acres, the 

 sowing was made in April, followed by a very dry summer. 

 It soon rooted, however, and threw out strong shoots 

 which showed green all through the dry weather, supply- 

 ing a never failing source of feed for the cows, while old- 

 established meadows were almost bare. The following 

 year it was mown in July, and together with the rye-grass 

 sown with it, afforded a very heavy crop. The plant was 

 rather coarse, and the haying time very wet, but after it 

 had been down some seven or eight days, just three hot 

 days enabled me to get it dried and stacked. Notwith- 

 standing the succulent nature of the plant and the wetting 

 it had experienced, the hay came out as brown as a berry, 

 and exceedingly sweet, though, of course, there was no 

 bloom at the time of cutting. 



The second crop was all that could be desired as a plant 

 for hay, but being late and rather too thin, the cows again 

 had the benefit of it, as soon as the blossoms were of no 

 further use to the bees. The plant is useful for improving 

 the land, and even if not ploughed under, the great roots 

 rotting after the second year, and opening up the soil to 



