48 A Modern Bee-Farm 



crop to every 100 colonies. I have by actual experience found 

 100 average colonies store a surplus from 10 acres of an average 

 yielding plant, and should consider 20 or 25 acres would give full 

 occupation for that number of stocks with which to commence the 

 season. 



It should be remembered that the honey is obtained at no 

 expense to the crop of hay, unless the same be allowed to stand 

 too long before being mown. Even for the sake of the bees most 

 crops should not stand until the greater part of the heads die off, 

 as such ripening process destroys the chance of a second crop. 



As a rule then, those 



Plants should be Grown that are Useful for Hay, 



after the bees have had their gathering. There are only two 

 kinds that I can recommend for bees which are scarcely suitable 

 for cattle, and those are Melilot clover (Melilotus alba) and Borage. 

 There may be many others that give much honey, but there is this 

 about them— they require constant care and attention to keep the 

 ground clean, therefore for honey alone such plants are quite out 

 of the question. The two named however can take care of them- 

 selves ; they outgrow everything else, yield large quantities of the 

 best of honey, and require only that the ground be turned or 

 ploughed, in the case of Borage every winter, and the other each 

 alternate winter. The latter flowering only in its second year, two 

 or more layings must be provided to maintain a succession. 

 Borage comes best with the ground turned up roughly and needs 

 no further care, but Melilot requires that the earth be harrowed 

 and then rolled as often as possible whenever the surface is dry. 

 Do not neglect to roll again the second year, both before and 

 after the leaf begins to show. The omission of this very important 

 matter is why the crop fails with many. We are sometimes told 

 that this plant does well on poor ground ; I have had it on both 

 that and rich land, with the advantage of three to one in favour 

 of the latter. Facts speak for themselves. 



