eks earlier than the white. Right under our office 

 mdow are some thrifty sweet-clover plants two or 

 three feet high. While the white shows no blossom- 

 buds at all a stock of yellow is in full bloom A. I. 



R.] 



SWEET GLOVER. 



WHY IS NOT THE YELLOW VAEIETY MORE WIDELY KNOWr?? 



The little I have written in Gleanings started a 

 small avalanche of letters of inquiry to which I have 

 been trying to do Justice. Some of these letters were 

 quite interesting. For instance, I got one from Cali- 

 fornia, in which the writer said: 



Some 25 years ago I was engaged in the hardware and 

 seed business at Paola, Kan., and for some customer I wrote 

 to an eastern seed-house for a little each of the white and 

 yellow Bokhara clover. They were identical in ha1)!t, but 

 I thought the yellow contained more nectar, as the be^s 

 were almost crazy for it, and it bloomed from early till 

 late. I now conclude that this Is the same as sweet clover 

 referred to. Do you know? 



I wonder what became of that yellow sweet clover 

 started so long ago near Paola, Kan. I wonder liow 

 it comes that the white sweet clover is Itnown all 

 over and the yellow is not. 



Its great merit was recognized in some quarters 

 years a^o. 



A very interesting letter from the late Mrs. L. 

 Harrison was read by Mr. York at the Illinois State 

 Bee-Keepers* convention, held in Chicago in 1896. 

 She said of MeUlotus oMcinalis, "This is well known, 

 and gaining in reputation as a forage-plant and for 

 bee-pasture." 



When D. A. Jones, of Canada, attended the sessions 

 of the North American Bee-kepers* Association he 

 advocated the merits of what he called Bokhara clo- 

 ver, first, last, and all the time. Prof. Cook took a 

 plant in his hand that Mr. Jones brought with him, 

 and, standing up smilingly, said, "Look at its root, 

 only sweet clover." So it was: but it was 

 i^MiXotus officinalis — the yellow variety. See Amen- 

 oan Bee Journah 1897, page 34. Ten years ago! 



15 



