A number of the leading honey plants fail to secrete nectar in part of
the territory in which they are found, but white sweet clover ranks as
a valuable source of nectar wherever found in sufficient quantity in
the United States. The period of nectar secretion usually follows that
of white and alsike clovers in the Northern States, and consequently
comes at a time when the colonies are strong enough to get the full
benefit of the secretion. The honey from white sweet clover is light in
color, with a slight green tint, the flavor being mild and suggestive
of vanilla. The characteristic flavor and color of the honey seem to
be less marked during a rapid secretion of nectar, In the irrigated
portions of the West honey from white sweet clover is often mixed with
that from alfalfa.
Beekeepers have long recognized the value of sweet clover as a source
of nectar, and for years tons of seed have been sold annually by
dealers in beekeepers' supplies. It has never been found profitable
to cultivate any plant solely for nectar, and those beekeepers who
were primarily interested in the plant for bee forage have scattered
the seed chiefly in waste places and along railroad embankments and
roadsides. A number of beekeepers who were also engaged in general
farming have for years utilized the plant for forage, and they were
among the earliest to grow the plant for seed, so as to be able to
supply their fellow beekeepers. Sweet clover to-day is almost the
only plant which beekeepers seek to increase in waste lands in their
localities.
The yield of nectar from sweet clover is heavy, and a number of
beekeepers now market this honey in carload lots. Sweet clover is
utilized for honey especially in Kentucky, in Iowa, and in Colorado and
adjacent States. In Alabama and Mississippi a number of beekeepers are
harvesting large crops chiefly from this source. The color and flavor
make this plant suitable for either comb or extracted honey.
Yellow sweet clover is perhaps as valuable for nectar as white sweet
clover, but beekeepers have paid less attention to it. This is probably
due to the fact that the blooming period of the yellow species often
coincides with that of white and alsike clover, making it less valuable
to the beekeeper. In sections where the quantity of white and alsike
clover is limited and it is desired to plant sweet clover for bee
pasturage, a mixture of the white and yellow species is recommended, as
the yellow species will bloom from 10 to 14 days earlier than the white.
Wherever any of the species of sweet clover are cultivated, either
for forage or for seed, beekeeping is to be recommended as a valuable
source of additional income, and such locations are especially suitable
for extensive commercial beekeeping.
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