Much has been written for the JOURNAL about the value of this variety
of clover for its yield of honey and hay. Such has not been my
experience with it, sown on 19 acres of land, and extending over 11
years. In 1869 I bought some 38 pounds of the seed of Mr. Thomas, of
Canada. The cost to me, of the seed, duty and express charges, was $18.
Having 9 acres of ground planted with apple trees that had been bearing
for some time, and wishing to seed it down to grass I had the ground
well prepared for the reception of the seed, and a good rain fell just
after it was brushed in; it came up nicely, and as there was favorable
rains all through the summer it grew finely. The following season it
grew in length of stem and quantity of bloom far beyond my expectation,
and when in its full bloom it was a beautiful sight, resembling an
ocean of blossoms, and as I looked upon it, you may rely upon it my
calculations of boxes of nice alsike clover honey loomed up in large
proportions, but like many another calculation based upon what our bees
are going to do, it was all in fancy and I was doomed to disappointment.
Day after day their flight was just in the opposite direction, with
only here and there a bee to be seen on it. There was a body of timber
¾ of a mile distant in the direction they were flying with pastures
well set in white clover between this timber and the apiary, and I
supposed the white clover pastures was the source of honey supply. This
state of things continued for some time, and seeing a bee-man pass by
that lived in the timber I inquired how his bees were getting along.
He replied they were doing finely as they ought to, for he had never
seen heavier honey dews. That was the secret, and soon my boxes began
to show evidence of the dark stuff being put into them, instead of
alsike honey. Fortunately for me, before much of it was stored in the
boxes, some heavy dashing rains washed it from the leaves and there
was no more of the dew for them to gather. The alsike and white clover
were in bloom for some time after this, but for some cause the bees
paid but little attention to it, and I was vexed to see the promise
of a rich return for my expenditure frustrated. I took it for granted
that the season was not congenial for its production of honey, as I
knew the same to be the case with white clover, as it was last summer.
After this at different times I sowed 2 other orchards of 5 acres each
with alsike, neither of which did as well as the first piece sown,
want of timely rains, &c., being the cause, but by continuous sowing I
succeeded in having them tolerably well set with it.
Receiving no perceptible benefit from it, commensurate with its trouble
and expense, I have for some time been satisfied that in central
Illinois where our white clover is so abundantly furnished in our
pastures and road sides, without any expense, and hardy at that, it is
time and money put to a poor use.
As a hay producing plant it amounts to but little after the first
season, as it becomes dwarfed in habit, and, I believe, will eventually
be but little larger in growth under like circumstances than the white
variety. The white clover is the honey plant for our latitude, and I
presume the alsike for Sweden, from whence it came, and corresponding
latitudes. After having had 11 years’ experience with it I think it
unworthy of attention from bee-men, either for honey or hay; at least
where the hardy white clover comes spontaneously to our hands.
There is one thing I ought not to omit, in sowing this Canadian seed I
introduced a kind of cockle (different from any I have seen in Penn. or
Ohio) that holds its own much better than the clover, and I begin to
think it will be a standing pest difficult to get rid of.
Atlanta, Ill.
Read before the N. E. Convention.
The Supply and Queen Trade.