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.
Transcriber Note
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