Sunday, December 23, 2001
Hello all on the Bee-l list & Mickey
        First I would like to  say that an incomplete quote on another list
isn't Kosher. That said and done you must also remember that in Arizona we
don't have soy beans. Although Alfalfa is used here for seed purposes it
doesn't mean that it can't be used for "Pet Feed" for the family pets that
are rodents. Alfalfa and clover is used by farmers in the mid-west to enrich
the soil and give a food source to dairy cattle in the case of Wisconsin
were I am originally from. The problem with that is that many studies and
wives tales sometime mix up the timing as to when to do just that. It's a
real game as the T.V. show asked "Who do You Trust."
        While this site of discussion demands that there be proof I can only
say that I have to go back to a beekeeper who was in his 90's when he told
me that they can do both with clover dependent upon the "type" used and the
intelligence of the farmer in question. There is also a possibility that you
can go upstream in a boat with out a paddle too. They just prefer to believe
that the feed in question isn't "liked" by their cows as much. I have yet to
see a cow turn down a meal of any kind.
        Since I am the author of the incomplete message I will give it to
you from my files. Since I have all the e-mails that I send out from my
location in there full and complete sending of those messages. Don't
understand I will reply to any questions then. However the soil that is bad
can be enriched with legume management if that is the problem of nitrogen in
the soil. Other wise it would be poor soil that can be managed by adding
other natural needs.

Here is my statement: Fri 12/21/01 4:03 PM
"Hello all and Micky Near St. Louis, MO., US of A
In reference to what Micky wrote dated 12/ 20/2001 : "By and large, the
crops farmers raise in this area, do not require honeybees for pollination.
Corn, alfalfa, other hay crops, and soy beans."
        The last time I looked "Alfalfa" and "Soy Beans" are a source for
pollination by bees. There is a rule in nature called survival of the
fittest it applies to those organisms that can or are able to survive or
hunt but now that term seems to mean other things like adapting to a
changing conditions in nature.
        Alfalfa is a very good honey for advantages to the honey packer. I
don't
know about Soy beans as much. Here in the southwest the trees have ponds
like Soy beans but not quite the same. However the mite problem does give
the honeybee in a domestic hive and well taken care of will benefit more
because the competition was eliminated. However just to what that will have
is dependent on the beekeepers who know how to take care of their hives and
swarm control methods that the beekeeper uses. The longer that good
management is used and kept in check will determine how long the good
seasons you have. This is not a complete answer however as it all depends on
weather and crop selection by the farmers as well.
Respectfully submitted
Harvey"
        In order to understand this you should be a part of the other list.

Respectfully submitted
Harvey