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----- Original message (ID=55615A17) (79 lines) --------
From: "Jeffrey A. Holbrook" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "'Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology'"
<[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: [BEE-L] White Melilot
Date: Fri, 7 Feb 2003 19:59:15 -0500

Peter,

        I live in upstate NY also.  The reason alfalfa is typically not
a good honey plant is the fact that it is typically cut just prior to
the flowers blooming.  That is when it is highest in TDN, total
digestible nutrients.  Not good for the bees because they usually won't
work the sparse flowers that are missed on the edges of the fields.  If
for some reason, weather or health of the owner or field workers for
example, delay harvest until after the alfalfa has bloomed then you may
see a great yeild from large fields of this plant.  Conversely, the Red
and Alsike Clovers planted in this area are highest in TDN, after the
flowers have wilted and have turned brown.  For this reason, clover is a
good honey plant, at least around here.  As for white sweet clover, it
was a banned plant in this area back in the early 1900's.  Originally,
it was promoted as a soil improver as it's roots grow deep.  This gives
it the property of loosening up compacted soil or so it was claimed.
Some would say that starving cows would not eat it but others claimed
the opposite.  It's seeds need to be roughly abraided to germinate
successly, ergo, one most often sees this and the Yellow Sweet Clover
growing along rural roadsides.   In my area at least, there is enough of
this that the bees will work this plant when it is in flower.  The
flowers of the sweet clovers open in succession from bottom to top,
taking a few weeks, so the bees have a lot of time to get at this.  They
will go off of it if something else is more abundant.  At least that has
been my experience.

Jeff Holbrook


East Corning, NY