1895 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



605 



CRIMSON CLOVER. 



A great number of questions are constantly 

 coming in. in regard to tliis new forage and 

 honey plant, and we are selling large amounts 

 of seed. In fact, a two-l)Ushel bag is going out 

 almost every day, and sometimes two in a day. 

 I do not know what the consequence will be of 

 sowing it too early. If it should blossom before 

 winter, I suppose that would be the end of it, 

 because the plant dies after blooming once. I 

 presume, however, it is well to get as large a 

 growth as possible, without running up to seed, 

 the same as with spinach, and other plants 

 that stand over winter. I would recommend, 

 therefore, that it be put in all through the 

 month of August, and perhaps through Septem- 

 ber also. In order to test it, we commenced 

 sowing it first early in July, with buckwheat. 

 This first sowing was up in a week, and now it 

 has the second leaves on. It is very quick to 

 germinate, and grows very rank and strong 

 during this warm dry weather. We have had 

 two good rains, though, since it was put in. 

 Some succeed while others do not, in a locality 

 as far north as this. Very likely, however, 

 very much depends upon how it is sown, fertil- 

 ity of the ground, etc. It seems to be fully as 

 hardy as red clover. Its great value to the 

 farmer is, that it may be put in during August 

 and September, wherever crops of any kind are 

 taken off; and, more than that, it may be sown 

 right among the standing corn, just after you 

 cultivate it the last time. The corn shades it 

 from the intense heat of the sun; and as soon 

 as the corn is removed, the clover has the 

 ground. We are sowing it to-day, July 29. 

 We have just cultivated for the last time our 

 extra-early Corey corn. We cultivated the 

 ground before putting in the seed; and in or- 

 der to get it well down during this hot dry 

 weather we are going to run the cultivator 

 through again after sowing. 



There has been sufficient success, not only in 

 Ohio, but even as far north as Michigan and 

 York State, to warrant us in taking consider- 

 able pains to learn how to handle it. If it suc- 

 ceeds, you have a great lot of feed very early 

 in the spring; and if you wish to enrich the 

 ground for some future crop you have a great 

 growth of clover to turn under. When it suc- 

 ceeds, this latter plan is probably the cheapest 

 way of manuring your ground that has ever 

 been devised. I say manuring, for a heavy 

 growth of this clover, or, in fact, any clover, 

 turned under just before planting your crop, 

 is equivalent to a great many loads of the very 

 best stable manure. Another thing, you do not 

 get a great lot of weed seeds as where your 

 manure is purchased. 



PRICKLY LETTUCE, OR WILD LETTUCE. 



A good deal has been said in our papers about 

 this dangerous weed. But I am inclined to 

 think a good deal more needs to be said. If you 

 do not know it, it is a sort of milkweed, with 

 bluish-green leaves, and yellow flowers the col- 

 or of a dandelion, but rather more the shape of 

 a thistle-blossom. The leaf is long and prickly. 

 It does not quite surround the stalk, but there 

 are a couple of little ears running opposite from 

 the way the leaf points. Now when I tell you 

 it will shoot up and go to seed quicker than al- 

 most any other plant you ever heard of, you 

 will recognize it without trouble. This year, as 

 usual our strawberry-beds were kept clean till 



picking-time; then the weeds were allowed to 

 grow until the last berries were picked, at 

 which time the old beds were promptly turned 

 under, as I have explained. Well, although 

 there was not a prickly lettuce to be seen when 

 we commenced picking berries, this weed was 

 two feet high, and some of the stalks were send- 

 ing seed flying out on the wind. 1 told one of 

 our men that that patch of strawberries must 

 positively, every plant, be plowed under before 

 another day passed, and that the prickly let- 

 tuce ought not to stand for even one hour. 

 Sometimes my friends complain that I do not 

 explain fully just what I want or mean; but I 

 surely did in the above. Would you not think 

 so? Well, the man stopped his plowing between 

 five and six, saying he did not suppose I would 

 care if the weeds were left just one more day. 

 VVell, I thought best not to say any thing, but I 

 did care greatly. And w,e ought to care, all of 

 us. Prickly lettuce should be stamped off from 

 our farms and gardens, and we should not wait 

 a single day or a single hour. 



Three years ago the plant was unknown in 

 the State of Ohio, and now I see it almost eve- 

 rywhere I go with my bicycle. Friend Board- 

 man and I found it beside the road up in Hu- 

 ron Co. ; and I am told it is now pretty much all 

 over the State. Now, mind you, the dangerous 

 part is the tremendous rapidity with which it 

 grows in hot dry weather, and sends its seeds 

 flying in the wind. The roots never live over 

 like the Canada thistle. In fact, they do not 

 need to. The remedy is to pull it up, or chop it 

 off with a hoe just as soon as it is getting into 

 blossom. That ends the business for each indi- 

 vidual plant. 



HOW TO HANDLE THE GAULT RASPBERRY. 



The card of directions below was sent out 

 with each package of plants shipped by me last 

 spring. I believe Mr. Root did the same. 



In unpacking-, be careful not to injure the youngr, 

 tender sprout. When the young canes attain the 

 heiRlit of 6 or 10 inches, pinch out the top; this will 

 encourage laterals. 



Then, if you desire fruit, let them have their own 

 way; but if you wish to propagate young plants, 

 pinch off all the blossoms as fast as they appear. 

 This treatment will cause them to tbrow out leaders 

 which will root readily wlien covered with earth. 



The second year, prune back the same as any black 

 cap, and cut out all old canes as soon as through 

 bearing. 



It was my design to make it as clear as pos- 

 sible; yet I find that, in many cases, it has not 

 been thoroughly understood. I have received 

 many letters requesting further information in 

 regard to propagating. The plants were not 

 all sold to experienced nurserymen, but, on the 

 contrary, a large proportion of them went into 

 the hands of persons who were little practiced 

 in the art of horticulture. To such this infor- 

 mation may possibly be of benefit. 



The most convenient time to pinch out the 

 blossom is when it is a small round ball, about 

 the size of a well-developed currant. At this 

 stage it will roll out readily when pressed be- 

 tween the thumb and finger. I am not surpris- 

 ed that some mistakes should occur at this par- 

 ticular point, for I often find myself getting 

 sadly behind in this matter by allowing great 

 spikes of blossoms, and sometimes even berries, 

 to form on the plants. Now, should this occur 

 we must cut back beyond the last fruit-bud; 

 for if we leave even one or. two, the whole 

 energy of the cane will go to ripen the berries^ 

 and not a single leader will appear. 



It will be remembered that the production of 

 fruit and roots depends upon different physio- 

 logical principles; and the peculiarity of this 

 variety of raspberries is that of its wonderful 



