682 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Sept. 15. 



You -mil see by the diagram that each plant 

 is the center of a circle of six plants. The 

 plants are equally distant from th.e center one 

 and from each other, like the cells of a hone}-- 

 comb, if you choose. 



There are two reasons for planting in this 

 way. When the plants are large and bushy, 

 they entirely cover the groimd much better 

 than if they were planted in squares, and each 

 plant has all the room it possiljly can have. 

 Second, you can cultivate them from right to 

 left and diagonally two other ways — see marks 

 made b}- the cultivator on the left-hand side 

 of the cut above. With this arrangement 

 every runner is to be clipped off just as soon 

 as it can be seen. The plants are to be pushed 

 into fruit-bearing. They are to make fruit 

 and nothing else; and if you have never tried 

 the experiment you will be astonished to see 

 the size and beauty of the fruit grown in this 

 way. All the great strawberry-growers all 

 over the world are practicing this or a similar 

 plan, where they want extra-fine fruit. If you 

 mark the ground and put it out as above, your 

 plants will be just about two feet apart from 

 center to center. 



Perhaps you may ask how to get these 

 plants exactly on this equilateral-triangle 

 arrangement. In the cut you will see three 

 letters, A, B, C. These letters form an equi- 

 lateral triangle. Make it as large as your plot 

 of ground will admit. Take three strings of 

 equal length ; stretch one of them on the first 

 row from right to left ; then stretch the other 

 two so they will meet at the point C. Now 

 cut two sticks just 21 inches long, or the dis- 

 tance between the marks made by your mark- 

 er. Use a stick at each end of the row to 

 measure from the first string, and stretch the 

 string jevery time you put in a row of plants. 

 These rows are to be parallel, either with the 

 line B C or A C. Set a potted plant wher- 

 ever the string crosses a furrow-mark. The 

 cultivating is all to be done with the hand 

 cultivator or garden-plow pictured below. 



COLE S GARDEN-PLOW. 



This plow has three teeth, as you will ob- 

 serve, and makes three furrows. The dotted 

 lines between the plants in the cut are to rep- 

 resent these furrows. Run this cultivator 

 through the plants in three different direc- 

 tions, as I have indicated, say as often as once 

 a week ; and be sure j'ou run it once after 

 every shower when the ground in the beds is 

 in tiie best state to pulverize. Any boy w^ill 

 do it after you show him how, and he will 

 think it is fun — that is, if the field is not too 



large and the boy is not too small. If you 

 have a spell of dry weather, such as we are 

 having now, keep your garden-plow going, 

 and it will almost take the place of watering. 

 In fact, that is what our garden-plow is doing 

 just across the way while I write these lines. 

 Some kinds of plants are better suited for this 

 hill-culture system than others ; but almost 

 any variety will do evir so nmch better when 

 it has room and good cultivation, and does not 

 have to make runners. 



SWEET CLOVER. 

 From Bulletin 74, of the State of Ohio, we 

 quote the following in regard to sweet clover : 



Sweet clover was formerly included among those 

 weed.s ■whose destruction might be enforced under 

 the statute. But this sweet clover, especialy the white 

 sort, is rated by many as a valuable forage-plant. In 

 this respect, without discussing its merits, it properly 

 takes rank with white clover and other cultivated for- 

 rage-plants. A bee-keeper of the State had sown an 

 area to white sweet clover(Melilotus alba), for his bees 

 to work upon. Under the statute, as enforced at that 

 place, the authorities, after notice, entered the prem- 

 ises and cut down the plants. Sweet clover, and other 

 plants of value for cultivation, should not be included 

 among the weeds to be de.stroj-ed. There is now the 

 best of opportunity, as well as urgent demand, to put 

 Ohio weed laws into adequate and permanent form. 

 Suggestions as to plants that should be included will 

 he given in the weed bulletin now in preparation. 



It is refreshing to know that otir experiment 

 station at least recognizes the mistake it has 

 made ; and the bee-keeper who had his sweet 

 clover ctit down on his own premises will 

 probably get the value of his crop paid back 

 to him, without question. 



SWEET CLOVER, AGAIN; SOMETHING ON THE 

 OTHER SIDE. 



On page .536 I see Geo. W. Fair's question, " Is .sweet 

 clover a noxious weed?" About sixteen years ago I 

 sowed, for a permanent pasture, red, aLsike, sweet 

 clover, and timothy. All grew to some extent. The 

 second year I found nothing I had would eat the sweet 

 clover. ' Horses, mules, cows, calves, sheep, and hogs 

 all had access to it. I then plowed it up and cultivated 

 the land and sowed the second year with mammoth, 

 red, and alsike clovers, and timothy. Every year 

 since, I have cut the sweet clover around the fences 

 from one to three times. It has been my aim not to 

 let any go to seed. I did the work myself. To-daj- I 

 have been at it for the .second time in lSi)7. I wrote 

 to the A >?/ etica >i Bee Joiti na/, stating my experience 

 after I had tried it a few years, asking as a favo 

 notify the farmers. The answer was, " Your expe- 

 rience differs from that of others." Mr. Editor, if yoi 

 will try to exterminate it for two or three years on i 

 short piece of roadway or from fence-corners, you 

 will be convinced. It is in Warren, Benton, Fountain, , 

 and Montgomei-j- Counties ; and on the highway, 

 when .stock is allowed to run, it is three feet high, 

 \vhile grass is quite short. In the clo.sed counties the 

 superv-isors of the roads have it cut. I have talked to 

 manj- of the farmers, and all condemn it as a weed. 

 You say, " Teach your neighbors to make hay of it.' 

 F-ence it off and turn cattle in, and let them starve. ' 

 You .say. " If you really want to get rid of it, wait till" 

 spring." Rotf If you want to get rid of it, don't let it 

 seed; don't sow it.' As for passing this journal around 

 in the above counties. I wish to be excused. You may ■ 

 do that. I had it this year four feet high in pa.stures i 

 spoken of above. You .seldom see catnip in pastures , 

 or in cultivated fields. I have received many benefits J 

 from the bee-papers, but it was through their influence ' 

 I sowed .sweet clover. 



The .seed may have a market value, but so has mus- ^ 

 tard seed: yet not many pensons would advi.se farmers ' 

 to sow mu.stard seed along the highway, to the detri- \ 

 ment of others. I can show you sweet clover in the ; 

 highwav not as much molested by the stock that run ■ 

 there daily as is the mustard. Yes, I make mistakes, 

 but you have made one that has done much damage : 

 to the farmers, and has been the cause of much hard j 



