SEPTEMBER 15, 1914 



719 



of ]iollen siDlit lengthwise often looks almost 

 like a rainbow. As for honeys being mixed 

 — why, they are often, or perhaps always, 

 mixed when the bees of a colony are work- 



ing on more than one source. It has been 

 proved beyond doubt. But this is not a 

 good locality, if you please. 

 Providence, R. 1. 



VALUE OF SHEEP TO KEEP DOWN THE GRASS AMONG THE HIVES 



BY A. J. HALTER 



The excessive growth of gxass and weeds 

 is a menace in an apiai'y, often requiring 

 houre of arduous labor to check an undesir- 

 able crop. This is especially true where a 

 large number of colonies are placed in a 

 comparatively small space. The immediate 

 growth in front of entrances causes confu- 

 sion among bees ; and to remove the same it 

 becomes necessary to get down on your 

 knees to be in position to do justice. How- 

 ever the more sacred your appearance may 

 assume, the more relentless the behavior of 

 the bees ; for if there is any mercy shown 

 by them it certainly does not manifest itself 

 when a person is in this position in front of 

 a hive. 



The past season, Mr. W. C. Ritchie, of 

 Hudson, 0., where my outyard is located, 

 purchased a large number of sheep, among 

 which were five rams, four of this number 



being prepared for market. At first these 

 rams were penned in a small lot adjacent 

 to the outyard, a'nd during the night had 

 access to the hives. Later, however, upon 

 merits of good behavior they were entirely 

 at liberty. This yard, comprising about ^ 

 acre, contained a vigorous growth of grass, 

 asters, elderberry bushes, and various fruit- 

 trees. In the course of several weeks the 

 rams had made a fair clean-up of gTass and 

 weeds, and began to pull otf the lower 

 branches of the elders, peeling the bark of 

 the larger stems. Later this appetite led to 

 peeling peach-trees, so that it became neces- 

 sary to place burlap ai'ound them. 



Every thing seemed harmonious. During 

 the period of warm weather the rams would 

 seek the shade during the day, and graze 

 during the night. Their craving for leaves 

 and shrubbery did not recede; and when the 



Some sheep which kept the K'-ass cropped shon in an apiary of J2:J liiv( 



