AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



345 



dueries aiid RepliBs. 



Noxious Weeds in an Ajiary, 



Query 756. — I am troubled with crab 

 grass and weeds growing all around and 

 over my hives, which are in a bearing 

 peach-orchard. While the bees were 

 quiet on cool days, I have plowed the 

 ground between the rows, and intend to 

 " fork " around the trees and hives, as 

 it is no easy undertaking to keep the 

 grass hoed out during the growing sea- 

 son, which, with us, is from April to 

 November. Please answer these ques- 

 tions : 1. Where an apiary is located, 

 and hives, through necessity, are placed 

 on broken or cultivated land, what mix- 

 ture of grass or clover will permanently 

 subdue the growth of noxious weeds 

 or grass? 2. Also the best time and 

 amount of seed to sow. 3. How would 

 Japan or white clover answer ? — Texas. 



For Texas, I cannot answer. — M. 

 Mahin. 



Here, I would sow mixed grasses and 

 white clover. I cannot speak for Texas. 

 — A. J. Cook. 



Ask the farmers in your neighborhood. 

 They know most about such things, and 

 also know your soil and climate. — James 

 Heddon. 



Like Dr. Miller, I really "don't 

 know." I hope some one does, for I have 

 trouble from that cause. — J. M. Ham- 



BAUGH. 



1. Blue grass, white clover and or- 

 chard grass. 2. Sow, in March, of blue 

 grass one bushel per acre; white clover, 

 3 pounds per acre; orchard grass, 6 

 pounds per acre. — Mks. L. Harrison. 



White clover might do; but why do 

 you not keep those weeds down with 

 sand, sawdust, or something of that 

 kind, and kill the few weeds that come 

 up through it with salt. — G. M. Doo- 



LITTLE. 



If you wish to cultivate the land by 

 raising grass that will make a perma- 

 nent sod, sow thickly some lawn grass 

 as early as possible in the Spring. White 

 clover and June grass make a good sod. 

 — A. B. Mason. 



I would give more for the reply of one 

 intelligent farmer living in your locality, 

 than for those of all the bee-keepers 

 in Illinois. Ask several around you, or 



some good agricultural paper in the 

 Soath. — C. C. Miller. 



Crab grass is a nuisance in a large 

 apiary. If the ground is not too much 

 shaded it might bo a good plan to sow 

 clover thickly, and, perhaps, mix in some 

 blue grass. Sow clover as early in the 

 Spring as possible. — C. H. Dibberx. 



1. Use plow, hoe and scythe to ex- 

 terminate the weeds and grass. You 

 must get rid of these before you can ex- 

 pect a stand of clover. 2. In the Fall. 

 3. Very well if you properly prepare 

 your ground for it. — J. P. H. Browx. 



1. Sow sweet clover or alfalfa, or 

 alsike and timothy. 2. Sow the sweet 

 clover in the Fall, and the others in 

 early Spring. 3. If the white clover 

 does well on Texas soil, it should hold its 

 own against the weeds. — G. L. Tinker. 



1. From my experience, I think 

 ground ivy, or " gill-over-the-ground" 

 would come as near to running every- 

 thing else out as anything, but the cure 

 might be worse than the disease. June 

 grass, also, runs everything else out 

 (except the ivy). 2. Perhaps in your 

 vState, the latter could be sowed in Win- 

 ter or early Spring. — Eugene Secor. 



1. Blue grass, sometimes called June 

 grass, if it flourishes in your locality, is 

 best either alone or mixed with white 

 clover. Clover alone would not be so 

 good. 2. In the Winter, or very early 

 in the Spring. The point is to give it a 

 long period of moist weather to allow it 

 to get well rooted before dry weather. — 

 R. L. Taylor. 



My plan is to set the hives at least 6 

 feet apart, so that I can keep down the 

 weeds and grass with a scythe and a 

 grass hook. The weeds are just as 

 easily subdued, or rather kept under 

 control, as any of the grasses are. My 

 yard is a rich blue grass sward, and I 

 have to " mow " it once in two weeks, 

 and I use a grass knife to trim around 

 the hives, which is a daily job during the 

 growing season. Perhaps nothing will 

 give you less trouble than your weeds. I 

 believe I would swap you my blue grass 

 for your weeds. Blue grass is so fine in 

 blade and straw that it is hard to cut. — 

 G. W. Demaree. 



The farmers in your neighborhood can 

 answer these questions more satisfac- 

 torily than any Northern bee-keeper. 

 Why not keep the land around the 

 hives clean with sand or gravel ?-Thk 

 Editor. 



