Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-06-29

above weed, to talk about 1t. Seeding
down TO grass will not kill the mustard
out-nor will anything else. L. is an oily
seed that only terminates when Brought
near the surface and exposed to the intiu-
ence of sun and rains. | Gun to-day turn
sod IN fence corner that has not been
disturbed in fifty years, and will show you
full crop of mustard. Only last summer
neighbor said to me, "How have you
killed out that wild mustard that used TO
be SO thick in your felds" The reply
was. Il haven't killed it out; it is there
yet, but manage so that it doesn't show"
turn over sod ground and plant TO
corn or potatoes; next crop barley, sown
about 18th to % of May, by which time
the soil is warm; the crop starts at once,
also millions of mustard plants. Barley
outgrows the weed, rarely a stalk of mus
tarc seeds. Mkt crop, wheat; mus ard
comes on again, but frost kills it. Sow
same fields to oats and there would be
more mustard than oats; indeed have
mown oats for hay rather than let the
weed ripen. 1 succeed fairly with late
sown barley, say thirty-fiv to forty bush
els per acre; have sown barley as late as
May % and got thirty eight bushels TO
acre. In town adjoining, barley r2isers
sow early and often pay threshers for
threshlng mustard seed.
Ny fields are also full OF narrow-leaf
plantain, brought in seventy -tive or eigh-
ty years ago with clover seed, and it
seems to run out all grass but orchard
grass, which, by the way, seems to be
very desirable sort, rather coarse for hay,
but making the best OF pasture, growing
early and late, and the least affected by
drouth of any sort, although we are hard
~ qualified to speak of drouths, for in
Fifty ears l have not seen a crop short
ened by lack of rain, pastures of timothy
excepted, which are now and then in need
of more rain than they get. Curiousiy,
many and many year have our hay and
wheat been injured by excess of rain
when towns adjoining were suffering for
lack of rain. | have not, in fifty years,
got in two crops of hay without rain, and
as rarely a crop of wheat or barley.
Honey PrOducers-Hiye Care.
PrairieiFarmer.
This spring is very dry and rather cold
and backward. Our bees were carried
from the cellar April 10, II and y in good
condition. There have been few mild
warm days, when bees carried in pollen
quite plentifully. In some localities it
may pay to feed rye meal or unbolted
wheat flour Or ground oats; bat here,
along the Illinois River, there is generally
natural pollen TO be gathered as soon as
it is warm enough for bees to fly. The
overflow from the river draws out the
frost and causes earlier bloom.
Ash-leaved maple iNegundo accroides),
which is commonly known as box elder,
is great favorite with bees, yielding both
honey and pollen. One year neighbor
came in, saying. "Your bees are swarm
ing in my trees" On going to them
saw al once why they were there; the
trees were alive with bees, and the happy
hum of industry prevailed, and not that
peculiar note which is heard when bees
issue in a swarm. Ash-leaved NAPLES are
planted largely as shade tree through
out the city, and some years are source
of much honey and pollen, which imparts
new life to the bees, and stimulates brood
rearing. We drove through the streets
to look az these trees and admired the
pretty little tasseis on every bough, as
they blossom just as the leaves start.
Like The country maid and her milk pail,
we calculated how much profit We should
reap by our bees gathering honey and
pollen from them. But alas. like the
milk-maid of old, our pail is upset, for
last night april 49, a heavy frost and
freeze occurred, which blasted our hopes
for honey from this source at least.
There will be no peach bloom, and very
little cherry, for the trees have all been
killed by drouth and cold, and we comfort
our hearts that we may at least have
bloom on crab apples; and daudelions are
hardy, if they are not all dug up for
green's. The catkins on the s1lver-ieaves
and cottonwoods are growing ana yield
pollen.
In the meantime let bee-keepers, one
and all, not sit idly on their hives whistl-
Ing to keep their courage up, but go to
work with will and clean up the apiary,
and let it at least look prosperous, for
honey comes like thief in the night, and
at time when we are not looking for it
so have all things ready. Do not dis
turb the bees and kick over hives, but
remember that Moses broke the stones
upon which the law was written. See to
it that every hive stands true and firm,
for if the hives lean to one side, crisis
cross crooked honey will be built, just as
surely as water runs down hill. Look
out for leaky roofs. and stop up cracks
with paint. / nave never seen bad results
follow painting hives with bees in
them. You may find some dead colonies
if so, lift out the frames and clean out
the hives. wide chisel is good tool
TO use in scraping out a hive. If the
hive is fowl, scrub it out with hot suds
and rince with boiling water. Efface
every trace of diarrhea, for who knows
but it may breed disease. Scrape off the
frames, brush off the bees with whisk
broom, and cut off all queen cells, for they
are never used again, and are unsightly.
Do not spend time picking dead bees out
of the comb with pin or pinchers, for
the bees have better tools to do it with
than you, and can work more cheaply.
The frames can be put back into the
hive, which will be better for a fresh coat
of paint, for hive should last as long as
house, If kept we'll painted. new swarm
will be very glad of this hive, well furnish
ed, all ready for house keeping and not
empty.
The old Scotchman said to his SON.:
Jock, plant tree; it will be growing
nights while you sleep" If you do not
plant tree in the apiary, plant grape
vine, and in three years you can eat tn e
fruit of it. Then when you are tired in
the fall taking off honey, you can sit in the
shade of the vine, obtain from the refres h.
ing fruit renewed courage for the fray.