DEAR SUN SPOTS: I would like to thank you for all of the information you give. I enjoy your column very much.

I would like to know how to get rid of maple trees that are growing in my shrubs. My shrubs are many years old and very thick. By the time I notice the maple trees growing in the shrubs, the trees are too large to just pull out, and I can’t dig the trees out without destroying the shrubs.

So I cut back the trees level with the ground, but the roots are in the ground so the maple trees just grow back. They are damaging my shrubs. Do you have any ideas on how to stop the trees from growing? I am not online. — No Name, No Town

ANSWER: For an answer to this question, Sun Spots turned to Jody Goodwin, who writes a gardening column in the Sun Journal during the summer. She offers the following:

“Maple trees are very difficult once they have established roots, and it might take great persistence. Although I seldom recommend this, I would suggest that she use a small paintbrush and cover the maple, being very careful not to get it on the shrubs surrounding it, with RoundUp. This might work some for the next couple of weeks until freeze but would be most effective in the early spring.

“She might also explore where the problem is coming from. I would assume there is a maple tree nearby. If so, it might be sending out roots and perhaps these could be dug up and intercepted between the tree and the shrub where the seedlings are coming up. Just a thought!”

Sun Spots has dug up more than a few tree roots in her time, so she can appreciate how difficult this might be.

Jody also suggested that you might want to visit Gammon’s Landscaping on Route 4 between Auburn and Turner. She said they are very good at dealing with tree problems.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I am looking for the Robinson-Schlechtweg family Bible.

John George Schlechtweg emigrated from Saxony, Germany, before 1843, settling first in Boston, then moving his family to Kennebunk in 1853. The family later changed their name to Robinson, citing business challenges with Schlechtweg.

The grandson of John George, George A. Robinson, inherited the family Bible, described in a 1937 article in the Lewiston Daily Sun as: “the oldest Bible in York County. It is a Lutheran German Bible of 1,204 pages and was printed in Saxony in 1656. In addition to the Old and New Testaments, it contains Apocrypha, the life of Martin Luther and his wife, Catherine Von Buren, also the 39 protesting articles of the Ausberg Confession. It is a treasured family heirloom and contains the Robinson (Schlechtweg) family records since 1693.”

I am trying to locate the Bible, so our family can transcribe family records. If you have the Bible, or know its whereabouts, please contact me. — Barry Schwoerer, bschwoerer@comcast.net.

ANSWER: It sounds like you’ve already done online research, but Sun Spots took a quick look to see what is there. She found your posting at ancestry.com. There were also images of a “Robinson Family Bible” at ancestorhunt.com, but Sun Spots cannot tell if it’s yours. Robinson is a rather common name. There are advantages to sticking with an unusual name like Schlechtweg!

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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