The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1881-04-09
SCOT In Horticulture.

SCOT is despised thing. at which every
one lifts I'D his or her hands in holy horror.
Yet it is one of our most valuable fertilizers,
and for boosting insects 1t stands very high
The SCOT from soft coal is the best, and any
one who wastes it wastes wealth; for we need
every ounce in the gardens and fields of the
country This is nc whim or theory its
uses are well-known to every practical
gardener. Our cabbage-felds and gardens
are all visited with the common whitish-
yellow butterflies each year; yet this insect
is easily driven to seek its food in some
other place if SCOT is sprinkled over
the plants on dewy mornings, or when they
are wet The writer had once charge of a
garden where ii had been unfortunate in the
production of any of the cabbage family
from caulihowers to Brussel sprouts. SCOT
solved the problem. The operations were
10 first scatter thin coat of SCOT on the soil.
where the seed had to be sown. This was
worked in so as not to touch the seed, either
with rake or fork. for il is fatal to seed If
touched when terminating, put after the
roots begin TO spread they like it, The wire
worm that makes all the cabbage tribe form
a club-shape at the bottom of the stem and
stops them from forming proper roots, rarely
ever does this mischief. Our professors have
been trying to make 'club-root in the cab
bage tribe disease, but if SCOT is used as de-
scribed the disease is seldom or never seen.
After cabbage plants of any kind are raised
and ready to plant out for heading, if their
roots and stems right up to the leaves, are
dipped in a paint made of SCOT, soil and
water. Just thick enough to stick to them,
few ground insects will attack them. A good
many can be dipped at one time. Land
where carrots, turnips, or onions have To be
sown is always benefited if good dressing
of SCOT Is applied. The turnip crop is an
important one in England, and were it not
for a free use of SCOT it could not be grown,
nor could wheat; and il is common thing
to see train of SCOT leaving the large towns
for the market gardening and farming dis
tricts. Here is new source of employment
for American citizens, and il II were col
iected. as in England, it would sell.
If rose bushes were dressed about the first
week in May with SCOT, when they are moist,
we should not see those bad-loOking roses or
bushes that we so often see now, that look,
in fact as il they had been burned when the
little catterpiller has feasted on them a few
days. The catterpiller that goes by the name
of roller-f1y, because IL rolls itself up In the
leaves of roses and other things and eats into
the buds of roses when feasting is driven
away by SCOT sprinkled over the bushes free
ly about the latter end of April or beginning
of May, as it is about that time that the eggs
begin to hatch that have been laid on the
bushes. and it is well to repeat the dose
| about week before the roses are likely to
| open. The SCOT will generally be pretty we'll
off before the roses are fit to gather, and ladies
| will not be annoyed by finding big, ugly
grub inside thesr handsome flowers the
| smell OF the SCOT is soon gone, when it is ex-
posed to the atmosphere, as its smell is
| chiefly ammonia, which is very volatile.
| SCOT increases the color of the leaves and
| flowers of most plants, and give a vigorous
| growth.
| gentleman at Indianapolis, who was
advised to use SCOT to drive insects from his
| plants, reports that his wife thought that he
| had killed her pets, and after few days he
| thought the plants grew so fast that the In
sects could not catch them, and now he get'
barrel of SCOT from round-house, to ust
on his garden. every week.
The pretty, yellow-striped bug that at
tacks our squashes and cucumbers has M
affinity for SCOT or ashes and soon leaves fo
other places where it don't get such season
ing at its meals.
Apply SCOT whenever the leaves of plant
are moist, and four or five dressings in yea
are not too much. SCOT and -four of sui phu
in equal parts mixed in thin -four past
make paint for all kinds of trees that doe
not injure them, but makes them grow as |
washes off, and will keep insects and rah
bits, mice, or other vermin from them If a.
piled to the stems three or four times year
and mildew will seldom be seen when thi
mixture is frequently used on vines or othe
things subject to it. A GARDNER.