The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1895-01-02

the use of such fertilizers has in the leaf
of fruit trees.
The hills should not be raised above
the surface more than two inches. Re-
peated sowings should be made in differ
ent parts of the hill so that the danger
of loss from late frOSts will be reduced
to a minimum. In case this is not de-
sired, they can be carried through frosts
with the use OF plant protectors.
AS soon as the rough leaves are fully
developed the plants should be thinned
out to two in each hill. AS in other vine
crops the ground should be kept well
Weeded until the vines cover the ground.
and in such wedding and cultivating the
vines should be disturbed as little as
possible.
Very early cucumbers can be made
by pinching off the vine after the fourth
or fifth rough leaf has been made. Lat
eral bearing vines will then be thrown
out which will mature earlier than if
the vine was allowed to folio " natures
course. We have never known this
practice of forcing to be adol Ted by any
grower on large scale.
The White Spine strains are princi-
pally used for shipment The value of
the different O eS is simply a question of
how much care the seed grower takes in
the production of the seed crop and his
care in throwing out inferior specimens.
1t is a fact that it is best to use vine
crop seeds that are two or more years
old at time of planting. Such seed pro-
duce less vine and more fruit than the
fresh seed. There is scientific theory
back of this fact which will prove inter-
esting to our readers and will be given
in some future issue.
INSECT ENEMIES.
knowledge as to remedies of many of
the insect pests that are destructive to
vegetables, is as yet limited. We are
making a study of insect life in it's rela-
zion to vegetable growing and as soon as
definite results are known we shall give
them to our readers.
All of the different crops mentioned
in this article are subject TO the attacks
of the flea beetle, which attacks them
in the earliest stage of growth and con-
tinues until the vines begin to run. The
most effective remedy so far known is
to dust the leaves when wet with dew or
rain, with lime or SCOT. This should be
uOuo DIS SOOu DIS tue UecGIcS appear III any
mum Der, and if washed off by rain the
application should be repeated,
The muskmelon is attacked by the
squash borer to such an extent in Flor
ida that satisfactory crop is next to
impossible to make. The only remedy
is hand picking or else plant enough for
bugs and consumer.
The squash bug" or beetle attacks
both squash and cucum Der. The leaves
are destroyed by sucking the sap. These
are easily seen and must be hand picked
the same as the bOrer
Another insect, the vine bCrer, attacks
the stem of the muskmelon, squash and
and cucumber, eating it's way into the
body of the plant. The indication Of
it's presence is the shriveling up of the
vines. The plants that have been
attacked should be dug up at once and
burned. This destroys the worm and
larvae and prevents the spread of it's
attacks to the whole field.
The cucumber, except for the flea
beetle, is comparatively free from insect
attacks. Toward the end of the season
they are occasionally damaged by the