The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-20
The scrap Book.

Why Lime is Valuable as a Fertiiiz~er-
In soils deficient in lime applications o.
lime are necessary to supply plant food.
The indirect value of lime is perhaps more
important than its direct action. 1t I'M
locks unavailable potash, phosphoric acid
and nitrogen of the soil. 1t also exerts de-
cided influence on the mechanical condi-
tons of soil. Compact soils are made light
and loose soils are made more compact. It
also furnishes conditions in the soil favor
able to the activity of mi
crO-organisms which convert the
nitrates and thus makes it available as
plant food On soils that are sour, lime
is valuable in neutralizing The acidity.
Corrosive Sublimate for Potato Scab-
The scab OF. potatoes can be prevented by
soaking the seed in a weak solution of
corrosive submate, says the Agricuitur-
list. Dissolve two ounces of finely pulver-
lied sublimate in two gallons of hot water
and let it stand over night of until the sub
Innate is all dissolved. Dilute this TO fif-
teen gallons and permit it to stand in a
wooden barrel four or five hours. Select
the seed 10 be treated. wash off all dirt
and immerse in the solution one and one
half hours, after which dry the potatoes
and cut and plant as usual taking care
not 10 pant upon ground that has pre-
viOusly borne diseased potatoes. The pota-
toes may be cut before they are treated
With the solution. Great care must be
used in using this sublimate, as il is a
poison. The solution must not be placed
in metallic vessels. This is the only effec-
tive treatment of seed to prevent scaD;
it usually does the business, and is SO
cheaply and easily employed that il ought
to come into universal use wherever po-
tato scab is feared.
Controlling the Bean Weevil.-Ths little
pest develops in dried beans at almost
any time during the storage period in the
winter. The eggs are deposited in the green
beans, the larvae hatch in a couple of
weeks, gnaw out cells in the interior of
the bean, where they attain their growth
and pupate. Sometimes several are found
in a single bean. The only way to get rid
of them in a bin is 10 make a storage
place as nearly alright as possible then
place a saucer of carbon bisulphde on top
of the beans and close up the bin and let
it remain closed for day or two. Carbon
bsulphidc, being heavier than air, and very
VIOLA lie, permeats every portion of the bin
and destroyes every living thing among
the beans. Care must be taken to keep
fire away during the treatment, as the BIZ
sulphide is very inhammable II has been
suggested that if the beans are heated to
115 degrees as soon as ripe the partially
grown larvae will be destroyed without in
jury TO the terminating quality of the seed.
Late planting is also advised so that the
crop viii escape the ravages of the adult
insects. in the latitude of Central Illinois,
beans planted from June 20 to July 10 were
almost free from the weevil, while those
planted early were seriously injured.
Ginger Easily Grown.--G. wants 10 know
about planting and gathering ginger /
can only give information in small way.
having grown it but three or four years,
and only for home use. ! got the root
from a Minorcan, who told me it must
surely be taken up in the fall before there
was any frost, dried a day or two in the
shade, and then put away in wooden cloths
in dry warm place until April when it
should be planted. This 1 faithfully did
the first year, but the next year having
plenty of roots for seed, / left some i'm
the ground covering slightly with mulch.
In the spring found this had kept equal
ly as well as that housed with so much
care. l now treat 1t in this way, that is.
leave what / wish for seed where il grew
until spring, covering with sufficient
mulch to keep the roots from frost which
grow very near the surface l have Just
gathered my crop, but this may be done
later, or any time If the ground does not
freeze.
l consider ginger one of the most valua-
bic of all our homegrown plants. Me-
dicinally, it has no superior for kidney
troubles, a fact which should be generally
known. The ground ginger bought at the
stores is usually adulterated with corn
meal or other harmless stuff, and the root
is no better, for We find il has been boiled
to obtain the extract of Jamaica ginger.
then dried and put on the market for pure
ginger, which 1t is, what there is of it.
Hastings, Fla. Jay Terrell.
Here is a scheme that the manager
uses at his theater in Portland Ore. After