The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-12-15
WITH THE FARMERS
By Prof w. F. MASSEY

ada water enough to make twcnty-nye
gallons. Then run the two together
into a third cask. stirring 1t all III.
time. and 1t IL ready TO strain into the
/ sprayer This IL tho $3.50 mixture
and when we want 10 usc ii To poison
the codling moth or the Colorado no.
t0to beetle. we add one pound of lead
arsenate or hve ounces Of Paris green
TO the nifty gallons. Tho Bordcaux
mixture is used for the prevention Of
all sorts of blghts ana rusts. II &c
used to pre- vent the rust or blight of thc
leaves of cucumbcrs and melons. the
leaf blight ana fungus roots OF totna .
toes and elephants, the blight on irish
potatoes and as a general preventive
OF fungus diseases on plants Of any
sort.
FOrmnldcIyde
FormaIdchyde is now used success
fully for the prevention of nildcv on
roses ana other plants. y teaspoon
~! an a two-gallon watering pot can
be readily prepared and used vyitll on.
Of the Tin hand atomizers on the roses.
ana IL leaves no stain as the Bordea,x
MIXTURE docs But there are a nu,,-
Der 81 sucking insects That do not uo,
IA" poisons applied To tho surface or
plants. ana 10 destroy these We must
use materials tia; XIII by merely com
D IL
sects do not breathe through their
mouths. but through certain opoutn,.
+ or spiraclcS in their sides and some
Things of dust-likc nature. choking
I the breathing pores. or having "a para
+ lyZins effect. are used. ono OF tho
chiei OF these is the pyrc,hrum pow
der commonly sold ~ Persian Insect
Powder and as Euhac. This is = no.
fect!y safe material TO handle. as II is
/ not poisonous % human beings. bcin,,
merely the pulvcriHed dried flowers Of
/ inc Pyrcthrum roscum. near akin To
the common chrysanthemuln II,
ch"kes their breathing pores and also
has = paralyzing effect on them.
Our house plants. ana the rose bushes
~ carry spring, and the cabbage plants
ana other plants get infested win
green or gray or black aphides or
pIaht lice. Tobacco IS the sovereign
specific against all forms of plant lice
\ concentrated form OF nicotine made
lIoin tobacco, called Black Leaf. can
DC hpd now from tho socdsrncn and
can be diluted for use on plants There
ls also an article called Alphinc sold for
spraying these lee ] have used this
very effectively on plant lice ana ON
the young soft larvae Of the potato
beetle This. too, is usually Kept on
sale by the scedsnen. For the own
ers OF small gardens and a few fruit
trees II IS far better TO buy the con-
ccntTatcd materials for the variou.
sprayings than TO undertake to prepare
them on small scale.
But one thing is very certain. and
this - That any one who neglccts
spraying against insects and fungus
diseases viii not have good fruit and
iH thc vegetable garden II is fully ~
important to spray the potatoes ana
t"Watoes and many other vegetables
as IL IS the fruit trees. The necessity
Tor spraying makes the planting OF
small trees and the starting OF the
heads Of fruit trees close to the ground
. very important matter. Any one who
mas tried tn. spraying OF old tall APP
ple trees, VIII readily understand the
advantage ~ low headed trees.
The Catalogues.
Tho seedsIncn will soon be sending
out their catalogues. got a great
many of these from all parts of mo
country. and catalogue is oItcn a
pretty good indication OF tho style o,
business conducted by the house.
Nhen get catalogue flied with cuts
81 impossible, imaginary crops, am
apt 10 conclude that this house is being
run on sort OF high pressure plan
ana mat while they may sell good
seed thcy certainly are not telling the
truth in their pictures. But there
has been wonderful Improvement in
the way Of illustrating catalogue
Thc best seed houses have abandoned
the old c%agc erated pictures. ana are
using hall ton" cuts made from photo
graphs or the actual product and
always feel more sure of the house
that uses this sort of Illustration than
| do OF the ones who adhere To the
"N2gscrated pictures. a cabbage field
VIII! every head a perfect one a field
81 Watermeloms with the great melons
almost touching each other all over
7lcks OF potatoes for every row Then
all the catalogues Will have some new
things. These may provo OF perma-
n.nt value. but The descriptions OF the
catalogues arc Of necessity taken from,
those OF the producers of the novelties.
ana these are often ovcrdrawn. There
Tore, In buying seed, always deaf with
ii house that does not try TO exaeger-
ate, and that has made Il reputation for
honest dealing. AS rule fight shy
ot the boxes of secd in the country
stores some OF these may be good
but ! would rather send To an old
established seed house and order inst
what want. And then, too. order
early. so as 10 be sure of getting the
order hlicd before the stocks run down
II iS always best to have seed ON
hand ready FOR the spring work and
not have 10 wait FOR them when plant
iHS should be done. In buying seed
~ NOuI hltill itN2lCC the old
standard varieties, and touch the novel
ties Nery lightly Till YOU have proven
iheir value, Not spring passes but
We have series OF new tomatoes.
each said to he earlier or better than
any other Tho fact is. that we have
aoou; reached the limit in earlincss
In tomatoes. ana in quality there is
little to BE- desired over what We have
IN the old standard varieties. And the
same IS true OF many other vegetables
was one OF the judges on vegetables
nj the great show in Baltimore this
ia'l OF the Maryland horticultural So
cicty' and | was Impressed by the fact
mat many varieties are getting badly
mixed. Potatoes were exhibited MS
Irish Cobblcrs, in which there were
some Cobblcrs and a number OF other
Kinds easily distinguished from the
Cobhl"r There was prize offered
for three heads OF Danish Ballhead
cabbage, and In ALI the specimens
shown there was but one typical head