The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-18

~~~ D W @AAN N0Ss RNRPASos PAAA0As SS~s Abuse of Lime
 There are so many recommends
 tions to be met with for the use of 1 lime that there Is a widespread be- 1 lief that 1t is valuable fertilizer. Unfortunately, lime is too often | recommended where 1t Is not indi- cated and should not be used This is | often the case when promiscuously | used around flowers and shrubs. Re-
 member this, lime is not fertilizer.
 Some plants do utilize and take up small quantities in their cellular structure, but iron, sulphur and even silica Is also utilized and you would not call them fertilizers. The chief
 mission of lime is to neutralize or
 sweeten sour soils, tn loosen or areate stiff clays, and to render available in- soluble citrates, prevalent in most
 clay formations. Lime often promotes good living conditions for certain soil
 bacteria, so beneficial to many plants, especially, leguminous plants. such as
 clovers, vctches. peas and beans. Lime exerts a beneficial effect on
 many grasses and other plants, but
 any one who decides to use should get competent advice before applica- tion. Lime Is cheap and should be more largely used. but don't think tt will cure all ills.
 Insecticides Harmless to Soil The report has gotten abroad that the use of arsenic compounds, copper lime- sulphur, so largely used to con- trol insect pests. are serious detri-
 ment to soil fertility or injurious to succeeding crops. The quantity used
 Is so small that any danger is purely 1 imaginary. Of course, no one doubts f,. l. repeatedly applied to soils in large quantities, would cause injury to pot
 ash and lime contents; but the quan- tity necessary for insecticide and i fungicide purposes is so small. as to | form no basis for any rational fear. | The government, anticipating some such complaint. thoroughly investi- gated the matter over 25 years ago. and a summary of the conclusions l reached should expel the doubts any one may have on the subjects.
 Wrong information Is bad business and no one suffers more than the
 American farmer from mere opinions constantly being given out as solemn facts. Announce that you have rheu-
 matism and every one present will have a sure remedy. Jumping at con clusions Is too common with all man kind.
 Interesting Rogues Gallery Did you ever see the rogues gallery l in the Smithsonian institution at Washington. D. O.? Not human | rogues but insects of every descrip- tion that mankind is constantly war ing against A recent compilation by the United States government
 places the damage done by insects Tn the United States during 1921 at | $1.500 100000. The crops that go to make up this vast total In percent age of loss are as follows: Corn. s.1;
 wheat. 2.5; oats. 22; barley, 4s flax l 10.6: rye. 0.6; potatoes. AT; hay. l; cotton, 1S.S: tobacco. 2.S. and apples. | 2.7. It should he understood that
 other crops contributed to the grand l total.
 It Is distressing to note that cotton
 contributed the greatest share to the | total loss. This is a much greater l loss than the toll of the human rogues
 and if we only spent half as much fighting insects as we spend in fight ing rogues, the results would show a much bigger dividend. The govern
 ment Is constantly adding to this
 rogues gallery and a bill has been in troduced to buy the Barnes collection l for $500, 1000. vast one, the work of 1 over 40 years and the expenditure of 1 $500,0O0. sounds like lot of money, but 1t will pay us all in the end for the knowledge gained.
 1 Questions and Answers
 i Q. Our yard is shady and now sown l to cowpeas. Should we SOW seed, and l what kind, to be turned under with l the pea vines?-F. w, Gadsden. l A. Turn peas under deeply when they begin to make fruit and allow | to remain 4 to weeks or longer
 until decayed; then prepare surface l finely, SOW seed thickly, barely cover | and tamp down or pack the surface | in some way so as to bring seed in fast contact with soil particles. In shady situations, a mixture com posed of 40 per cent each Kentucky blue grass, English rye grass and 20 per cent of red top, would give a | satisfactory lawn.
 Q. What causes the leaves of my Boston ferns to turn brown at tips,
 which gradually spread until entire stem dies. One frond at time be-