The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-25

and seed.
 Insects Injurious to Cabbage
 There are ST classified insects that are known to be injurious to the cab bage. 25 of which are classified as important, and it will be interestins 10 many to know that there arc ls different cut worms in the lot. There are of course, others not classified, and there is no way of telling just how many enemies the cabbage or any other plant may have. This may sound discouraging to some garden CTS, but it should be understood that not all of this horde of insects are peculiar he cabbage family: in short. the cabbage is not their ex- elusive source of food.
 Some of them will not attack cab bage at all if another source of food be plentiful. Tn fighting all classes Of diseases and insects, it is important to consider that great many pests are general feeders and do not all ways confine themselves to any one plant. So when you destroy. for ex- ample, q certain insect working on your cabbage, you may be destroying a, brood that is also d serious menace to other less favorite plants or fruits. When this fact is clearly understood, one begins to realize the importance of destroying all classes of injurious insects, no matter on what plant found.
 Plant Mites
 Most every house holder is more or less familiar with the species of mites that work such havoc with all poul- try, but no such general knowledge obtains about the destructive charac- ter of a large number of mites that arc so injurious to many classes of plants.
 These species of plant enemies are hard to control because many of them are so small as to escape obser- Vation. It Is often the case that only through observation or certain 6an- ages. can one determipe their pres ence. Mites are essentially sucking insects, puncturing the foliage or tender branches, sucking the juices, destroying the veins or capil,aries. thus taking away from the plant the actual life blood Il is not pos sible to destroy them with stomach poisons. as they don't consume foli- age. and really have no stomach. in the stricteu sense. Tae only remedy is to kill them by some contact poison or someting that suffocates. Bordeaux mixture, while chiefly used for destroying fungus diseases, is a valuable remedy for destroying mites, and when used in connection
 
 kerosene, soap, nicotine, carbolie acid, lime and sulphur, properly adjusted as to strength, will keep rlites under control. The thing to do is to keep a sharp lookout for apparent damage that you can see the cause of. Common Sense Needed e. Unthoughtedness is one of the greatest drawbacks to efficiency. One party will write to send enough ma terial to spray fifty trees, without saying or telling anything about the size of the trees. or what the trouble is. Another orders a splows point for. his turning blow, but doesn't state the make or size of lis blow. Some orders received by merchants are even more obscure, yet the purchaser expects the other fellow to be a mind reader and fill his requirements, not withstanding he gives no details on which to base any sane conclusion.
 This department of the Age Herald is receiving many inquiries that can not be handled promptly on account of insufficient detail, on which to base a comprehensive answer. To make the service effective for your 1nforma tion and to serve others who may be interested, you should state the question or request for informa- ton in such shape that an answer
  .do things right and avoid errors is of real constructive value to some one else, but things half done are often best left undone.
 Questions and Answers c. I am from the west where we did not use guano or commercial fer -tilizers, and some of my neighbofs tell me that these bought fertilizers will. h few years, injure my land. a T3 Clanton.
 A. Nonsense. Its strange that such ridiculous ideas could prevail. Poor cultivation is at the bottom of such ideas. You cultivate thoroughly, use commercial fertilizers, rotate your crops and you .will-soon convince your advisers of their mistaken mo- tions.
 Q. What is a good book to buy on general farming? NJ. B.. Pelham.
 A. The best book is a subscription to one or more good farm papers. Write to Experiment Station. Auburn, and get your name on their bulletin list. Write to United States Depart Inent of Agriculture, Washington D. C., for list of free publications. This class of information Is more up-to- date and specific than is contained in any book.
 @. I have two acres of new ground that I want to plant in corn to fur nish, as quick as possible, bread for my renters. What sort would you recommend? H. B., F. R. D., Good water.
 A. Early White Snowflake or Sil- .vermine, both northern grown, are extremely early and would answer the purpose better, than most any. Q. What Is the best thing to plant now for chickens to graze on? Mrs. w. R. L., kQuinton.
 A. German millett is about the best you could SOW this late. It would be improved by mixing a little dwarf .essex rape with it. Use about half .bushel millet and two pounds rape .broadcast to the acre. Allow to get .@ q good start before turning chick tens on ii.
 c. Does the Mexican clover im- .prove the soil? J. C., Castieberry.
 A No, 1t is not legume like :other true clovers but it Is a valua ,ble grazing plant for hogs and other live stock.
 Q. Is the Kudzu vine pest? s. IN. Curbville.
 A. I have never heard of it be- looming pest. Hogs are fond of the roots and will soon destroy if turned Ion in winter Flowing up in early ,spring would destroy or it might be sdone in May or June. It is a good .idea to plant in some rough place. to sserve a good purpose.
 Q. Is the bacteria advertised for .legumes a fertilizer! J. H. N. R. F. D., Oneonta.
 A. 1t would not be correct to call them fertilizers. They are supposed ito inoculate the soil for certain .plants, causing the formation of root snodules, in which reside colonies of bacteria that do promote soil fer .tility.