The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-09-30


orchard in jefferson county that bore
a very fair crop OF peaches, some
apples, few pears and small
amount Of grapes. l was invited te
look the orchard over and suggest q
remedy for various rots that greatly
reduced the crop. The trees hao
been sprayed twice during the dor
mant period last winter, the second
time just before budding. The
owner of the orchard thought, that
in as much as the trees had beer
sprayed no rot should have been
prevalent in the orchard. An ex-
animation of the orchard plainly In
dictated what the trouble was. The
ground was literally strewn with
dead and decaying fruit. On the
peaches. many trees had dead and
dried-up fruit on the branches. This
diseased fruit on the trees and lying
around on the ground harbored the
very disease tho trees suffered from
and no effort had been made to de-
stroy this rotting fruit. II you try
to stamp out disease among animals
or humans you always seek thu
source of infection and you GER
tainly leave no decaying bodies
around to spread Infection. If 8
chicken dies with the cholera you
burn or otherwise destroy the car
cas-. The same rule should apply te
all plants. Formerly 1t might have
been safe to spray only when trees
we're dormant but the prevalence
now of SO much disease makes 1t i'm.
perative to spray at intervals
throughout the entire year.
Questions and AnawyGrm
@. Is carbonate of lime different
from ordinary air slaked liner
want the carbonate to apply on q
lawn. A. w.
A. Ordinary lime is not a carbon
ate, but the limestone rock ground
up is suitable carbonate. The best
and most quickly available form OF
carbonate of lime or the most eco.
nomical is marble dust or ground
marble. An application of this is
of great benefit to grasses as well as
most all other crops.
Q. Which is the best raspberry &c
plant in the Birmingham district for
market purposes. and will you pub.
lish some instructions about grow
ing? ]. NJ, Fairfield.
A. The Cumberland is the best
variety and the Cuthbert is a splen.
did red. The soil should be fertile
and little shade from the evening
sun is desirable If at all practica /
Plants should be set In winter and
each season after bearing the old
canes should be cut away to make
way for new growth each season,
There is another red variety called
st. Regis that Is more or less over
bearing and the old canes will bear
for two years without the necessity
of cutting out. Disease and insect
must be fought, In fact, is one of the
main factors for success. The plants
need more or less fertilizer every
year. The first year after setting is
the critical time with raspberries. II
you take care of the plants the first
season the future becomes much
easier.
Q. Have you ever seen or grown
the new tomato, Luther Burbank. and
what do you think of it as a desira bic
sort? J. H., Woodstock.
A. Yes, / have seen and grown q
but II is a Wild stretch of the imaei :
nation to call 1t tomato. 1t is rath-
er coarse horse nettle, five or six
feet high, loaded with small tomatoes
about the size of small hickory MIR
also loaded with a lot of thorns
stickers and other devilment. / con.
slider the weed a severe blow to the
reputation of a great man. unfortu.
nately commercialized.
@. I have room for one plum tres
and am unable to decide from the de-
scription of various sorts lust what
would suit me. 1 have decided 10
plant the variety you recommend. C.
j., Route 3.
A. would plant the abundance.
because 1t is prolific, rarely falls AL
together and the fruit Is all that
,ould be desired. The important thing
with plums Is to spray regularly to
keep out worms and disease. and
watch out for borers.
Q. In buying alfalfa seed. what
purity and termination should be de-
manded? M. F., Selma.
A. Alfalfa can be had free of dad
der and 80 per cent or better in
purity; vitality should be 30 per cent
Or better.
Q. l have a fine crdp of soy beans
mat look good for 25 or so bushels
Or seed to the acre. The plants are
too large to cut with {. machine and
hand picking would be too expensive
what would be the cheapest way 60
save the seed? b. f., PeIl City.
A. They will have to be cut bv
hand just before the pods begin to
'ipen and pop out They may be dried
n shacks or If space is available in a
barn. When thoroughly dry they
,an be beat out by hand or run