The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1922-12-31
By GEORGE B. M'VAY, SR.

@. | want TO grow Chinese cabbage
as / think il the most delightful of
all salad plants. My crop this fall
was a failure, due, l think. to hot,
dry weather. When would you plant
for spring crop9 Mrs. T., Opelika,
Alabama.
A. Chinese cabbage is cool wealth
er plant and / would advise that the
seed be sown in beds within the next
30 days and as soon as about the size
of lettuce plants are when trans
planted, set out in permanent loea-
ton about is TO "a inches apart and
cultivate like lettuce or cabbage.
They mature quicker than cabbage
and TO be good must be grown
quickly.
Q. l want to pillow out a patch of
Jerusalem artiehokes now, as l need
this piece of land. Would you con-
slider it safe to plant some of these
tubes in another location as soon as
dug? d. l.. Cordova, Ala.
A. There would be no danger in
planting now. They are very hardy.
keep better in the ground than any
where else and not likely to sprout
before spring.
Q. I made failure last year with
English peas due mainly to little
green louise that covered the plants
and literally sucked them to death.
/ want to be prepared this spring
with a suitable remedy. Can you
give me remedy that is effective
Mrs c.. Oakman.
A. Strong tobacco water or soap
suds sprayed on the plants will con-
troll. busting the vines with tobacco
dust alone is effective. There is on
the market a preparation known as
Naycide nicotine dust that Is quick
death to them.
@. Can you give me formula for
carbolic acid emulsion to kill lice
around plants and shubbery? Mrs.
S. D.
A. Dissolve two ounces of soap In
one pint OF hot water and then add
two ounces crude carbolic acid. stir
and shake we'll. This stock solution
shold be diluted with water about
80 times before applying to the soil
or use at least sh gallons water to
your entire stock solution.
@. Is the ornamental Otahlte
Orange good to eat? Is Il desirable
house pot plant? Mrs. Nc. Garden
City. Ala.
A. The fruit of the dwarf orange is
really sweet, when ripe, but 1t is too
small to be considered desirable. The
plant itself is very popular as a
decorative house plant and its flower,
resembling the cultivated orange, Is
very sweet The plant is tremend-
ously prolific in both bloom and fruit.
Q. / took up my dahiias about
month ago and I notice they have be-
gun to sprout at the top. Will this
hurt them and what will put stop
TO it? i. s.
A. Sprouting will certainly injure
dahlia roots this early. Warm
weather has made it difficult to keep
them. The only remedy is to keep
them in a very dry, cold place.
Burying in perfectly dry sand and
storing in a cold place will ordinarily
check growth.
Q. Could you suggest any plants
that l might secure now for my bar
rem window boxes. Mrs s. Wood
lawn. Ala.
A. There are few, II any. blooming
plants that would be hardy enough
for this purpose but you could use
small hardy evergreens. either set
out in your boxes, or let them re-
main in small pots and arrange or
place to suit in the boxes.
@. Is ii a good thing to mulch ids
during winter to protect from the
cold? Mrs. N. II. F. D. s.
A. A covering of leaves is usually
desirable, but not absolutely neces-
sary. A mulch of leaves is generally
but fresh manure must be avoided.
@. ! want to put in now beets, let
ture and turnips for early market. +
aim to risk them in the open. What
sorts would you recommend? J. M,
r f. D. z.
A. would use Crosbys Egyptian
beet. big Boston lettuce and purple
top globe turnip. They may get bit
down by frosts, but all are hardy
and very likely to survive.
Q. Is it necessary for the ground
to freeze before taking up and re-
setting such fruit trees as peach. ap-
pie and piumy r. r.
A. 1t is generally better to wait
until after a freeze. but such plants
are doubtless dormant now and
could be moved with safety.
O. have a lot OF Shasta and Eng
lish DAISIES that have grown into
large clumps and need to be divided.
/ want to pot these up into single
plants for sale later as growing
plants. Is now the proper time TO do
this! Mrs. A. G.
A. 1t Is perfectly safe to go ahead
and do 1t now. They are pedfectly
hardy, but require some time to grow
into salable plants.
9. What is a good variety of crab
apple to grow mainly for cooking
purposes? NJ H.
A. For jelly and preserves the
Hyslap is one of the very best. 1t
is hardy. a vigorous grower and OF
fine red color.
Q. want couple of good null
n