The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-05-28

In the general scheme of nature. everything has It's natural enemies. We may disagree as to what Is the natural enemy of man, but all of us know, that the cat Is the natural enemy of the rat. Now, If we knew the natural enemy of the various insect pests and plant diseases that makes 1t so difficult for us to grow things. we would begin to better un- derstand useful methods of control. You will often see, in the garden, large green horned worms feeding on foliage. whose body is covered with some parasite that soon causes death. You may often observe countless beetles on plum tree. and you think bis mission Is to destroy the tree, when he is, in reality. cleaning your trees of the pests that do the actual damage. A single toad in the garden will destroy more injurious insects in one night than a man could catch in day. Ants while more or less a pest them selves, destroy millions of insects and eggs every day. It is the plant CTS duty to study the insect prob lem. find out his friends and pro- mote. If possible, their multiplica- cation. The United States govern ment is promoting this understand ing and have accomplished wonders through breeding certain carnivorous insects to rid us of some of the more serious pests effecting fruits.
 The Most Damaging Insects
 One of the most difficult prob lems in any rational control of in- scots, lies in the fact that the most damaging pests are the minute ones, many of which we never see. Am other serious difficulty is the fact that most of these minute insects are sucking Insects, making 1t im- possible to control them through pois- on sprays. which are essentially stomach poisons. While these in- visible pests do not consume folaige, they do puncture it to introduce 1, their sucking mouths, causing irre- parable injury to the leaf and in ef- feet. robbing the foliage of it's ac- tual life blood. Fortunately, many of this class of insects can be dis covered with the naked eye, and when observed prompt treatment is essential When you observe an ap- parent injury to a plant and cannot. after close observation, see any form of Insect, you may feel reason ably safe in assuming that you have some minute insects to combat, and make an immediate application ac- cordingly. Many plant insects, like chicken mites, feed on their prey only at night, and during the day hide out in some dark inaccessible corner hard to reach with the spray. Sprays that kill by contact are in dicated in controlling this class of pests.
 Mexican June Corn
 There seems to be a like of gem eral information about this import ant variety of corn which often leads to great disappointment with some planters. Strictly speaking. Mexican June corn is a type accli- mated to cerain dry districts of Mexico and Texas; very resistant to dry hot weather. and will produce fair crops of corn. under hot dry conditions, where most corns would utterly perish. When seed are brought from it's native location and planted in Alabama, the plant pro- duced is generally small, the ear small and the yield very low, but if seed be saved and planted the following year. both ear and stalk becomes larger. and there is grad ual increase from year to year. uH- til the stalks become much taller than our native corn. and while the ear improves in size, 1t does never become what you would call a large ear. The grain itself is rather soft. not a good keeper. and makes a poor quality of bread or feed. Most types contain more or less blue grains, although blue grains are not necessarily a distinguishing mark, as many types are altogether white. A curious attribute of Mexican June corn Is that 1t rarely makes. planted earlier than June. Farmers would do we'll to inquire into types before buying seed.
 O. Is the Scotch heather an ever green and would it grow here? Mrs. s., Albany.
 A. Scotch heather is low grow ing woody evergreen plant. There Ia a pink and white variety. It should do fairly we'll in North Ala hama.
 O. How long does Suphea hioom7 am told 1t Is fine pot plant. Mrs