The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-04-08

! is usually preferred.
@. L want to plant several beds Of
! dwarf nasturtiums but for the last
/ two years there is a black louise that
gets on the underside of the leaves
( and ruins them. What is the remedy
for this? S r.
A. There are several remedies for
/ this trouble. Tobacco is ono Of the
/ best measures of control. This may
/ be applied in the form of a dust or
| one can buy the concentrated to-
| bacco extract, sold under the name
! of nicotine sulphate. A teaspoonful
| of nicotine sulphate to a gallon Of
! soapy water is generally effective
when applied as spray.
/ Q. Which do you consider the best
prolific corn to plant as main crop
variety to produce stock corn? n. NJ,
! OneCnta. Ala.
! A. There are now a number of de-
/ sirable prolific sorts such, for ex
ample, as Hastings, Mosbys, Alder
marie; Blounts, Marboro, Pierson
two are probably more highly devel-
oped than any other, but all are coed.
| The strain of any individual sort is
the main factor toward success.
J. When do figs bloom? 1 have
grown them. but have never seen a
bloom. n. G., R. F. D. Z.
A. Figs don't produce bloom like
4 apples, peaches, plums, pears and
other fruits. The fruit ef fig tree
is really the hollow end of a stem.
These are male and female forma-
lions and the cross fertilization
through insects is what causes fruit
ings.
.. In a discussion of flowers, l
often see the word pistil used that ]
don't understand. Are all flowers
possessed with such an attribute. 2.
| F. l.. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
| A. The word pistil. botanically
speaking. simply refers to the repro
ductive organs Of the plant, that is to
say, the seed bearing flower. They
appear in various shapes and forms.
A reading of elementary botany will
| fully explain.
Q. Please tell me how to prepare
the ground for roses We expect tc
put out bushes to bloom this year.
here? l have plenty of shade and
learn that they do well in the shade.
| Mrs. T. W., Huntsville, Ala.
A. Any soil for rose bushes should
be well broken and stirred to the
depth of one or more feet. Not much
| fertilizer is needed. Bone meal is
generally indicated, but any well de-
composed fertilizer is good. Lilies of
| the valley require more or less shade
and good fertile soil in order to sue
coed. More information is needed In
! order to be conclusive.
Q. wish to plant Sudan grass and
cattail millet and inasmuch as both
claim to be good feeding plants In
the green state. How would it do tC
plant both together in order to cut
| green and feed as a green plant or
cure for hay? When is the best time
to plant? Does milo maize and kaffir
| corn do well here? Does the forage
equal sorghum? Let us know through
The Age Herald. p. NJ. c., Camphill,
Alabama.
A. would plant Sudan and cattail
millet separate. Both are splendid
| plants, but ought to be planted diff
| ferently. The seed may be planted
any time after April Is. Milo maize
and sorghum are both good plants
for this section. They should be
planted in April.
@. What sort of grain can be sown
now that would be good for chick
ems? s. F., r. f. D. 8.
! A. About the only grain that could
would do, but the early burt oats or
the rustproof would be better than
| others.
@. l see different types of Mexican
June corn offered for sale. Which
one do you consider the best? Is the
P. T., Altoona, Ala.
A. There are a number of types
| of Mexican June corn, differing In
grain, height of plant and general
| cnaTaCIeTlStlCS. Iney All, HOWeNct'
are drouth resisting and especially
suited for planting late in the season.
@. have tomato plants that
| grew myself that are now about six
inches high. l have them protected.
| Would you consider it safe to go
ahead and put them out? ]. s., Cor
| doVa, Ala.
A. There is nothing to be gained
by putting out the plants this soon
because a tomato plant should not
| have a backset when once set. In
your latitude, about the middle or
last of April is about as soon as 1t
is reasonably safe to set out.
@. What brand of fancy leaved
| caladiums or rather the name, that
is best suited for this section? S. F.,
| Alexander City, Ala.
A.. don't really know. There are
| a great many varieties, most of which
are now scarce on account of the fact
that there is a quarantine against the
importation of bulbs.
Q. What about fertilizers? Do you
think that it would pay me to buy
cotton seed meal to use in my garden
rather than mixed guano? We can
see the need of fertilizer, but we
really don't know the most economi-
! cal item to use. and we are depending
| on The ge-Herald to give us this
information. S. c., Cedartown, Ga.
A. The fertilizer necessary for any
| garden depends on soil deficiency, and
it is quite impossible for us to give
| specific instructions in the absence OF
| knowledge of the soil nuder question.
! But generally speaking, high grade
| complete fertilizer will give the most
| satisfactory results, and to this end
| we would recommend formula COM
posed of at least 10 per cent phos-
| phoric acid per cent ammonia ana
4 per cent potash. This is well bal
anced formula for any class Of gar
| den truck and should give economi-
| cal results under most all conditions.
| This formula can be bought already
| put up but if not obtainable we would
| undertake to give you the necessary
| ingredients to enable you to manu-
| facture it yourself.
| Q. We have some % or 30 peach
| trees from which we are not getting
| any results. A number Of the peaches
shrivel up every year and die on the
1 tree and remain on the tree
| throughout the season. We would like
| to avoid this and render such fruit
| productive. Can you tel us the neces-
| sary remedy that would cause this
| loss fruit to bloom out into produc-
| tive peaches? NJ. G., Hartselle, Ala.
| Alabama.
A. The trouble indicated in your
| letter is due to a fungus disease that
attacks the fruit in it's earliest stages
| Of growth, and the only remedy is a
| comprehensive program of spraying,
| either Will iliilc-SulpiluI VI ooIuedHA
mixture. 1t is rather difficult to be
specific in an article of this kind,
but a special letter is being written
| you on this subject which will cover
| the difficulty involved.
| Q. In view OF the presence of the
| Mexican bean beetle, would you adj
wise one to undertake beans for
market purposes? M. G.. Pelham, Ala.
| A. We certainly would, because the
government farm located in this
| county has clearly demonstrated that
| a hundred per cent bean crop is pos
sble through a rational system of