The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-03-23
BY ESQ. D. M'vAY, sR.
Destroy Caterpillars Now

1
no ragument can change them. 1t is
fact that there are some very hard she'll
seed, very slow to terminate, where
soaking before planting is desirable and
again, soaking may be profitable In
fungicide solution to destroy disease that
is liable to be present in such seed as
the small grains.
The promiscuous soaking of all seed
has been often proven to be very de-
trimintal. Experiments have shown that
plants are much weaker when the seed
are soaked than those that are left for
nautre to take core of. Every vital seed,
like fertile egg, contains within itself
certain amount of nutriment neces-
sary to support life until the offspring
is able to take care of itself-who is
it that would consider the soaking of
an egg before putting it into the in
cubator or under the setting hen? The
soaking of most all seed does remove
from the seed certain vital elements
that go to make up good strong
healthy plant; moreover, If soaked seed
be planted in dry weather or when suf-
ficient moisture is absent to continue
termination, the seed rarely ever come
up.
Saving On the Fertilizer Bill
When the subject is mentioned to
the average planter he becomes imme-
diately attentive. This is also the case
when the saving on any commodity is
discussed in the hearing of anyone.
The average small planter assumes that
he can save lot by buying the raw
or manufactured material and do his
own mixing at home with a shovel. He
will go to a dealer and purchase two
or three sacks each of acid phosphate
cotton seed meal, kainit or other pot
ash salts and mix the whole togther
and should you ask him what per cent
Of phosphates, nitrogen and potash his
mixture contained, he could not tell
you. The only way small or large
farmer either can save on the COM
mercial fertilizer bill is to buy cooper
atively with others, thus enabling them
to buy in large quantities from the
manufactures themselves. 1t is curious
fact that while farmers are largely de-
pendent on fertilizers for their very
existence but few know any thing at
all about what certain crops need or
what given plant may require as a
full ration of plant food. Most farmers
know the great economical value of the
leguminous plants as soil inrichers, yet
|
through the more extended use Of such
kept down to the minimum. Resolve
to grow more legumes.
Questions And Answers
Q. Every year when my asparagus
begins to come up, there is little bug
that attacks the young shoots and often
ruins or renders them unfit for use.
want to be prepared for them this year
and ask you to advise me the best
thing to do? /. H., Hattiesburg, Miss.
A There is a small black or natalie
blue beetle that appears early in spring
and lays eggs on the young shoots
WHICH soon hatch out small worms that
do the damage. If you will 60 over the
will prove effective. You can mix one
tablespoonful of powdered hellebore
with eight to ten of flour and dust the
shoots which will destroy the small
worms. Any insecticide that will de-
stroy leaf eating insects will serve the
purpose and if the asparagus be
thoroughly washed before cooking there
is no danger Of poison.
Q. The lawn grass I sowed in Janu-
airy came up thickly in some places but
there are numbers of spots where a
blade of grass cannot be seen. What
could be tile trouble and may be able
to remedy it? Mrs. NJ, Selma, Ala.
A. This is frequently the case par
icularly if much shade, soil clayey or
when there is a fill or complex soil.
These bald spots can be patched by
stirring up the soil, using a little well
rotted COW manure, then SOW more
seed thiekIy, rake smooth and pack
down firmly with your feet or the back
of a spade.
Q. Is there not a spring rye that can
be sown now and suitable for grazing
chickens and calves? P. j., Morris, Ala.
A. There is as spring rye largely
grown in the far north and northwest,
but it is not suitable this far south.
1t is a slow grower and the hot wealth
er coming so early in the south would
kill it out. There is a spring barley
that is much better and might possibly
serve the purpose. This late in the
season, you could expect better results
from some of the quick growing grasses,
such as Sudan.
through the planting of the New Tea
land variety. Could plant this early :?
r. S., Dothan, Ala.
a. You can plant right away. Inc
seed are very slow to come up and l
would recommend that they be put in
wet sand for three or four days or
soak in water two or three days before
planting.
Q. l have seen poinsettias. hardly
bushy plants. growing outside that
we're beautiful. Can these lie grown
from seed? Mrs. G., La Grange, Ga.
A. Euphorbia heterophylla is the
plant. 1t resembles the green house
grown type only more branching, grows
two to three feet high, foliage glossy
green which about midsummer or fall
changes into a beautiful orange scar
let. The plant is an annual and may
be grown from seed.
Q. 1 want to get hold of a certain
gourd that we used to grow on the
farm when I was a boy. The vine pro-
duced fruit with long straight handles
from three TO six feet in length. At
the end of the handle there was a round
bail shaped gourd as large and larger
than a dipper or cup. | have ordered
this a time or two but receive some
thing different Can you tell me the
correct name? s. G.. York, Ala.
A. The variety you want is well
known to the writer and there was a