The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-28

o& growing things. The winter was but we must not expect a like seas'
 The important thing is to determine then get busy with all the necessar! success. Too many people decide tt getting ready and this very thing il think to do is look ahead and provide land, seed, plants and fertilizer because often these cannot be promptly secured Then the preparation of the land il of the utmost importance, no matter tree or shrub, make a home garden ol tend large general farm. Prepared ness, as every one knows, is a grea factor in success of any undertaking You cannot succeed in growing thing! without it. It may be cold now ant the weather bad and disagreeable, bu this is the very time to prepare wheI nothing more profitable may be done. Eat More Roots
 r. Primitive man appreciated and ex isted largely on certain forms of sue culent roots, so called because water or juices makes up so large part O their edible substance. The succulen roots which we now grow as garder vegetables include the well knowI turnip, beet, carrot, parsnip, satisfy onion, raddish, etc., have all been de veloped from wild forms through cen 'turies of breeding, selection and culti vation. In fact all of our modern veg etables are the product of selection tha no doubt had their origin in quite diff ferent plant from what we today know For certain reasons, conducive to g0Ot health, vegetables are needed in thu human diet notwithstanding the crank' who only figure on heat calories as { basis for food values.
 Most vegetables are low in calories il comparison with more concentrated foot but after all, they are the ones tha make healthy and natural growth. Peo ple who daily stuff themselves witl meat and other concentrates are con stantly kicking at the high cost of foot while they are digging an early grav' for themselves. Vegetables may be higl price food for some people but for tn, ma jority, who can easny grow thei own the cost is far lower than an, food.
 Besutify The Landscape
 Birmingham, like every other city ant town visited by the writer the past year has its ugly, unsightly and often re pulsive looking places or town sections Some cities make efforts, too oftel very puny, to correct such defects in th aspect of the home town and that i pays is readily agreed to by even tn, non -ObSeyer It is of course mucl better and cheaper, too, if a whole com munity or block take up jointly th' improvement necessary to beautify . district and have the work done ol a cooperative basis. In every city ol town one can see splendid lots, af fording beautiful sites for a home build ing but the only thing you can see il the lot is perhaps big or prominen For Sale" sign on it and often sucl sign has fallen in to decay, in keeping with the general aspect of the prop erty. The writer has been in position to notice how much quicker a vacan lot, house or farm sells when the out ward aspect of the premises is good tt look upon. Take the most repulsiv, looking tramp, clean and dress hin up and he immediately becomes inter esting to somebody. It's just the sam' with piece of property, no matter what it is. Improvement is real prog ress and it's cost always pay big divi dends.
 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
 Q. Can peaches be grown success fully on the Alabama and Mississipp coast? NJ. l., Mobile, Ala.
 A. It is a fact that very few peaches are grown on the coast of Alabama ant Mississippi. The chief reason seems t' be that nematodes cause rOot-knot o poor drainage causes some root diseas which kill the trees. This can be over come by planting peaches grafted oI plum and this is recommended.
 Q. Do you know if the black fly il prevalent in the Satsuma orange dis tricts of Alabama and Mississippi an' what means are used to combat it H. w., Greenville. Ala.
 A. have not heard of the presence it must be recent. This is a common pest in Cuba, South American and il the canal zone. The remedy for it i about the same as for most scale in sects.
 0. In what colors may plants b. purchased of the perennial hollyhOck and what colors do you recommend Mrs. L., Huntsville, Ala.
 A. There are many cOlors listed b. nurserymen and selectioA depends mucl on individual preferefice. Such color as double crimson, white, yellow, pinl and maroon are very good. They shoul' be put out right away for best results
 0. I have read something of tn cardinal flower and write to know this is the same as the cardinal climber the vine that makes such beautiful flow CTS in summer; and when is 1t planted Miss F., Eutaw, Ala.
 A. When cardinal flower Is dis cussed, what is usually meant IS peren nial plant known as lobelia cardinals an entirely different plant from tn vine, cardinal climber.
 0. 1 want to secure what is some times called ribbon grass. Where cal this be gotten and do 1 need the see or plant, and when should l plant Mrs. F., Opelika, Ala.
 A. Some nurserymen or greel houses can supply this perennial plan which may be set out most anytime. l is known as phalaris and often cata logued under this name.
 c. There is a blue spirea that wish to add to my collection and want the best one. Can you tell m what it is and where Obtainable? Mrs r., Florence, Ala.
 A. 1 don't know of but one blu spirea (caryopteris mastacanthus which grows from two to three fee high and produces lavender blue flow CTS from summer until fall. Most nuI series list this splendid shrub which ma