Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-03-31

OldChlCS pdSlCi Will ~ i''NAO
duces into the seed pieces thus
transmitting the disease. Where this
| insect is important. 1t is desirable to
avoid fields where 1t is alternating
and to treat the seed pieces with
corrosive sublimate solution. We
have no evidence as to it's being i'm
portant in Maine.
Reports are on record of potato
yields not always being increased by
spraying, in Name Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey. Minnesota
Kansas. Missouri and Ohio. Even
longer life of the vines is not neces-
sarily accompanied by greater yield
unless the difference is great enough
| to overcome certain amount of de-
preston by copper ungicides. Such
| fungicides are of greatest value where
| there is injury by leafhoppers,
shown as hopperburn, by flea
beetles, late blight, and early blight.
The value of such fungicides is de-
creased in Aroostook County as
compared with other regions by the
/ absence of leafhoppers, by flea
beetles sometimes being absent, by
reduction of diseases, by moderate
| rainfall, quick drying soil, and low
summer temperatures, and by early
killing frosts. Careful tests made
from 1916 to 1926 with Green Noun
tainS on or near Aroostook Farm
show an average gain of about five
percent in yield from spraying with
Bordeaux mixture. About the same
gain has been secured with copper
lime busting during four years of
comparative tests. This is based on
an average yield of about 100 barrels
an acre, with no follow-up in stor-
age. Fields vary greatly in q given
season. and seas ms vary greatly in
given locality, SO that it Is not
known how repro tentative these tests
are for the region or for a long term
of years. With zach a slight margin
of gain it would be desirable if pos
s1ble to dispense with unnecessary
applications. However, with no
means yet Of foretelling the weather,
the best that can be done is to re-
duce the cost of applying copper
fungicides as much as possible. and
; to keep careful records for a number
of years of the effects and profits of
spraying or busting on q given farm
, or field.
Winter Vegetables
The winter vegetable diet of the
people of Maine is limited and should
be given more attention, urged W. w.
Wiggin, instructor in horticulture.
Vegetables are appetizing, relatively
cheap and contain elements essential
for health. therefore, we should con-
sumo more of them, particularly dur
ing the winter months.
The first way to go about increa sing
the consumption of vegetables is to
grow a large number of higher quail
ty vegetables, particularly those suit
ed to winter use. Vegetables little
known in the state but admirably
suited to winter use would be chard,
brussels sprouts, kohl-rabi, chicory.
, celery. parsley. celeriac and others in
addition to the ones We are all famil-
lar with.
To increase the quality necessitates
careful preparation in number of
ways, the selection of the proper va
riety to grow and proper cultural
treatments.
Forcing vegetables will increase the
season in the fall, and make it earlier
in the spring. Forcing is the growing
of vegetables under glass. Every
farmer should have hot bed and cold
frame and often, times small green
house would more than pay by in
creasing the earliness of the regular
crops. Town and city people can have
what we will term window frame"
built on the outside of cellar win
dow on the south side of the house
and thus securing heat from the sun
in the day time and the heat from the.
cellar at night. This would be re-
strcted to those who have furnace
of course. frame is fine place to
grow lettuce, spinach and other greens
and salad crops. Chicory, rhubarb,
asparagus and occasionally other veg
etables can be forced in any cellar
with heat provided that the roots are
obtainable in the fall before the
ground freezes. Rhubarb forced in this
manner is considered by some to be
superior to the field grown crop.
Those living in towns and cities
will find that they can purchase many
vegetables on the market nearly the
year round. The commercial forcing
of vegetables is growing rapidly, and
there are several vegetables obtain
able even in January and February. 1t
is true many markets are under
supplied with this sort of material,
but this will be rapidly overcome we