Evening star., 1950-05-21
Farm and Garden
Damp, Cool Spring Gives DoffodiIs
Chance to Shine; Spray or Dust Often

| pOSSIDic W nave AuWclS AOA Az
weeks.
The tulip season was short. The
few hot days the first week in
May brought them along too fast.
they bloomed on rather short
stems and the bloom began to
burn almost before the flowers
were fully open. The Takoma
Horticultural Club-Silver Spring
Tulip show was much smaller
than normal, although there were
some very good blooms entered.
! Insects and diseases are begin
ming to show up. Spray or dust
regularly. Both are on a par when
the job is regularly and thorough
ly done.
A busting outfit is less expensive
and it takes less time to apply q
dust. But dust does not last as
long. A spray with a suitable
sticker will oftentimeS last 10 days
in spite of spring rains. A dust
should last from one shower until
the next. Dusting can only be done
when the air is still while q spray
may be applied in spite of a light
breeze. A dust will usually cover
both sides of the foliage with less
effort than with a spray.
Apply spray or dust as a pre-
ventative before the disease spores
arrive or the bugs begin to eat.
The main objective should be 10
keep the foliage protected at all
times. In the spring when growth
is rapid and there are frequent
showers, applications should be
made more often.
In buying an all-purpose dust or
spray selection should be based
upon the content. 1t should con-
tain stomach poison for the eat
ing insects, a contact insecticide
for the sucking insects and fun
gicide for the diseases. If the ma
terial is to be used in the vegetable
garden it is important that the
stomach poison be poisonous
to- warm blooded animals-there
are two such: Rotenone and
pyrethrum.
The progress in iris breeding
has been one of newer and finer
varieties. Those of Is years ago,
with the exception of Princess
Beatrice, are obsolete. Size up your
blooms and then visit one of the
local iris shows. Note the form
and substance of the winners and
then order replacements. The time
to purchase iris is in May or June
for early summer delivery.
/ Indoor gardeners who have not
grown a gloXinia might we'll try
one. They grow under about the
same conditions as an African
violet and produce a number of
large snowy flowers at this season.
The ordinary variety has a bright
red cup, edged with white, but
there are other colors.
1t is not too late to give the
strawberry patch a good wedding,
$50 that the plants will not COM
pete with grass and weeds while
trying to set a good crop. After
wedding. scatter compost or straw
to help keep the fruit clean.
1ochief, new variety of yellow
sweetcorn, is much superior to the
old dependable, Ioana. 1t has
higher sugar content and is fully
as drought resistant.
Following mild winter we nor
mally expect an infestation of rose
thrips, tiny sucking insects that
enter the buds just as they begin
to show color. The thrips suck the
sap out of the petals and the
bloms are unable to open. Lin
dane on DDT either as spray or
dust just before the buds begin
to open is usually effective. Use
one or the other so as to make
certain of a normal bloom.
1t is not too late to spray for the
control of the iris borer. A mixture
of DOT. fermate and "sticker"
is recommended.