Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 April 1911 — Farm and Garden [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Farm and Garden

LATE BLIGHT OF CELERY. Methods Found Efficacious in California In Dealing With Disease. According to the College of Agriculture of California, the celery blight is one of the many fungous diseases which may be controlled by spraying with bordeaux mixture. Based on the results of investigation by a California expert, the following spraying scheme is recommended: The formula for bordeaux should be five pounds of bluestone, six pounds of stone lime and fifty gallons of water. When the plants are small thirty to forty gallons of bordeaux per acre are sufficient, but the amount should be increased at each application, so that

when the plants are fifteen or more inches high the spray is put on at the rate of not less than 100 gallons per acre. Spray seed beds at least twice, especially if grown on soil which produced blighted celery the preceding year. After plants are transplanted into the field spraying should begin when the first blight is noticed. In any event the first spraying should be given not later than six weeks after transplanting. and one application a month should be given until the seasonal rain or heavy fog comes. After the rains have set in spray every two weeks if possible until the crop is harvested. Where the plants are over fifteen inches tall they should be gone over twice at each spraying, the machine moving in the opposite direction the second time. Upon the carefulness and thoroughness of the spraying is dependent to a large extent the successful control of the blight Demonstration plots sprayed by the experimenter according to the above scheme came through the season in first class shape and were almost entirely free from blight at harvest time.

Farming is a manufacturing ’ business, and costs of produc- > tion must be calculated as carefully as in any other business.

Look Out For Cabbage Flies. Lettuce, radishes and onions will require careful watching in early spring to prevent the ravages of cabbage flies. They are so small as to easily escape notice, and the first suspicion of their presence will be the disappearance of the young plants just as they are nicely started. Dusting liberally with soot, wood ashes or air slaked lime will prevent their work, but it should be done as soon as the plants appear above ground. Fertilizing the Muskmelon. The New Jersey experiment station secured an increase in yield of 115 per cent by the use of 150 to 200 pounds of nitrate of soda per acre. Half the fertilizer was applied at planting time about the bills and worked into the soil and the remainder about three weeks later. Dried blood and sulphate of ammonia used in the same manner were a little less effective, but increased the yield from 87 to 91 per cent

There should be a good reason for everything done on the farm, and things that are unreasonable should not be done. Whenever superstition is banished and systematic thinking takes the place of “moon farming” farm progress will begin.

Oilmeal For Live Stock. Oil cake or oilmeal in proper quantities is considered by our best stockmen to oue of the most healthful foods that is on the market, states Professor Humphrey of the University of Wisconsin. Lock After the Plow. What Is the condition of the plow? Has it been properly protected this winter, and is ft in good condition for plowing when needed? A plow that will not scour is an abomination.

Photograph by C. M. Barnitz IN THE CELERY FIELD.