Control of garden diseases and insects. 



23 



ROOT-KNOT. 



Southern gardens suffer greatly from the eelworm, gallworm, or 

 nematode, which causes ii-reguhir swellings or galls on the roots of 

 nearly all vegetables. (See fig. 2, p. 5.) It is most troublesome 

 in sandy soils. Do not confuse this with the beneficial nodules on 

 beans and other legumes or Avith the clubroot of the cabbage family. 



A garden infested with root-knot may produce winter crops, as the 

 eelworms are inac- 

 tive in cold weath- 

 er, but for summer 

 crops a new loca- 

 tion must be chosen. 

 See Farmers' Bul- 

 letin G48. 



DAMPING-OFF. 



Home gardeners 

 who plant seed 

 early in frames or 

 in boxes in the 

 house frequently 

 lose the young 

 plants shortly after 

 they have germi- 

 nated. The seed- 

 lings shrivel or de- 

 cay at the soil line, 

 collapse, and fall 

 over. This is 

 damping-off and is 

 due to a fungus in 

 the soil which at- 

 tacks little plants 

 that have been 

 overwatered or 

 kept too warm. 



To prevent damp- 

 ing-off give light and ventilation, but aA^oid cold drafts. Water in 

 the morning, so the soil will dry before night. Where a spot of 

 damping-off" has appeared, take out the affected plants, give more 

 light and air, and sprinkle warm sand on the surface. 



Sterilizing the soil of seed boxes will help to avoid the trouble. 

 This can be done with small quantities by heating thoroughly in an 

 oven soil which is moist, yet dry enough to crumble in the fingers. 



The piessure cookers or steam sterilizers used for canning pur- 

 poses are excellent for sterilizing soil. 



Khizoclouia on potato, causin.u d 

 the underground paitfi 



