QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 95 



the plants from the foreiga-grown seed at once meet with a new condition 

 and failure results. This being the case, and no one knowing what the 

 season will be, it is injudicious to plant foreign seed, as a loss of an entire 

 crop may result with its expense of cultivation. American seed from 

 thoroughly acclimated stock will do well during either wet or dry weather. 



579. Q. How must I grow cabbage plants to keep over Winter in cold Winter 

 frame ? In my section the mercury often falls to zero. Cabbage. 



A. In the latitude of Philadelphia where the mercury often falls below 

 zero the seed is broadcasted in the open ground about September 1, and 

 when two inches in height transplanted into cold frames, that they may 

 take hold of the earth early and become four inches high before hard frost 

 stops their growth. In the cold frames the plants are set deeply at about 

 one inch apart. The frames are covered with shutters or boards, which 

 are removed to give light and air on fine days. 



580. Q. My gardener says my egg plants have damped off. What does Egg Plant 

 that imply ? Damp. 



A. That the tissues of their roots or stems have been destroyed by a 

 parasitic plant, the growth of which has possibly been induced by repeated 

 conditions of damp soil and damp air and not enough ventilation, fol- 

 lowed at times by too high a temperature. There are a number of species 

 of fungi causing a similar decay of young seedlings of tomatoes, peppers, 

 cabbage and lettuce. Some confined generally to under-glass culture, 

 others occurring in the open field. 



581. Q. My cabbage are infested with the calico bug. What remedy Calico Bug. 

 can I take to drive them off? 



A. They won't drive ; nothing but hand-picking and crushing is an 

 effective treatment. The writer knows it, for he has had to do it in the 

 course of many years with thousands of acres of cabbage and turnip 

 preyed upon by this bug. The insect is also called the terrapin bug and 

 the harlequin bug. It is a sap sucker, consequently Paris green won't 

 effect it, or no other outward poison. Oil or emulsions have very little 

 influence upon it, and it is a most serious pest. 



582. Q. What is that disease of the tomato affecting the leaves and stem. Tomato Cnrl. 

 causing the leaves to curl and finally die? 



A. There are several diseases causing tomato leaves to curl. One most 

 general is termed the tomato oedema, caused, it is thought, by an excessive 

 rain, a high temperature of the soil, making the roots active in pumping j 



up Avater and insufiicient light to induce free transpiration, the result 

 being an unequal swelling of certain parts and bursting of the tissues, and 

 a general weakening of the plant, resulting in the death of entire branches. 



583. Q. Are vegetables grown on naturally rich soil better in flavor Flavor. 

 than those grown on worn-out soil made productive by the application of 

 fertilizers ? 



A. Grown on rich origin soil the development in size seems to be at the 

 expense of fine texture, flavor and good-keeping qualities, while grown 

 on well-used soil, the development is less rapid, but the flavor is better. 



