118 



QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 



Keeping 

 Sugar Corn. 



Under- 

 ground 

 Grubs. 



Classes of 

 Insects. 



Insects in 

 Glass House. 



Cabbage 

 Heading. 



Vital 

 Melon Seeds, 



Cabbage 

 liice. 



foggy mornings occur during the period of blooming, tlie water wetting 

 the pollen and the succeeding hot sun burning it. 



734. Q. I buy my Sugar corn seed always about January 1, and when 

 I come to unpack it in February 1 often notice a musty smell about it. 

 How can I prevent this ? 



A. Sugar corn is very full of oil, which becomes rancid if the seed is 

 not dried thoroughly. Received in January, or even in February, it 

 should be immediately taken out of the original packages, bags or boxes, 

 and spread out, not over four inches deep, on a cool floor. If this pre- 

 caution is not taken there may be much complaint from planters that the 

 vitality proved to be low, when its failure to sprout was entirely the fault 

 of the merchant or dealer. 



735. Q. What are the various articles which I can use to kill grubs and 

 worms under the surface of the soil ? 



A. Kerosene emulsion, kainit, bisulphide of carbon, all are effective. 



736. Q. How many classes of insects has a gardener to flght? 



A. 1. Those known as external feeders, comprehending all which bite 

 and eat vegetable matter. 



2. Those known as sap-suckers, which puncture vegetable tissues and 

 extract the juices. 



3. Those known as internal feeders, which exist within the stems of 

 plants. 



4. Subterranean insects, which eat vegetable matter beneath the surface. 



5. Those which destroy the dry seeds, either from the exterior or in- 

 terior. 



737. Q. How can I best kill lice and other insects on melon plants in 

 my glass house ? 



A. Fumigate with tobacco twice a week. Don't wait till damage is 

 done, but smoke before the lice curl the leaves. Mites and mealy-bugs 

 can be knocked off the vines by a hard stream of water. Bisulphide of 

 carbon, when it can be applied to plants under a bell glass, is very effec- 

 tive, but the chemical is explosive and poisonous. Suli^hur fumes are an 

 invaluable agent in destroying mildew and red spider. There is no ex- 

 cuse for failure to kill insects inside of a glass house. 



738. Q. Why do cabbage plants sometimes fail to head, though fully 

 old enough and planted out early enough ? 



A. Because of a want of nutrition. Cabbage plants sufficiently fed, 

 and given time enough, will always head, provided the variety be of a 

 heading sort. 



739. Q. Is a melon seed from a fruit in edible condition perfectly de- 

 veloped ? 



A. Quite sufficiently developed. Allowed to remain in the fruit till it 

 decayed, the seed would probably more fully fill out and become heavier, 

 and retain its vitality for a year or two longer. 



740. Q. Is there a reliable remedy which can be used to rid cabbage 

 plants of lice 1 



