QUERIES AND ANSWERS. 183 



soil decomposition an accumulation of some of the fertilizing constituents 

 needed by the first series of plants when the time comes to repeat the 

 series. Another benefit of the rotation of crops is that some of the crops 

 are nearly all returned to the land, while if the cultivation was contin- 

 uous of crops to be sold otf the land, soil exhaustion would be certain to 

 follow. 



1007. Q. Are there many plants poisonous to the touch? Poisonons 

 A. There are several plants poisonous to nearly every one, and many^^****** 



others poisonous to persons of peculiar susceptibilities ; for example : the 

 poison ivy, sometimes called poison oak, a climbing vine, is harmless to 

 the writer, but many people cannot touch it, some can hardly pass it on the 

 leeward side, without being poisoned, on occasions when it has been cut 

 or torn, as it then exudes a caustic milky juice, which, brought in contact 

 with the skin, develops blisters. The poison sumac, a small tree grow- 

 ing in swamps and in damp places, exudes a sap which touching the 

 arms or hands of many people raises painful blisters. The cultivated 

 parsnip is poisonous to many people. There are many plants poisonous 

 when eaten, possibly forty to fifty distinct genera in the eastern United 

 States, but most of them no sensible person would think of eating for 

 none such are attractive. Animals sometime eat poisonous plants, and no 

 doubt many mysterious affections of horses and cattle may be attributed 

 to this cause. 



1008. Q. Give me a table of the periods of time required by garden Maturity 

 vegetables to reach edible condition after germination ? of 



A. Any data in this line is merely approximative, as the period is length- "*^®setables. 

 ened or shortened by conditions of moisture or heat, age of seed, vigor of 

 seedling, depending upon its physical condition and soil enrichment. The 

 following periods of days of time are intended to comprehend the earliest 

 and the intermediate, not the periods of maturity of the latest sorts : 



Radish, 18 to 30 days. Squash, 80 to 90 days. 



Lettuce, 35 to 35 days. Cantaloupes, 80 to 90 days. 



Turnip, 40 to 50 days. Large onions, 80 to 100 days. 



Spinach, 40 to 50 days. Carrots, 85 to 90 days. 



Beets, 40 to 50 days. Watermelons, 90 to 100 days. 



Peas, 40 to 60 days. Cabbage, 100 to 130 days. 



Beans, 50 to 60 days. Tomatoes, 100 to 130 days. 



Corn, 70 to 75 days. Pumpkins, 100 to 120 days. 



Cucumbers, 70 to 80 days. 



1009. Q. Tell me a simple remedy to destroy green worms infesting my cabbage 

 cabbage plants ? Worms. 



A. When the dew is on them, best done at night, sprinkle very finely 

 pulverized salt over the plants. The dew will dissolve the salt, and the 

 salted water wherever it touches a green worm will kill it, but don't salt 

 the plants too much or they will be killed also. 



1010. Q. Which kinds of field corn are the quickest and most certain to Com 

 germinate ? Germination. 



