HENDERSON'S GARDEN GUIDE AND RECORD. 61 



To Protect Fruit, Vegetables, Etc., From Birds 



Portions of mirror (looking-glass) , or bright new tin, cut in 5 or 6 inch squares, suspended 

 by a string from a hole made through one corner, will twist and sway with the breeze 

 and throw the ever-changing reflected rays of sunlight about, thus frightening the birds 

 and keeping them away. A strong cord or wire may be stretched across the garden and 

 about 8 or 10 feet above it, from this the reflectors should be suspended not over 25 feet 

 apart. Of course the above method is only partially effective on dull days. The sure way 

 is to erect a light framework and cover it with either old fish net if procurable, or new 

 "Bird Netting" may be purchased from us. This is good quality cotton netting 1-inch 

 mesh and comes in 20-foot and 30-foot widths and of any reasonable length, and costs 

 only about 75c. per 100 square feet. 



Slime on Ponds 



The green scum (a\gSE) on sluggish waters may be kept in check by stocking the 

 pond with fish; gold or silver carp, sunfish, minnows, tadpoles, etc., are best. If im- 

 practicable to do this, copper sulphate (blue stone) will eradicate the low vegetable 

 life without injury to the higher plant, or animal life, if used so it makes a weak solution — 

 about 1 part of the sulphate for 25,000,000 parts of the water. The crystal form in small 

 cloth bags may be submerged at intervals and then be removed when the scum sinks or 

 disappears. 



Does Your Soil Need Lime? 



The application of lime to soil has long been recognized as beneficial, and recent investi- 

 gations by Agricultural Experiment stations indicate that "liming the soil" everj' 4 to 6 

 years, is even more important than heretofore realized. Lime improves the soil's texture, 

 disintegrates compact soils, facilitates drainage, renders inert plant foods available and 

 corrects "sourness" or acidity. Damp lowlands were considered to be the most aff'ected 

 with sourness, but now it has been proven that soil acidity is very general even in upland 

 soils. For light soils 500 lbs. of lime per acre may be sufficient, but for heavy soils or soils 

 overly manured and rich in organic matter (humus) one ton per acre is the average dressing. 

 To determine whether your soil is acid and needs liming procure some blue litmus paper 

 at a drug store then insert one end of it — without touching it with the hands — in half a 

 cupful of soil and water mixed to the consistency of thick porridge. In an hour or two re- 

 move and rin.5e. If the litmus paper is intensely reddened it shows that the soil is too acid 

 arid needs lime to neutralize it. If the paper only turns pinkish it indicates only slight 

 acidity and lime may not be required. 



A heavy dressing of lime is best plowed or dug in. A light dressing is best applied 

 after plowing or digging to be harrowed or raked in. 



"Smudging" As a Protection Against Frost 



"Smudging' is successfully practiced in some of the trucking districts of the South, 

 and in fruit growing regions of the West as a protection against frost. The principles 

 and methods are these: 



During the day soil and plants absorb heat from the sun and become warmer, but at 

 night the process is reversed and they give off (radiate) more heat than they receive and 

 grow colder. With a clear sky radiation proceeds rapidly. Clouds form a blanket, check 

 radiation and hold the warmth in the strata of air between the clouds and the earth. 

 "Smudging" is producing clouds of dense smoke over the threatened area, which has 

 the same effect of checking radiation and holding the earth's warmth beneath, thus pre- 

 venting frost. ".Smudge" fires are lighted on the windward side so the smoke is carried 

 over the plants o.- trees to be protected. If the weather is likely to be very severe, the heat 

 from a fire — here and there throughout the field — will be deflected back by the smoke clouds, 

 spread, equalized and materially increases the warmth of the air below. "Smudge"fires 

 are made of pruned branches, brush, straw, hay, strawy manure, or any refuse material — • 

 kept dampened to increase the cloud of smoke and vapor. Portable "Smudge" pots 

 that burn "Smudge" oil — -a low-priced by-product of the Standard Oil Company — are now 

 extensively used in fruit growing districts. With about 40 of these to the acre, the tempera- 

 ture can be raised from 5° to 10'-' according to the wind. 



Some of Our Garden Friends That Should 

 Not Be Destroyed 



Bees — Useful pollenizers and almost indispensable to a continuance of a large percentage 

 of plant life. 



Dragon Flies — -Feed on a great variety of injurious insects. 



Tree Crickets — Feed on plant lice. 



Ground Beetles — -In both larval and adult stages feed on such insects as go underground 

 to pupate. 



"Lady Bug" Beetles — Feed on plant lice and scale insects, both in larval and adult 

 stages. 



Wasps— Generally beneficial because predatory upon other insects which they use 

 as food for their larvae. 



Lace-Wing Flies — Known as "Aphis Lions" in the larval stage when they feed on 

 plant lice and many soft bodied leaf eating grubs. 



Hornets — Feed almost entirely on in.sects. 



Frogs and Toads — Feed largely on insects and slugs. 



Lizards — Live on small beetles and other insects. 



Garden Spiders — Feed on large flies, small moths, etc. 



