June, 1890. 
119 
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nor treated with kerosene emulsion or other 
preparations which kill hy contact. We 
have used it very successfully in destroying 
ants. We make a hole in the nest with an 
iron bar, pour in from one half to one ounce 
of the liquid according to the size of the 
nest and quickly plug the hole by stamping 
in the earth. Prof. Cook has found it very 
effective in ridding mills and grain bins of 
the numerous insects that infest them. It 
is only necessary to pour plenty of the 
liquid around the mill, close the windows 
and doors as tightly as possible, and allow it 
to remain so forty-eight hours. So rapidly 
and completely does the liquid evaporate 
that it can be used to exterminate insects in 
flour and yet not taint the flour. It is also 
used in large quantities to destroy the pea 
and bean weevils. It is simply necessary 
to put them in an air tight room or box in 
which the vapor can be confined and pour 
the liquid. In theWest it is used to destroy 
the prairie dogs and undoubtedly it could 
be used successfully to destroy the wood- 
chucks which are so troublesome in the East. 
The method employed is to roll up a ball of 
cotton batting the size of a small hen’s egg, 
saturate it with the liquid, throw it in the 
hole, and quickly stop the mouth of the lat- 
ter with earth, making it as near air-tight 
as possible. 
Although this liquid is so valuable it 
should be used with great caution. The va- 
por when mixed with air is very explosive. 
No light or fire should be allowed near a 
building in which it has been used until it 
has been thoroughly ventilated. The cost 
of the liquid at retail is considerable as there 
is so much loss to the retailer through evap- 
oration, but it can be had directly from the 
manufacturer in fifty and one hundred 
pound cans at from ten to fifteen cents per 
pound . 
where until all danger from frost is over. 
I have continually to bear in mind that I 
am writing as well for my neighbors here 
in North Carolina as for northern planters, 
for I am continually meeting people whose 
first salutation is “I read your articles in 
Orchard and Garden.” 
After repeated trials I am satisfied that 
nothing is gained by pinching off the ends 
of canteloupe and watermelon vines. In fact 
I consider it a positive disadvantage to the 
crop. Keep melons and all plants of this 
family clean as they advance in growth and 
draw earth to the stems, but avoid handling 
them when wet with dew or rain. After 
watermelon vines get to running freely the 
short growth of weeds and grass between 
the rows does no injury to the crop. 
HOW TO TREAT THE CELERY PLANTS. 
As soon as the celery plants are large 
enough to handle, transplant them into a 
bed, or into a frame where they can be 
shaded and watered when necessary. We 
always prefer to transplant, rather than 
thin out, and shear the tops, as the final 
transplanting can be much more safely 
done with transplanted plants, and they are 
of more uniform size. If you have not 
raised any celery plants yourself, get them 
frrma grower at once, and set them in 
beds as advised. You will then have them 
handy when wanted, and the grower can 
sell the little plants for half the money he 
would charge at the regular planting sea- 
son. In this first transplanting set them 
about two to three inches apart each way. 
In this way a small bed will hold a great 
many and can be well attended to. We 
prefer to set them in a frame and cover 
with a screen made of laths tacked about 
an inch apart. These give a varying shade 
and sunshine and protect without weaken- 
ing the plants. 
Garden Work for June, 
If you have never tried the Pine Apple 
Beet, sow some this month for late use and 
you will thank us for the suggestion. 
'Cabbage for late summer and autumn 
use should be set out early in June. For 
this purpose I have not found any variety 
better than Fottler’s Improved Brunswick. 
Winter cabbage should be set fully a month 
later. 
Those who know Kale only from the 
greens usually sold in Winter and Spring 
have no idea how fine a vegetable the Curl- 
ed Scotch Kale is when sown early and 
transplanted singly like cabbages. The 
heads grow .very large and after frost strikes 
them are tender and delicious. They can 
be left out almost anywhere. 
Egg plants can now go out into the open 
ground even in the most northern sections. 
Here we set them first of May, but, being 
very tender, they should not be risked any 
KEEP THE GROUND FULLY OCCUPIED. 
As soon as an early crop is off at once 
prepare the land for a later crop. Succes- 
sive crops of corn should be planted until 
first week in July so as to have a constant 
supply until frost. The early tomatoes 
may continue to bear, but the later fruit is 
comparatively poor, so we always prefer to 
set more plants in June from seed sown out- 
side first of May. These will be at their 
best in September and will give the best 
crop for canning purposes. 
Successive crops of snap beans must also 
be planted until August. If a good crop is 
on the vines when frost threatens gather 
them and put into strong brine. These can 
be taken out of the brine all winter and 
soaked over night in fresh water and will 
be found but little inferior to fresh beans. 
AN EXCELLENT TURNIP FOR FAMILY USE. 
The best of all turnips in our estimation, 
the Long White French, known in Eastern 
Virginia as sugar turnip, should be planted 
in June. It is a very hardy turnip of the 
Ruta baga class, and the sweetest of all. In 
this latitude it will remain in the ground 
all winter without protection and its tops 
are vastly superior to Kale for greens. If 
carrots are desired for winter use sow now 
some of the half long varieties. 
THE BEST WAY TO GROW HERBS. 
Plants of sage raised from seed sown in 
April can be transplanted this month in 
any vacant sp t and will furnish a great 
supply of seasoning by sausage time. We 
many years ago abandoned the practice of 
keeping old sage bushes in the garden, and 
sow the seed every spring. Plants set in 
June will be two feet across in the fall and 
the whole top can be cut off and found ten- 
der. Many other sweet herbs can be treat- 
ed in the same way. 
TO GROW POTATOES FOR SEED AND LATE USE. 
For growing a late crop of Irish potatoes 
in the latitude cf Philadelphia we suggest 
the following plan. Get some Southern 
grown early potatoes, spread them out 
where they will be protected from rain, but 
fully exposed to the light so as to get green 
all over. Then about last of June or first 
of July plant them whole and cover very 
shallow and roll the earth compactly over 
them. None should be covered more than 
two inches. We used to think that late 
planted potatoes should be covered deeply 
in the moist ground and we usually failed 
to get a stand, Now we seldom fail if we 
have well-greened potatoes. Here the plant- 
ing is delayed until August. We are now 
eating potatoes grown last fall in North 
Carolina that late in April have not started 
to sprout, and are dry and starchy. It is 
worth a little trouble to get this late crop, 
for all the northern potatoes are now 
sprouted and worthless. And yet these late 
grown potatoes that have not yet sprouted 
in the cellar, will grow at once when put in 
the soil and make our very best early seed 
potatoes, for we get the full strength of the 
first sprout, which every potato grower 
knows is best. It will not be a great while 
before the shipment of these late grown 
potatoes North for table use in late Spring 
will become an important industry in the 
South. Our late crop last Fall was dug 
here December 6th. Any one can see that 
a well matured potato, dug at this cool sea- 
son of the year, will have the best chance 
for keeping unsprouted in Winter. So in 
addition to furnishing the North with early 
new potatoes we will soon be furnishing 
them the best of old potatoes for Spring 
use. 
TWO DELICIOUS VEGETABLES. 
Brussels Sprouts have never become very 
popular in this country and deserve more 
attention in the milder sections than they 
have received. In this latitude outside the 
mountain country it is extremely difficult 
to grow winter cabbage and our people 
mainly content themselves with the South- 
ern Collards. All the cabbage tribe are left 
out here where they grow, and I feel sure 
that if our people could be persuaded to try 
the Brussels Sprouts they would soon dis- 
place the Collards. Seed of Brussels Sprouts 
sown in June and transplanted like cabbage 
a month later will give a supply of sprouts 
