May, 1917 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
131 
Gardeners make use of a seed 
drill which costs from $7 to $8. 
Where much seeding is done, the 
seed drill is indispensable. 
The seeds may be covered with 
a hoe or a rake. After covering 
the drill, the soil should be firmed 
so as to get the seed in contact 
with the soil and re-establish cap- 
illarity. 
Broadcast Only on Clean Land 
Broadcasting the seed is advis- 
able only where the soil is free 
from weeds and where the crop 
grown stays in the ground for a 
short period of time. Radishes 
are sometimes sown broadcast 
and plants for transplanting are 
often grown by this method. If 
the seedlings are not replanted 
before they are set in the field, 
they are usually stockier when the 
seed is broadcasted. 
If vegetables are planted in 
hills, the seed is usually scattered 
over a circle six to ten inches in 
diameter. From three to four 
times as many seeds are planted 
as we want plants, in order to 
provide against loss by insects. 
This is especially important with 
vine crops. 
Thinning the Seedlings 
Although commercial gardeners 
regulate the amount of seed that 
they sow so that they will need to 
do very little thinning, the home 
gardener usually finds his stand 
of seedlings three or four times 
as thick as necessary. The first 
thinning is done when the garden 
is weeded for the first time. The 
amount of thinning depends upon 
the thickness of the stand and the 
amount of space that the plant 
needs. A hand weeder with a 
sharp blade at right angles to the 
handle is a very good instrument 
to use in the thinning. Later 
thinning, especially with root 
crops, consists in the pulling of 
the largest of the plants and us- 
ing them on the table. 
Radishes as “Marker” Crop 
A marker crop of radishes is 
often grown with the slow germi- 
nating vegetables. The seed is 
sown very thinly at the time the 
permanent crop is put in. It 
breaks the ground for the other 
crop and also enables one to cul- 
tivate between rows. The plan 
works best with carrots and pars- 
nips. The radishes are allowed 
to mature but should be removed 
as soon as they are big enough to 
use. 
The Cherry Leaf Spot. 
A Door Co. member asked about 
treatment for cherry leaf spot 
commonly known as “shot-hole” 
fungus. The letter was referred 
to Professor Keitt, who replied 
as follows: 
In our work on this dis- 
ease we have found clean cul- 
tivation in the spring well before 
the blossoms open followed by 
thorough spraying to be a satis- 
factory means of controlling the 
disease. In some cases, it may 
not be practicable to give clean 
culture so early, but usually cul- 
tivation is given at this time any- 
way for other reasons. The fun- 
gus which causes this disease 
lives over winter in the old dead 
leaves on the ground, and about 
blossoming time produces “seeds” 
too small to be seen except with 
a powerful microscope, which are 
carried by the air to the young- 
leaves. There they grow and 
cause the disease. From these 
early spots, a great many more 
seeds are produced, and these 
spread the disease. By carefully 
turning or harrowing under the 
leaves before they produce the 
first seeds — that is well before the 
blossoming period — the disease 
can be greatly checked — just as 
you can check the spread of many 
weeds by cutting before they 
seed. It is, of course, the early 
clean culture that counts, as the 
seeds of the fungus are shed be- 
fore the summer cultivations. 
This early cultivation does not 
take the place of spraying. It 
simply makes it easier to control 
the disease by spray. There is 
still some question as to the best 
spray program for shot hole. It 
will vary with conditions. Good 
results have been obtained with 
Bordeaux mixture, 4-4-50, or 
3-3-50, and with lime-sulphur, 5 
or 6 quarts in 50 gallons. Lime- 
sulpliur seems to control shot 
hole better if arsenate of lead is 
used with it. The following tim- 
ing of applications has given 
good results: Spray (1) as soon 
as the petals (blossoms) are off, 
(2) about two weeks later, and 
(3) as soon as the fruit is picked. 
The leaves should be well covered 
on both the upper and the under 
surfaces. If the leaves are not 
turned under before blossoming, 
it may, in extreme cases, be desir- 
able to give three treatments be- 
fore picking — the first when most 
of the petals (blossoms) are off, 
the second about ten days later, 
and the third about two weeks 
after the second. 
G. W. Keitt. 
Sticktoitiveness. 
Not in the dictionary and it is 
doubtful if it ever will be there, 
but it expresses a qualification 
much to be desired in amateur 
gardeners. 
