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By: Ikedi Ani-okoye

Scrapping Plant Enemies

The devices and implements used for battling plant enemies are of two sorts:

(1) those used to afford mechanical insurance to the plants;

(2) those used to apply insecticides and fungicides.

Of the first the most helpful is the blanketed frame. It consists commonly of a wooden box, some eighteen inches to two feet square and bout viii tall, blanketed with glass, protecting cloth, mosquito meshing or mosquito wire. The 1st two coverings have, of course, the further advantage of retentive energy and protecting from cold, making it possible by there use to plant originally than is otherwise riskless. They are used extensively in getting an added early on and safe start with cucumbers, melons and the other corydalis vegetables.

Simpler devices for protecting newly-set plants, such as tomatoes or lettuce , from the cut-worm, are hard, tin, cardboard or tar paper collars, which are made various inches tall and large enough to be put around the stem and enter an inch or so into the soil .

For applying poison powders, the home plantsman may supply himself with a powder gun. If one should be closed to a sole finish, nevertheless, it will be better to get one of the hand-power, compressed-air sprayers. These are used for applying wet sprays, and may be supplied with one of the several forms of mist-making nozzles, the non-cloggable automatic type being the better. For more abundant work a containerful pump, mounted on wheels, will be delectable, but one of the above will do a outstanding bargain of work in small time. Lengthiness rods for use in spraying trees and vines may be obtained for either. For transaction on a real miniscule scale a goodish hand-syringe may be used, but as a generic thing it will be better to vest a few dollars more and get a minuscule tank sprayer, as this throws a nonstop move or spray and holds a much larger amount of the dispersion solution. Whatever type is procured, get a brass machine it will out-wear three or four of those made of cheaper metal, which succumbs very quick to the, corroding action of the non feeble poisons and chemicals used in them.

Of implements for gathering, beside the spade, prong-hoe and spading- subfigure, real few are used in the minuscule garden, as most of them want not only long rows to be economically used, but horse- power also. The onion farmhand combining for the doubled travel hoe, might be used with advantage in loosening onions, beets, turnips, etc., from the soil or for cutting spinach. Jogging the hand- tool close on either side of carrots, parsnips and other deep-growing vegetables will aid materially in getting them out. For fruit picking, with gangling trees, the wire-fingered fruit-picker, secured to the end of a long hold, will be of good assistance, but with the modern method of using low-headed trees it will not be needful.

Another class of garden implements are those used in pruning but where this is attended to right from the start, a good pointed jack-knife and a brace of pruning scissors will easily handgrip all the work of the kind needful.

Still another variety of garden device is that used for bearing the plants; such as gamble, trellises, wires, etc. Entirely too tiny attention commonly is granted these, as with proper care in storing over cold weather they will not only last for eld, but add greatly to the convenience of cultivation and to the refined presence of the garden.

As a final word to the intending vendee of garden tools, I would say: first good analyse the different sorts procurable, and when buying, do not forget that a good tool or a well-made machine will be giving you right use long, long after the price is forgotten, while a underprivileged one is a incessant source of suffering. Get good tools, and take good care of them. And let me repetition that a few dollars a twelvemonths, judiciously spent, for tools afterward well cared for, will shortly give you a real consummate set, and add to your garden gain and feeling.