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Farm and garden m April chores checklist will keep gardeners busy, plants beautiful By: Jean Winslow -Plant cannas outside. -Pencil in planting dates on a cal ender. This is particularly impor tant for reminding ourselves of succession plantings, such as glad iolus. In fact? make a planting of glads right now, and repeat every ten days to two weeks until July. -Bare-rooted ornamentals or dered through the mail or newly ' lased should soak in water 24 before planting. -Mark daffodils you really pre ferred during bloom. Use white plastic markers. After the foliage dies down, you will be able to lo cate the ones you want to divide. -Prune forsythia AFTER you think about it awhile. No round balls, please. A naturally weeping plant, forsythia is spectacular in bloom, and fits comfortably into the landscape during its green pe riod. -Save rain wrappers that pack age your newspapers and place them on poles in the garden. Breezes ripple the paper, frighten ing the birds. -Discourage rabbits in the gar den by sprinkling dry sulfur around its outer edges. Of the gar den, not the rabbit. -When you are strolling through the garden, take along a plastic grocery bag. Loop it over your wrist. As you check flowers and veggies, you can pick up debris, place it in the bag, and dispose of it at the end of your walk. -If you haven't fertilized the lawn, hurry. After May 1 serious summer heat sets in, and fescue will go semi-dormant. Forcing the grass with extra fertilizer will only make it more susceptible to dis eases. -Feed azaleas immediately after blooming with cottonseed meal, 24 pounds per 100 square feet. Sprin kle over mulch and water in. Be cause of shallow roots, never dig the fertilizer in. Mulch is of vital importance to azaleas because of that shallow root system. It is also part of their nutrition. Use an acid mulch: pine needles, oak leaves, sawdust from oak, cypress and hemlock. Some gardeners apply seaweed once a year for trace min erals if they are not sure the plants are really healthy. -Check plants for bagworms, those tiny little bags of twigs hang ing from plant limbs. This is the time they become active, and are especially destructive to ever greens. Pick off what you see and destroy? drop them in a can of ker osene. Spray plant with malathion, Dursban, or Sevin if you don't mind chemicals. -Never put freshly cut daffodils in a vase with tulips or other blub flowers. Daffodil stems secrete a slimy substance that is toxic to most flowers. Put cut daffodils in their own vase for 24 hours. They will be neutralized enough to incor pora:e in flower arrangements by then. By the way, there is a North Car olina Daffodil Society for daff fan ciers. Write Ms. Alex Hightower, 2405 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, NC 27608 for information. Dues are $5.00 a year. -Cut lettuce from the garden with a very sharp knife, (it lasts longer). When preparing it for salad, use a tearing motion instead of steel. -Plant about 20 radish seeds per hill of cucumbers or squash for good control of cucumber beetles and borers. Radishes definitely re pel cucurbit pests. -Divide perennials. Take a shovel and cut the plant into halves or quarters. Dig around the outer edge, keeping as much of the dirt around roots as possible. Make sure the new hole is big enough. Do I not place too deeply, or the crown will rot. Press dirt around the plant firmly with your foot. Perennial herbs that should be divided now include Artemisia, Sil ver King, Silver Queen, Silver Mound, Bee balm, Comfrey, Lemon Balm, Lovvage, Lamb's ears, Mint, Pot Marjoram, and Thyme. -Perennials, newly divided or not, should be staked now so as not to interrupt the root system by in serting a stick into the ground later on. Try "peastaking." This English method uses branches pruned from trees and shrubs instead of com mercial stakes for a more natural look. I tried it last year, and was impressed at the esthetic differ ence. -Fertilize annuals and containers with water soluble 5-10-5 or cow manure tea or fish emulsion. -Pinch mums to encourage bush iness. -Put some pretty fish in the lily pond. Tell the cat that the pretty fish are a no-no. You may have to tell him more than once. 4-Hers will blast off to summer space camp Ru< InonWo TP DaSIai> WJ. uuam?a a. uaucj Home Economics Extension Agent Five-four-three^two-one.. . .B LASTOFF! to an exciting summer of hands-on learning about space science and technology at the 1989 North Carolina 4-H Space Camp. Perquimans County Extension 4-H Agent Juanita T. Bailey states that 4-H Space Camp is designed to al low young people between the ages of nine and thirteen to study high tech textiles, space-age foods, the physics of the space shuttle and model rocketry, and basic or ad vanced computer science. The 1989 Space Camp will be held the week of July 9 - 15 at the Penn 4-H Educa tional Center near Reidsville. During their week-long mission, space campers will learn how ny lon is made for use in a space suit, how foods are processed and pack aged for shuttle missions, how computers are used to simulate space flight, and the physics and logistics of a space shuttle launch. In addition to these and other learning opportunities dealing with space technology, two periods da ily will be devoted to recreational activities and classes. On Wednesday, the junior astro nauts will travel to the Moorehead Planetarium in Chapel Hill, the Shearon-Harris Nuclear Plant near Raleigh, and the NASA Mars Mission Research Center at North Carolina State University. Also during the week, the NASA Space mobile from Langley Air Force Base will visit the camp. On Fri day, parents are invited to join their space campers at a banquet featuring a special guest speaker. Each Space Camp participant will receive a free 4-H Space Camp tee shirt as a momento of their adven ture-packed week. The cost of 4-H Space Camp '89 is $150; horseback riding instruction is available to a limited number of campers for an additional $15 fee. Space Campers will be closely su pervised by trained professional and volunteer staffs. For more information on 4-H Space Camp '89, contact the Per quimans County Agricultural Ex tension Office at 426-5428. 1989 farm programs outlined There are only a few days left to decide whether or not to partici pate in the 1989 Wheat, Feedgrain, and Cotton Programs. Program signup ends April 14. For those of you who are still uncertain, I have some very good computer pro grams to help in the decision mak ing. These programs help compare net returns to not participating to those of alternative levels of par ticipation in the program of each commodity. ; Basic participation means that you must reduce plantings to 90 I$rcent of base acreage (95 per cent for oats, and 75 percent for cotton). No optional paid diversion if available this year. The 50-92 program is again an option for cot ton. Under 50-92 you must plant at least 50 percent of permitted acres and receive payments on 92 per cent of permitted acres. 0-92 is again available for wheat and feed grains. Under 0-92, you must plant any portion up to 92 percent of per mitted acreage and receive pay ments on 92 percent of permitted acres. Payments on the implanted portion of permitted acres are guaranteed at the expected defi ciency rate. All released acreage must be maintained in a conserv ing manner and that released 0-92 can be grazed except for the period May through September. You may request 40 percent ad vanced deficiency payments at sign up. The entire advance will be made in cash at sign up. Payment will be made as soon as possible after the application has been ap proved. These statistics are based only on a February survey of farmer's planting intentions. Actual planted acreage could change drastically in the next 6 weeks as a result of the weather and commodity prices. It could be concluded the Conservation Reserve Program and the ASCS farm programs are helping to hold down excessive plantings. This, along with a strong interest by the Soviet Union in our feedgrains, will hopefully result in profits for eastern North Carolina farmers this fall. Like last year, the $50.00 pay ment limitation applies to a defi ciency payment. It applies to all such payments on a per person ba sis. It you would like to see these programs, please call your local extension office. 1989 Crop Enterprise Budgets are also available on disk and hard copy. These budgets will give you an indication of net returns that can be expected per commodity. These budgets are good planning tools and will aid you in developing your own budgets based on your own operation. It appears the na tion's farmers are planning to in crease corn and soybean plantings less than expected following 1988's drought. USD A says farmers in tend to increase corn plantings 8 percent, far less than the 11 per cent to 12 percent gains expected by processors, merchants, and tra ders. Soybean acreage is expected to increase by 5 percent, less than the 5.5 percent to 6 percent ex pected increase. Expert tips for serious gardeners By: Jean Winslow Two great American schools of horticulture are in our neighbor hood - North Carolina State Univer sity and VPI. Their publications are invaluable to serious garden ers. Here's what they say about some subjects my readers have asked me about. Sterilize Soil Indoors All you need, says State Horticul- 1 turist Larry Bass, is a standard mi crowave oven, soil, and a con tainer. For two pounds of soil, two min utes of heating at maximum power should wipe out worrisome pests like nematodes and fungi that cause damping off in young seed ling. Soil has a strong odor, he re minds us, but don't De bothered by it. Bass' recommendations are based on the use of mineral soils with a fairly low organic matter I content. Soils with more than 20 i 1 percent of organic matter might I require longer treatment times. ; Just keep experimenting until you .get it right. ; Hanging Baskets < Hanging baskets thrive outdoors Jin summer if a few requirements ?are taken care of, says State Horti culturist Millicent White. J Wait until the night air is 50 de '.grees. Avoid placing the plant in ; excessive heat. Direct sunlight can cause severe damage or plant I death. < When watering the basket, apply ienough water to completely moisten the soil. The amount of wa iter, of course, depends on the size )of the container. Do not apply email portions of water to the plant jevery day, as this procedure pre vents good root development ! A plant growing in a wire basket tor ; A basket growing in a cool envi ronment requires very little fertili zation. As weather becomes warmer, it will be necessary to in crease fertilizer. Liquid fertilizers are the easiest to use. There are many fine fertiliz ers on the market, or you can use cow manure teas and liquid fish emulsion. Flowering baskets should be fed a formula with a higher phosphorus number, since this is the mineral that encourages blooming. (Example: 10-15-10 on a bottle label means 10 percent nitro gen, IS percent phosphorus, and 10 percent potash. Epiphytes like staghorn ferns should be treated a little differ ently, says Diane Relf at VP I. Keep epiphytes in a shady area. Since staghorns are planted in sphagnum moss attached to wood, take the plant down and soak the roots in a bucket of water until it is thoroughly moist. Use a very weak solution of liquid fertilizer in the soakings during the summer. Fer tilize every two months in winter. Potted Plants N.C. State Agricultural Exten sion specialist Woody Upchurch hopes you won't forget your potted houseplants once it is nice enough to go play in the yard. Now is the time to repot plants that have outgrown their con tainers. A good potting medium is a mixture of three parts loamy soil, two parts peat moss and one part coarse sand. To this mixture add one cup or 20 percent super phos phate per bushel of soil. Bone meal can be substituted for the phos phate if it is easier to obtain. Just remember that bone meal is not what it use to be. Sifted, washed, bleached, packaged and stored, commercial bone meal may not the nutritional wallop it used Sykes & Company, P.A. Certified Public Accountants ELECTRONIC FILING SERVICES AVAILABLE WITH TWO LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU 101 West King Street Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Office Hours: Tplenhnnp Interviews by Appointment ' 1 ? Monday-Friday 919-482-7644 8:00-5:00 806 North Broad Street Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Office Hours: Tuesday-Friday Drop Off & Pick Up - i u 8:00-6:00 Monday Telephone Saturday ^^oo^oo^^JlJ^S^SlS^^^^oai^oo^ CarCabfret$ Let us add storage and beauty to every room in your home with custom-built cabinets. ? Specializing in Raised Pane! Doors. Be sure to visit our booth at the Cooking School THE Cabinet Man FREE ESTIMATES OWNED ? OPERATED BY JOHN CARTER 330-2707 Wash fresh produce Washington? U.S. Department of Agriculture officials advise con sumers to wash fresh fruits and vegetables with plain water, not soap and water, to remove surface pesticide residues and other impu rities. USDA Consumer Advisor Ann Chadwick said that consumers re cently have been advised by a pri vate organization to use soap in washing fruits and vegetables. In some cases, this recommendation has been attributed to government sources. "In fact, USDA, the U. S. Eviron mental Protection Agency and the U. S. Food and Drug Administra tion?the three federal agencies with regulatory responsibility for foods? all recommend washing fresh fruits and vegetables with just plain water," said Chadwick. "We do not recommend washing food with soap. Soap residues may be difficult to remove from some foods, and soap is not intended to be consumed." "Washing with water helps re move soil particles and other de bris that may be hard to see, espe cially on leafy green vegetables," Chadwick said. "Washing with wa ter also will help remove any exist ing surface pesticide residues. Thick-skinned produce may be scrubbed with a brush if desired." Consumers who have questions about handling food safely may call the toll-fret; USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 800-535-4555 (477 333 in the Washington, D. C., met ropolitan area), or their local Co operative Extension Service office CES offices are listed under county government in local telephone di rectories. What to do luhmyoa imda immpt oyee. The Perquimans Weekly 426-5728 ATTENTION FEDERAL RETIREES If you received a Federal Pension during 1985 and paid North Carolina income tax, you may be entitled to a refund if you file an amended North Carolina return by April 15, 1989. For details and other tax assistance, contact: SYKES & COMPANY. INC,. CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS 101 West King Street (919) 482-7644 806 North Broad Street (919) 482-5181 Edenton, North Carolina 27932 Dr. A.F.Downum OPTOMETRIST DISPOSABLE CONTACT LENSES Caring for your eyes goes beyond eye examinations and pre scriptions ? it also means keeping you up-to-date on any devel opments in eye care that may be to your benefit. There is a recent innovation that is currently receiving nation wide attention. Vistakon, Inc., q Johnson & Johnson company, has introduced the first contact lens you never have to clean: ACUVUE Disposable Contact Lenses. Acuvue Disposable Contact Lenses give you excellent vision correction without any of the cleaning or long-term build-up prob lems many contact lens wearers encounter. You wear the lenses continuously for about one to two weeks (depending on the sched ule we set up,) then you simply throw them out and replace them with a fresh, new pair. They're virtually maintenance-free. The patient wearing this disposable lens will discover many advan tages. Almost no time is spent with lens care, no cleaning solu tions are needed and a soare lens is always on hand. In addition to the convenience, ACUVUE Disposable Contact Lenses may actually allow you to experience sharper vision, greater comfort and improved eye health through disposable wear. In fact, ACUVUE is such a breakthrough, even patients who occasionally have problems with their hard or sofi lenses may find they can wear these lenses all the time, with comfort. Please give us a call for more detailed information about new ACUVUE. I'll be happy to answer any other questions you may have. Call for your appointment today to see if ACUVUE Disposa ble Contact Lenses are right for you. Dr. A.F. DOWNUM 103 W. Eden St. Edenton, N.C. Phone: 482-8444 Classified runover FORBES HOMES /\ A SPECIAL HOME WITH SPECIAL VALUE THE NEW CAROLINA COUNTRY HOME? SPECIALLY PRICED AT * 23,900 Features Include ? 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The Perquimans Weekly (Hertford, N.C.)
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April 6, 1989, edition 1
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