PAGE TWO
THE ECHO
MAY, 1943
Our Victory Garden Program Is Progressing Splendidly
CONTROUNG WEEDS
AND INSECTS NOW
MOST IMPORTANT
^Ninety-five Gardens Are Be
ing Raised By Employees
Here At Plant,
The Victory Garden program of
Ecusta employees is progressing
splendidly in spite of the rapid
growth of weeds and grass, a
check up reveals.
There are 95 employees who
have Victory Gardens covering 50
acres of land here adjacent to the
plant and it is estimated that
Ecustans have approximately 1000
gardens at their homes. Here the
company also has 25 acres in gar
dens for the cafeteria.
R. H. Niswonger, extension hor
ticulturist at State College, was in
the county a short time ago and
praised the towns and county, as
well as Ecustans, for their fine
garden program.
At this time he emphasized the
importance of good cultivation and
control of insects.
Right now, he said, the Mexican
bean beetles, cabbage and squash
beetles will do greatest damage if
they are not destroyed.
The Victory Gardens have not
only afforded a good sideline ac
tivity for employees, but also they
have afforded humorous remarks,
and it is believed that they will
provide a lot of food this season.
If the proper canning program is
carried out, they will provide food
for the year round.
One of the most aggressive of
the local Victory Garden co-opera
tive syndicates is the firm of Har
rison, Kappers and Straus, Inc.,
which has been showing great ac
tivity. Walter Straus, vice presi
dent, is in charge of weed culture
and is said to be the busiest mem
ber of the firm.
Tony Rhodes, in a patriotic and
friendly gesture, promises to take
over and plant in cornfield beans
any neglected gardens for the
benefit of the general public.
It is stated that every time a
gardener gives up his plot or gets
called to the army, two more
spring up to take his place. Buck
Best, slowly but surely is going
nuts trying to keep the map
straight.
A great deal of credit for the
success of the Victory Garden pro
gram is due Mr. Vannah for bene
fit of his wide knowledge passed
on to gardeners throught the Echo.
His “Do and Don’t” column is very
valuable, especially to amateurs,
and there are a good many of
those this season.
By a grapevine, it was learned
that those neat rows in Bob Cold-
well’s garden look like potatoes,
but they are only weeds. It is
perhaps one of the neatest camou
flage jobs of the war!
The grapevine has a number of
other interesting observations
about the Victory Garden pro
gram, but they will be left to the
humor columnist.
Victory Gardening In Ecustaland!
k.F ■ •.
CONTROL WEEIK
BY HARD WORK
Cultivation Not Only De
stroys Weeds, But Also
Stimulates Soil
Control Of Insects Essential To
Success Of Any Victory Garden
F our Definite Suggestions
'Are Offered, Neglect;
Will Prove Costly
Garden Don’ts
A man was telling about a pro
posed fishing trip in Colorado.
“Are there any trout out there?”
asked one friend.
“Thousands of ’em,” replied Mr.
Wharry.
“WiU they bite easily?” asked
another friend.
“Will they?” said Mr. Wharry.
“Why they’re absolutely vicious.
A man has to hide behind a tree
tp bait a hoo^,”
Insects are attacking gardens.
The attacks will increase. But gar
deners can repulse the attacks.
Methods of control exist. Materials
are availabla at supply stores.
Equipment can be procured or im
provised. A principal factor in the
control of insects is often the gar
dener himself.
Gardeners have a double duty
in meeting the control of insects—
a neglected individual garden be
comes a breeding spot from which
insects spread to one’s neighbors’
gardens. Hold the line at your
garden. Win for yourself and help
your community at the same time.
Observe The Attack
The first thing in the control
of insects is recognition of their
attack. A flight of certain moths
foretells the coming outbreak of
cabbage worms. The appearance
of adult potato beetles, the pres
ence of their egg clusters on the
underside of the leaves, is each
a proof positive that soon the de
structive leaf eating bugs will at
tempt to take your potatoes. If
you have some curling cabbage
leaves, uncurl them and you will
probably find aphis inside the
curl. Are some of your tomatoes
and other crops cut off at the
ground level? Are your potato and
tomato leaves showing tiny per
forations, and do small black flea
beetles pop off those leaves when
you approach the plants? Are
spotted beetles appearing on your
bean plants?
Fight Right Way
The next thing in the control of
insects is that of doing the right
thing according to the attack that
you recognize. If cabbage moths
are flying, a supply of insecticide
should be gathered and an appli
cator such as a piece of cheese
cloth with a rock in it, unless you
have a blower duster. A few days
after the cabbage moth flight,
worms will begin feeding on your
cabbage and then the insecticide
is to be applied. Spread treated
bait if cutworm injury is seen. If
potato beetles and eggs are in
evidence, the same above equip
ment and materials as for cab
bage worms will be needed. In
protecting the potatoes against
the potato bugs, accomplish two
things at one time. Incorporate
the insecticide in a bordeaux spray
and protect the potatoes against
blight. If aphis are fcfund o» the
Don’t use all your en
thusiasm making a garden,
then turn it over to bugs
and weeds.
^ Don’t plant seeds among
cinders, tin cans and rub
bish and expect fertilizer to
make things all right.
Don’t plant seeds too thick
just to empty the packet.
The seed supply is getting
low.
Don’t waste crops. See
that somebody gets the left
overs, even if you have to
give them away.
Don’t plant more of any
one crop than can make use
of, one way or another.
cabbage—and other crops—spray
or dpt them on a warm day with
a nicotine preparation. If flee
beetles are on your plants, repel
them with a lime dusting, or bor
deaux dusting or spraying. If spot
ted beetles appear on your beans,
work fast. Insecticides should be
applied at once else the leaves
will be consumed in a short time
when the larvae hatch.
Kill Them At Once
The third thing in the control
of insects is to understand the
importance of trying to kill them
at the incidence of attack and
definitely repeating the control
procedure until they are wiped
out. An adult produces great num
bers of eggs and most of the eggs
hatch. One laying of eggs can pro
duce ravaging results.
The fourth thing in the control
of insects is keep in touch with
the condition of your garden con
stantly. Take advantage of your
own knowledge and experience in
control of its insect enemies; con
sult your County Agent, read lit
erature and information on the
subject, budget some money for
the right insecticide and use the
insecticide, at the right time, in
the right amount, and in the right
frame of mind—the will to con
trol the insects.
Gardeners themselves are the
control. The know how can be
found out. The doing of it is the
thing.
The world’s worst combination
is a cutie with lots of dough mar
rying a guy with half-baked ideas.
Start cultivation now to insure
against loss of your crop to weeds.
The recent warm weather and
the rains have started a vigorous
growth of weeds. Weeds should
be killed now while still small
and tender and before they have
developed strong roots or started
flowering.
The sovereign remedy for weeds
is cultivation. Start early and con
tinue regularly. The ground should
be cultivated at least every ten
days and also after every rain as
soon as the ground is dry enough
to work. If a walking cultivator
is available, cultivate between the
rows to within 1-2” to 1” of the
row. A small prong weeder is
handy for working closer to the
row or in the row. Care should
be taken that cultivation is not
too deep close to the row during
the early stages when the vege
table seedlings are small and the
roots are easily disturbed. Most
important is to start weeding at
once and continue regularly. This
not only gives the best results;
it is easier, because the weeds are
destroyed before they have strong
root systems and before they have
become established.
Weeds are weeds because they
are so successful in competition
with your crops. They successfully
compete for space, moisture, and
soil elements. Some weeds are
breeding places for garden pests.
For good results, keep your land
clean. Large vigorous weeds may
be a tribute to your soil; they are
not a tribute to your gardening-
Do this:
1. Start cultivating now.
2. Cultivate at least every ten
days.
3. Cultivate after rain only
v/hen ground has dried enough to
work.
4. Hoe to within 1-2” to 1” of
row. Use prongs closer to row or
weed by hand.
5. Cultivate shallow near the
row of young seedlings.
6. Keep a dust cover over the
ground at all times.
Timely Warning To
Victory Gardeners
The weeds are moving in on
you. Right now is the critical
stage of the race, and your vic
tory garden committee warns
that each day’s delay in begin
ning the fight cuts down your
production of vegetables. Each
weed has a German name this
year, and you cannot afford to
relax the fight long enough to
let them raise their ugly heads.
Later on you will be asked to
pretend that all potato bugs,
worms, and beetles have Jap
anese ancestry, and must be
treated accordingly. But right
now the problem is weeds—so
roll up your sleeves and attack!
When the Echo went to press
the following patriots had clean
gardens: Tom Allen, Bob Col
well and Walter Straus. Some of
the rest of you are about even
in the fight, and we have a few
sluggards in mind who will be
issued lawn mowers as booby
prizes.
BUY WAR BONDS AND STAMPS
EVERY PAY DAY