Pago 4 - THE FOOTHILLS VIEW - Monday. May 14, 1984
Time Is At Hand If You
Want Potatoes In Bushels
Potatoes are one of the
earlier planted vegatables and,
because of this, many gar
deners let time slip up on them
and don’t get the planting
done until it seems that it’s too
late.
In eastern sections of the
state, Irish potatoes can be
planted the first few days of
March, depending on the
specific locations, according
to N.C. Agricultural Exten
sion Service horticulturists.
The best dates in the Pied
mont are between March 15
and late April. Mountain area
gardeners should wait until
about the end of March to
begin planting.
Popular varieties of Irish
potatoes for the Piedmont and
Coastal Plain are Pontaic,
LaSoda, Chippewa and Nor
land. Good varieties for
Mountain section gardens in
clude Kennebec, Boone, and
Sequoia.
Any mellow, fertile, well-
drained soil is suitable for
potatoes. Stiff, heavy clay
soils often produce miss-
hapened tubers.
Potatoes grow well in soils
with a pH ranging from 4.8 to
6.0. A pH of around 5.0 is rec
ommended if common scab is
a problem. Before planting ap
ply three pints of 8-8-8 fer
tilizer or equivalent per 100
feet of row.
Medium size potatoes —
those weighing from five to
seven ounces-make the best
seed potatoes. Cut each potato
into four or five blocky pieces
with at least one eye. Plant the
seed pieces 10 inches apart in
rows that are three to four feet
apart. Plant the seed pieces
four to six inches deep.
Potatoes require two to
three weeks to come up,
depending on the depth of
planting and the temperature
of the soil. Slightly frozen
ground is seldom harmful on the label.
unless the sprouts are emerg
ed. Prolonged cold and wet
weather after planting is likely
to cause pieces to rot. There
fore, avoid planting too early.
Young potato plants are
often damaged by frost, but
they usually renew their
growth quickly.
Late blight might be a pro
blem on potatoes in the Moun
tains. If your crop becomes in
fected, ask your garden supply
store about a suitable fung
icide to use.
Many insects attack Irish
potatoes, but only aphids, flea
beetles and the Colorado pota
to beetle normally require con
trol in the home garden.
Aphids can be controlled
with Malathion, Thiodan or
Spectracide. Thiodian or Sevin
will control the Colorado
potato beetle and flea beetles.
Be sure to use these insec
ticides according to directions
Loss Of Color With Butterfly
Drop In Population
Color in the flower garden
delights the eye. Colorful
visiting butterflies add another
element: graceful motion.
The large orange-and-brown
monarch butterfly sails from
one blossom to another. The
common yellow sulphur dances
through the beds or fields,
sometimes congregating around
a moist spot for a moment of
conversation. American copper
butterflies compete with the
hummingbirds around nectar-
filled flowers.
Butterflies inspire not only
ordinary mortals but the poets
as well. Elizabeth Barrett
Browning observed:
“Hedgerows all alive,7With
birds and gnats and large white
butterfliesAVhich look as if the
Mayflower has caught life/And
palpitated forth upon the
wind.”
Butterflies, like bees, are
necessary for pollination in our
gardens. But the butterfly
population is decreasing for
several reasons.
Flowery meadows are plow
ed up. Roadside banks are trim
med, eliminating many wild
flowers that butterflies depend
on for their summer food.
Hardwood forests are cut,
depleting the plants that pro
vide shelter for the larval form
of the butterflies, and increased
spraying of gardens and fields
has affected them as well as
harmful insects.
For those who want to at
tract butterflies for added beau
ty in the garden, there are cer
tain flowers that can be depend
ed on, according to specialists
at the N.C Botanical Garden of
the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Butterflies seem to prefer
symmetrical flowers with long
floral tubes, or those with flat
rims that provide landing plat
forms. Asclepias tuberosa, com
monly and aptly called
butterfly-weed, is one of their
favorites and is native to our
area. It has a strong perfume to
butterflies, is a bright orange
color that attracts them and has
plentiful nectar.
The shrub buddleia-or but
terfly bush-with lavender,
white or pink flowers in profu
sion in summer and fall.
sometimes looks as if it has as
many butterflies as blossoms.
Sedum spectabile, a garden
favorite, attracts bother but
terflies and bees in large
numbers. And many wild
flowers, such as clovers,
milkweeds, thistles, asters and
sunflowers draw a good sheu'e
of butterfly visitors.
While gardens are a source of
beauty for humans, they are a
necessary source of nectar-
food-for the butterflies. They
repay us with a show in motion
in orange, yellow, copper, gray
and blue colors, making the
gardening effort worthwhile.
Butterflies and gardens go
together.
Flint Hill Church
Continued From Page 1
Kids.”
On Saturday May 19th there
will be a bake sale and hot dog
sale beginning at lOKX) follow
ed by a quilt sale at IKK) p.m.
These are hand made quilts
with special designs quilted by
the Senior Citizens of the
church. Proceeds will go to the
building fund.
Dear Dr. Graham
Dear Dr. Graham: I am a nurse, and I get very discouraged
and depressed because of all the suffering I see. For the first
time in my life I am beginning to think about God. Do you
think he can help me in my job?—Mrs. B.B.A.
Dear Mrs. B.B.A.: I can understand why you get discouraged and
depressed as you deal with suffering and death each day. Frankly, if
I were not a Christian I too would get depressed because there
would seem to be little hope in the world. But Christ makes all the
difference - and he can make a difference in your life as well.
There is much we may not fully understand about suffering and
why God allows it. The Bible speaks of evil as a “mystery” (2
Thessalonians 2:7). But there are several important truths I want
you to know. First, God loves us and he understands what it is like
when we suffer. How do I know this? I know it because Jesus Christ
suffered and died on the cross. Christ is God, cdme in human flesh
to win our salvation. And Christ knows what it is to suffer. In fact,
he suffered far more than we could ever suffer, because he took
upon himself the punishment and burden of our sins.
Then I want you to know that death is not the end, but the begin
ning of a new dimension of life — eternal life. Yes, there is hope for
life beyond the grave, because Christ made it possible. By his death
he made it possible for us to go to Heaven if we will turn to him in
trust and faith. By his resurrection from the dead he demonstrated
beyond doubt that there is life after death.
Christ also is able to strengthen you and help you every day. He
wants you to be a blessing to other people - -including those you
work with every day.
My prayer is that you would turn to Christ by faith. You can in
vite him into your heart by a simple prayer of faith. And then seek
to walk with him every day. In the midst of all the suffering you see,
Christ can give you hope and strength.
They’ll Take Motherhood
—But Hold The Apple Pie
Columbia—The South Car
olina Senate has voted over
whelmingly against making
the apple the state fruit.
Senator Alex MacAulay says
he initiated the proposal on
behalf of upstate apple grow
ers. The Oconee democrat said
more peaches are grown in
South Carolina, but he stands
completing any unfinished
business of the last session. She
expects the salary freeze will be
lifted at the session and an in
crease to state employees and
former state workers. She feels
the increase will be given top
priority. She says our state EDS
hospitalization program has in
creased its staff to provide
quicker and more efficient ser
vice, but time is required to get
the job done. Mrs. Marvin is
trying through her Legislative
position to help bring equity in
laws of North Carolina for
women. She says some glaring
inequities still exist. She is
working to get the Legislature
for waulity in the face of
quantity. Senators rejected his
measure on a voice vote.
Another upstate senator,
Thomas Garrison of Ander
son, said apples bring in about
2-and-a-half-million dollars
into the state economy each
year, while peaches account
for 60-million dollars.
State Senator
Continued From Page 1
to draft a bill that will help
women in inheritance matters.
The meeting closed with a
benediction given by Rev. M.L.
Campbell. Mr. Herbert Gidney
presided in the absence of Mr.
Myers T. Hambright.
The Foothills View is
published ijaonthly by ^
Gardner-We^b Pre^, David
M. Robertson, editor. Our
businew oHlce is ih die
Dover Student Center,, at
Gurduer-Webl^ College,
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