Agriculture
I*
Tips on keeping potted plants
ijalive throughout the year
J Potted plants received at Easter
* bring extra joy to spring. I love yel
* low chrysanthemums particularly,
* even, if they are really a fall flower.
'? But I know when fall comes, they will
? still be with me. Here's how.
'! Enjoy the blooms, removing fading
; ones to keep the plant beautiful. As
'? suming the weather is frost free, take
? the plants out of pots and set them in
fertile, well drained ground in a
;. sunny location. Feed with a diluted
fertilizer or cow manure tea.
? Pinch new growth every three
I weeks to produce a bushier plant.
! Stop by the fourth of July so Flower
buds will form. Large mum types
; should be staked. An attractive
? mulch such as straw, will prevent
Splashing of soil on opening blooms.
Zebra plants (Aphelandra) from
Brazil, are becoming increasingly
popular. Their long lasting, showy
yellow bracts and green and cream
! colored striped leaves give a tropical
ambience to even the most conserva
tive living room.
Zebra plants need watering every
day. In fact, it does well in a group of
plants, all giving off moisture to form
their own mini -climate. Supply evap
orating water, such as a tray of peb
bles or gravel barely covered with
water, in which you place the plant.
Spray every couple of days.
They are also sensitive, so keep
away from draughts or their leaves
will drop. Keep in a good light at a
minimum temperature of 60 to 65 de
grees.
When withering starts, cut flower
head off with one or two pairs of
leaves, right above another pair.
Continue to water. Soon side shoots
will appear. Replant in a larger pot in
spring and feed with a liquid house
plant fertilizer in summer and fall.
Azaleas at Easter are particularly
appropriate, and I am partial to the
Indicas, which have the large double
blossoms in gorgeous pastel pinks,
salmon, and white.
Lucky recipients should place aza
lea plants in bright light without di
rect sun, except perhaps in the morn
ing. Azaleas are thristy plants. The
roots soak up water like a sponge,
sometimes requiring watering twice
a day when in bloom. Be careful,
however, not to let water accumulate
inside the florist's foil, which will
cause root rot. Once a week place the
pot, sans foil, into a pail of water and
let it soak its fill. The water will be
gradually absorbed.
Azaleas like cool weather for
blooming, A daytime temperature of
65 degrees and 55 degrees at night is
ideal.
Plants may be moved to the yard
as a permanent part of the land
scape. Plant in acid soil in a shady
area, and fertilize. Mulch with pine
needles, pine bark, or oak leaves.
Azaleas have a shallow root system,
so do not plant too deeply. Keep moist
during the summer heat.
If you are fortunate enough to re
ceive a Madonna lily for Easter, take
good care of it. After all, someone
has cultivated and loved liflies for at
least 4,000 years. A lilly was found in
a mummy case in Egypt. That's old
Lillies are now part of our Easter
celebra'ion because of biblical asso
ciation with the Virgin Mary as a
symbol of purity. They are also asso
ciated with St. Joseph, recalling the
belief that he lived chastely with
Mary the whole of their married life.
Lillies should be placed in a cool
location with plently of light and ad
equate water. When the plant feels
dry, place the pot in a container of
water and allow to soak thoroughly.
Florist foil on all potted plants should
be removed after three weeks to as
sure proper drainage.
Prolong blooming by removing pol
len-bearing stamens. After flowering
has ceased, gradually reduce water
ing. Store in a cool dark place until
danger of frost is over. (The latter
suggestion is for early March Eas
ters.)
At that time, sink the plant )and
pot, if desired) into the ground.
Sometimes the lily will bloom again
this season. But that's really gilding
the lily as far as I'm concerned.
Don't expect it. Be thankful for its
beauty once a year.
Jaycees to host
Bass Tournament
The Perquimans County Jaycees
will host the Perquimans River Bass
Tournament on Saturday, April 18th
from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Registration
and weigh-in will be at the Hertford
Municipal Boat Ramp.
For more information or to regis
ter, contact Sara Winslow, Tourna
ment Chairperson, or any Jaycee.
The Jaycees will also host a car wash
on Saturday at NCNB. All proceeds
will go to Cystic Fibrosis.
In Finland it was once considered a sign of piety to shoot arrows at trees.
improvements neeaea in traae
Buried in a recent article in For
tune magazine was this prediction:
"The dollar has declined so long and
so far that the stage has been set for a
sustained improvement in trade af
ter six years of deterioration." In
f$ct, Fortune expects trade to be the
major plus for the U.S. economy over
the next few years.
The stage may be set for an im
provement in U.S. agricultural trade
ais well. The falling dollar is one fac
tor, competitiveness generated by
the 85 Farm Bill is another, and so
are crop problems in China and the
Soviet Union.
?The Soviets recently entered the
U.S. corn market for the first time in
almost a year. The USDA has in
creased its estimate of wheat exports
because of activity in the Export En
hancement Program, with sales an
ticipated to Eastern Europe, North
Africa and China.
Addressing a Senate agriculture
subcommittee, American Farm Bu
reau Federation President Dean
Kleckner said the U.S. should extend
an export bonus offer of wheat to the
Soviets. An offer last fall failed to at
tract their business, but it was at a
fixed price that wasn't any lower
than what was available on the open
market. For so long now the focus
has been on trade problems and sag
ging farm exports, but there are
signs now of an export recovery. We
saw it first in cotton and rice and now
it may extend to the grains. What a
boost to farmer morale and income
that would be.
This Week Only
A1940MW ? 19" COLOR
PORTABLE TV
Ifkij fowlly #wf#rtoJwn?ol to ony room iw
yowc hiiw# wHh fhii compoct IV colof
porloMt. W-chonn#1 rocoption. 100% solid
itota choMte. outomotk ftnt tuning, owto
color, tkmilotod wolnut wood groin finith
f*
1411 Ehringhaus St
In Front Of
Southgate Mall
338-5651
Don't be a
heart breaker
Slop smoking
W* Afr?itar< Awocaor gAfc
Pictured left are Stuart and
Brian Rayburn in the show
position with their animals,
below: Leah Harrell works
with her animal on
showmanship. On Friday,
April 10th members of the lo
cal 4-H clubs gathered at the '
farm of Tommy and Sherry
Harrell to go over the skills of
grooming and showmanship.
Richard Lictenwalner, Area
Cattle Specialist was on hand
to teach the course.
FARM
BUREAU
Insu ranee:
F(* Bu'fiu Member
Lewis B. Evans
AGENCY MANAGER
Pat Ward Jeff L. Smith
AGENT AGENT
426-5636 426-7401
Church Street Ext
Hertford N C. ^
Ask any stockbroker about investments, and bull
ish or bearish, he'll probably tell yon that the higher
the rate of return the greater the risk you take.
It's a fundamental principle ibr most investors,
but not at Peoples Bank. We're thinking ahead with
an innovative variable rate Certificate ofl)eposit
that gives our customers the benefit of rising inter
est rates and protects them agaiast (ailing raies.
That's why we call it CD. Preferred. Whenytxipur
chase a 2, 3, 4 or 5 year CD. Preferred, with an open
ing oalance of S5,(XX) or more, you are guaranteed a
minimum rate of interest equal to your opening
rate. As interest rates fluctuate, your rate can only
rise above that base rate. It will never Ml below.
Get the rate without the risk. With a CD.
Preferredfrom
Peoples Bank.
"Thinking Ahead'
Bank
_ a ?. in