Water 1 gal.
Dissolve the sulphate in the water.

II. Slaked lime 1 lb.
Water 1 gal.
Dissolve the lime in the water.

To one bucket (2-1/2 gallons) of fresh water add four pints of the first
solution. To another bucket of fresh water add six pints of the second
solution.

Stir these together. Keep the rest of the solutions I. and II. for later
mixing when it is needed.

WHALE OIL SOAP HOT WATER SOLUTION

Whale oil soap 1 pound
Hot water 6 quarts

This is the right dilution for plant lice but for scale insects it is
too weak; for them use about two quarts of water to one pound of soap.

"The best way to apply liquid sprays in small gardens is to use a whisk
broom. Just dip the little broom into the mixture needed and shake the
brush over the plant. Then the hands need never come in contact with the
poison. Careful children can use sprays without any trouble. Josephine
has used kerosene emulsion in this fashion: she pours a little into a
saucer, takes a bit of cheese cloth and dipping it into the emulsion
wipes the lice off an infested part. Usually one application is enough.
This sounds like a much more disagreeable task than it really is. A
plant syringe may be used. But personally I like the hand method. Of
course if there are lots of lice on many plants this would not be
practical at all.

"It stands to reason that sick plants need medicines of some kind.
Sometimes to be sure they need better living conditions. Often the soil
is sour, water-logged, unaired and totally unfit for a self-respecting
plant to live in. The whole thing resolves itself into a study of
conditions, and a desire to help the plant have as comfortable a time as
possible in life."

IX

VEGETABLE CULTURE

"As a rule, boys and girls choose to grow bush beans rather than pole
beans. I cannot make up my mind whether or not this is from sheer
laziness. In a city backyard the tall varieties might perhaps be a
problem since it would be difficult to get poles. But these running
beans can be trained along old fences and with little urging will run up
the stalks of the tallest sunflowers. So that settles the pole question.
There is an ornamental side to the bean question. Suppose you plant
thes