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The Goderich Signal-Star, 1977-04-14, Page 50't page is. SI BILLION LOST. About 180 million acres of land lose precious topsoil through erosion every year. That amounts to about a SI billion ahnual loss, says the American. Association of Nurserymen. On any slop. ing land, the planting of shrubs, vines and ground covers protect and beautify. Use common sense with pesticides By F.L. McEwen Department of Environmental Biology University of Guelph -- Today we have many pesticides and each one is packaged in a variety of ways. For the home gardener, these are formulated as liquids to be diluted with water and wet- table powders; secondly, they can: be mixed with water and sprayed onto the foliage of plants to be protected from insects and diseases, or applied to the soil for control of pests in the soil. The homeowner can also purchase dust formulations in shaker cans, ready -to -apply or in packages to be emptied into your own duster for application. On each package will be found a label that specifies how the product should be used and what pests it will control. This label is important. It is your guide to successful use of the product. Follow the instructions carefully and use the product only in the way/the label directs. Insecticides are products to kill insects. Carbaryl (Sevin), methoxychlor, pyrethrum and rotenone are good to control most beetles and leaf -eating cater- pillars, while Malathion is good to control aphids and some other insects. Insecticides should be used only if a lot of insects are feeding on your plants. Don't bother with the sprayer for a few bugs. If, only a few are present on a few plants, it is much easier to pick them off by hand or shake them from the plant and destroy them. Fungicides are products to prevent diseases in plants. Maneb, 'mancozeb,- captan and ferbam are some of those used commonly by the home gardener for general disease control, and sulfur is especially good for mildew on plants. In using fungicides, be guided by past experience. If you have been having disease problems in the garden, treat those plants where the problem has occurred. Foliar diseases on roses are usually present and will make them unattractive and not productive. With many flowers and garden crops, however, fungicides are not needed. Herbicides are, used to control weeds; 2, 4-D, mecoprop and dicamba are a few of those available for control of broad- leaved weeds, while others are needed to control crabgrass. Herbicides properly used will' playa major role in keeping your lawn neat and attractive. Herbicides are intended to kill plants and one must be very careful not to accidentally apply these when they ..will damage sensitive crops. Always use a different sprayer for applying herbicides then the one used for insecticides and fungicides. Label your herbicide sprayer to make sure it is used only for weed Spraying. In Ontario, highly toxic PATCHING. Even for Just patching bare spots on your lawn, use a high quality seed. It should consist of permanent, attractive varieties free from hay grass inclusions. Gardening hints for April It is finally time to grow a garden. "In most areas of Ontario, soil can be worked during April," explains Ontario ministry of agriculture and food hor- ticulturist, R.F. Gomme. "Wait until all the frost is out of the ground though. It's a waste of time to dig and cultivate saturated soil, especially clay." As soon as the soil can be worked, trees, shrubs, and evergreens can be transplanted. Prune fruit trees and grapevines in April. Remove all suckers and low -growing branches. and those that are weak and broken, as well as those that interfere with each other, Roses should also be pruned now, Low -growing types can be trimmed to a six-inch height. Prune away about a foot from the tips of climbing roses. Shrub roses require little or no pruning, Hasten spring by forcing a few branches of pussywillow or forsythia. Trim off healthy branches by making slanting cuts and place them in water at room temperature. Four or five branches in a large vase make/an excellent bouquet. 4 pesticides can be purchased only by agriculturalists and licensed pesticide applicators. Those available to the home gardener are quite safe to use and will not injure children or pets, provided common sense, is used. Always remember thaall pesticides are poisonous. Keep all pesticides in a cabinet that is locked and out of the reach of small children. Do not apply pesticides on windy days when most ,of what you apply will end up in your neighbor's yard. Apply them when the air is reasonably calm and make applications so that the air movement carries the spray away from the applicator. Do not have children or pets with you when applying pesticides and make sure that measuring containers and spray mixtures are not left around where children may get them. When you have finished the job, empty your sprayer in a safe place and return it to your storage. DO not pur- chase more than one year's supply of any pesticide, and when ,the container is empty, dispose of it in your regular garbage pickup. Keep your "green thunl connected to your hand Yes - Spring is finally here! And those of you who possess "green thumbs" (and even those of you who don't) will soon be spending much of your spare time in the garden deciding where you're going to plant the petunias and making sureyour lawn and hedges look respec- table. When you do, 'remember that a garden - like any other work area - has the potential for serious injury. That's why St. John Ambulance is suggesting these guidelines for gardening safety: 4 Keep your work area clean and tidy. + Don't use electrical ap- pliances in a.wet or damp area. + Store your power garden tools in a high and dry place. + Never force a tool to work faster than the speed for which it was designed or do a job other than the one it was intended for. + Don't carry an appliance by the cord, and never yank the cord when removing it from a receptacle: grasp the plug, not the wire. Keep the cord away from sharp edges, oil and heat. + Keep your appliances sharp and clean for best and safest performance. Disconnect an appliance before servicing, changing accessories, or lubricating. Follow the manufacturer's directions for servicing the appliance. + Don't wear loose clo• tools. Never jewelry when operating mower in bare feet rate ' -1- Keep proper balance at footing overreach. all times .g + Keep children a distance away from your area. o + Rake the lawn bet p tg a lawn mower remove any objects hidden' grass. Such objects m seriously injure someone J should fly out of the machine, + Use equipment with stamp of approval of Canadian Standards Associa A "green thumb" is rather, to have - especially when remains connected to your Take a tip from St. Ja Ambulance and play it sate Spring when you do weekend gardening, I Ben fgrru s Econufnr Bentgrass seed contains many seeds—seven mho more to the pound—thetas!', quantity satisfies. A P.tombnt search center -suggests fat "bentgrass lawn" mixture an nomical 10 percent of cai,,, bentgrass combined withabot percent Kentucky bluegrass fescue, and 20 percent pe ryegrass. EARLY BOOST. Bolster seeding and fertilization are typical early lawn care perquisites *ZINNIAS •ALYSSUM *COLEUS •LOBELIA ALL BEDDING PLANTS 12 PLANTS PER BOX •GERANIUMS *BEGONIAS *PANSIES *PETUNIAS •SNAPDRAGONS •AGERATUM •DUSTY—MILLER •ASTERS *SALVIA •MARIGOLDS *CARNATIONS •PORTULACA •TOMATOES •CABBAGE *CAULIFLOWER •BROCCOLI •BRUSSELS SPROUTS •SPANISH ONIONS K.C. COOKS Florist 482-7012 61 ORANGE ST. 5.