Agriculture

One of the very first insects that I identified as a young gardener was the pine sawfly. We had planted over a hundred white pine seedlings over 30 years ago, and after a decade or so, we started to lose a couple each year to one problem or another.
I was charged with inspection duty. Looking for and plucking bagworms; collecting beetles in jars for identification at the County Extension Service; or closely noting the color, legs and chewing habits of the various caterpillars I encountered.

Corn has been a staple food for centuries. It was first cultivated by Indian peoples in Central America. In fact, the adoption of agriculture and the art of cultivating gave way to the grand cities of the Aztec and Mayans. What would the world be without corn and potatoes, both of which were first cultivated in Central America?

The State 4-H Livestock Judging Contest was held on June 21 at the Madison County Fairgrounds in Richmond.

I continue to stand by my belief that my best defense in the garden is me. In the morning, I go out and inspect my garden and smash insects and pick off diseased foliage, careful not to spread it to other plants by my own hand. I watch for the beginning of any abnormality and nip it in the bud. However, sometimes things slide by undetected, plus it is hard to determine bacterial brown spot from mosaic if you are not sure what you are looking for.