DISCUSSIONS AT SOUTH HAVEN. 35T 



Question — Is it a good plan to remove the gum from trees ? 



Answer — Should think so, after freezing is over. 



Mr. J. Williams thought that, having considered insects several times, we 

 ought to know considerable about them, and should now go to work diligently 

 to make use of our knowledge. He would have this Society urge upon every 

 man in this community, growing trees, to destroy these injurious insects; and if 

 any did not know how, they could learn much by paying a dollar and joining 

 this Society and attending its meetings. The insects demanding the strictest 

 attention were the curculio, the codling moth, and the cut-worm. He thought 

 the codling moth did as much or more damage than the curculio. 



Mr. D. B. Williams told of the English Sparrow, how they had been intro- 

 duced into the Elysian fields at Hoboken, N. J., how fast they multiplied, and 

 how eflfectually they rid the country of insects. They eat fruit very little if any. 



Mr. Whitcher said he had been informed by an Englishman that they were 

 a pest in England, destroying the grain. 



Mr. D. C. Loveday said they were exceedingly numerous in England, and 

 would take the crumbs from the table-cloth before you could shake it, but he 

 never observed that they did any damage to grain. 



Mr. J. Lanniu said be never noticed or heard of their doing any damage in 

 Ireland. 



Mr. A. J. Pierce moved that the Society send for some of them and take 

 the risk. 



The President stated that the Corresponding Secretary, Mr. Bidwell, had 

 sent for some, which were probably on the way. 



So, neighbors, look out for swar_as of these clever little domestics in a few 

 years. — [Lost on the Atlantic] 



The subject next week will be " planting trees." 



South Haven, April 28, 1873. 



The attendance was good, and the subject for the evening, "Fertilizers," was 

 discussed with much interest. 



Mr. A. J. Pierce sought information. He thought that while the country 

 was new our orchards might thrive without much fertilizing, but that we will 

 find in course of time, although good cultivation may help much, yet some- 

 thing must be given to the soil. The question was, what? Not barn -yard 

 manure only. Where peat was plenty and close at hand, it was considered 

 very valuable. Leaves and muck were excellent for a compost, but the supply 

 was quite limited to most cultivators. Had no experience with patent 

 manures. 



The expense of barn-yard manure, where it must be purchased and hauled a 

 mile or two, was such that it must give very luxuriant crops to prove profita- 

 ble. Night-soil ought to be made accessible and utilized by deodorizing. 



Where the soil varied on a piece of land, being sand or clay in patches, a 

 few loads might be hauled from each to ameliorate the other. 



A brush-cutting machine might be used for preparing brush to be applied to 

 land, instead of burning it. 



Mr. J. Williams remarked that many theories were not practicable. Most of 

 our new soils did not actually need fertilizing, for fruit especially, if fruit was 

 grown exclusively, and no other crops allowed to exhaust the land. He recom- 



