Miscellaneous. • 413 



AGRICULTURAL APPROPRL\TIOXS. 



.\ member : The tendenc} in Washington this winter is to cut down 

 all agricultural appropriations. Secretary Wilson says it is impossible 

 to do the work asked of the department on the beggarly sums alloted 

 to it. 



Mr. Hale : For much of this you can blame your Congressman. 



A member : Then it's time we had men at Washington \\ho will re- 

 spect the wishes of farmers and fruit growers. If those now there won't 

 do it, let us send men who will. Let us stop this cutting down of our 

 appropriations. Better take nothing at all than the pitiful sums they dole 

 out. (Loud applause.) — Poughkeepsie Meeting — Country Gentleman. 



W. H. C. 



ONE WAY OF FIGHTING THE BORERS. 



B. F. Pancoast, lola, Kan., has the following method of fighting 

 borers in peach trees : 



"Two years ago I was examining some young trees for borers. I 

 found them abtnidant. I removed the dirt from the trees preparatoray 

 to digging them out. I was then called away on some other business and 

 the trees were forgotten until more than a week later, when I returned 

 to finish the borers. I found the heat of the sun had dried the exposed 

 roots, and the borers were all dead. Since then I destroy borers by clean- 

 ing a way the soil and letting the sunshine do the work for me. It does 

 not hurt the trees as much as the cutting necessary to dig them out. I 

 liave had good results from sowing a quart of common salt under each 

 tree. The foliage is improved in color, and it destroys insects that come 

 in contact with it." — Western Fruit Grower. 



KILLING BLACKBERRIES AND GRAPE MNES. 

 (Z. T. Russell, Missouri.) 



A Washington correspondent wants to know how he can kill black- 

 Taerry plants in an old patch of Kittatinny and also how to kill grape vines. 

 Grape vines ma}" be killed by grubbing, provided they are cut oft below 

 the crown. 



Blackberries may be killed quite efi'ectually by the following method : 

 M'ow off the vines with a brush scythe at the close of the fruiting season 



