258 



THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



and where the penalties lie for wrongful detention. All these 

 matters are therefore fully explained, and the remedies given 

 where the law is overstepped. 



" HusBANDiiY Covenants," and the rif^hts of the tenant 

 under them, are perhaps of as much importance as that in 

 respect of servants. The custom of the country where 

 special covenants aro not in force ; the right of the tenant 

 to enter and take the awaj'-going crop ; compensation foi 

 drainage, and other points, are treated under this head, 

 together with toll exemptions in respect to manure for the 

 I'arm, whether artificial or natural ; and a case is cited 

 where exemption from toll was hinted at by Lord Campbell 

 for a cart carrying spades employed for husbandry. 



" Trespass'' is a well-known word in agricultural 

 mouths; yet how few know when the offence is committed! 

 so many points being necessarj' to constitute the claim for 

 trespass. A perusal of this chapter will give full informa- 

 tion how trespass is committed in the various ways which 

 the law defines, and game trespasses arc also very fully 

 gone into. 



The chapter on "Landlord and Tenant" is a brief 

 history of what should be their transactions from the 

 moment of commencing a tenancy to its close ; and even 

 the minutest point which may arise is fully and fiiirly can- 

 vassed, with the various Judges' decisions on every part of 

 the tenancy, as well as on the incidents which may arise — 

 and they are numerous indeed. The chapter concludes 

 with deci?ions on the tenant's ri^ht of removal of certain 

 fixtures. A case is given where " a cattle house built with 

 the landlord's timber" by the tenant, and which, with some 

 timber of his own used for the same purpose, was removed by 

 a tenant : and it was decided that he had no right to remove 

 it although the landlord gave him the timber, with many 

 other iuiportant aud interesting decisions. 



A chapter on '■ Tithes," another on " Contracts .\nd 

 Sales" (which goes into the law of samples, markets, &;c.), 

 and another on " Horses and Cattle" complete the work. 



The enumeration we have given will show the nature of 

 this publication, in which we have abundant proof of the 

 energy and painstaking research of the author. Upon 

 books of this class we are always unwilling to oiFer an opinion, 

 inasmuch as the whole subject of legal lore is so undigested 

 in the generality of legal works that, unless to those who 

 are " to the matter taught," they are a sealed book to the 

 million. Here, however, we make an exception, and 

 have been constrained to give our readers such an outline 

 as will indicate the value of the work to the farmer. In 

 its information, dealing as it has to do with legal terms, it 

 is clear and authentic; copious without prolixity; it does 

 not furnish a bald explanation of facts, but a full develop- 

 ment of legal principles applicable to husbandry well illus- 

 trated and explained. In fact, the extent and clearness of 

 the information it affords on the subjects it refers to, are 

 truly surprising. 



FIRST AND SECOND REPORTS ON THE 

 NOXIOUS, BENEFICIAL, AND OTHER 

 INSECTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, 



Made to the State Agricultural Societv, 

 &c., &c. 



By Asa Fitch, Entomologist of the New York 

 A. Society. 



Albany : C. Van Benthuysen, 107, Broadway. 185G. 



We have already made reference to this work, 

 and although a largo portion of it applies more 

 to the orchard and forest than to the common ve- 

 getable products of the farm, the subject is of so 

 much importance as to demand a more detailed no- 

 tice. But small progress has been hitherto made in 

 devising remedial measures against the ravages inflicted 

 by these enemies to vegetation ; and when we consider 

 the variety of species of noxious insects — almost every 

 plant having one peculiar to itself — their amazing 

 fecundity, and the constant succession of their genera- 



tions during the summer mouths — it would appear 

 marvellous that any plants escape destruction. 

 Nature lierself, however, has provided a remedial 

 check, by raising up hosts of enemies, which devour 

 and destroy vast multitudes of the most numerous, 

 injurious, and voracious. 



Many of the insects described in this volume arc 

 peculiar to the new world; but, generally speaking, the 

 work applies to species rather than to gre/icra ; for most 

 of the latter have their counterparts in Europe. It is 

 also said that some of those considered indigenous to 

 the American continent have been imported into 

 Europe, proving most destructive to the orchards 

 both in England and on the continent. Such 

 Is the disease called "the American blight," which 

 during the last fifty years has attacked the apple trees, 

 and destroyed whole orchards. We have ourselves 

 had trees ravaged by this disease, which makes its ap- 

 pearance in the bark of the tree in spring, in the shape 

 of a white froth, and that is nothing more than the sap 

 elaborated by a small insect of the skipper kind. But 

 if this disease has been imported from the western 

 world, we cannot find any insect in the work analogous 

 to it, either in its form or its mode of attack. It is 

 the larva which produces the first effect upon the bark, 

 which it e.xbausts of the sap, and consequently prevents 

 the progress of the growth. And as it extends its 

 ravages from the very root to the topmost twig, unless 

 its operations are arrested the tree is soon destroyed. 



With regard to a remedy, we have applied gas tar 

 and a strong decoction of tobacco. But, although 

 these applications checked the disease, they by no 

 means cured it ; for after a week or two, it broke out again 

 as strong as ever ; and we are inclined to think that a 

 thin coating of grease or soap would be more efficacious 

 than either of the above. The repugnance which many 

 of tlie insect tribes exhibit to oleaginous substances is 

 well known ; and, if mixed with a strong alkali, such 

 a preparation is likely to be effectual in destroying the 

 larva of this insect. 



But the most numerous in species and in production 

 are the aphides, of which there are two kinds — the 

 Aphis vutli or apple-plant louse, and the Aphis mali- 

 /oZite or apple-leaf louse. Some idea maybe formed 

 of the vast fecundity of this destructive insect, if we 

 state that there are from sixteen to twenty generations 

 hatched in the course of the summer, each individual 

 producing from twenty to forty young ones. Mr. Curtis 

 estimates " that from one egg will be bred, in seven 

 generations, 72!) millions of lice;" "and," he adds, 

 "if they all lived their allotted length of time, by 

 autumn everything upon the surface of the earth would 

 be covered with them." Fortunately, a host of enemies 

 constantly accompany them wherever they are found ; 

 notwithstanding which their depredations are some- 

 times very extensive. Every description of plant has 

 its peculiar species of aphis, which exists chiefly on 

 the saccharine portion of the sap ; and it is from this 

 is derived the honey-dew, wliich is nothing more than 

 an exudation from the aphis. It is remarkable that 

 the ant istlie protector of the ai)hides on account of this 

 exudation. It is a constant attendant upon them, and 

 draws the saccharine matter from them by gently 

 touching the back. Wasps, and some species of flies, 

 devour the aphides in vast numbers; but still their num- 

 bers arc frc(iuently overpowering. A friend of ours, 

 having his bean fields very much infested witli the 

 aphides, invented a bag which was drawn 9ver the tops 

 of" (he beans. By this means he collected in one day 

 twelve bushels of the aphides from one field of about 

 eight or ten acres. These he gave to his pigs, who ato 

 them with great relish. 



How to destroy these from trees and shrubs is the 



