DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



53 



hole again with a lump of clay, so as to exclude 

 the licht. Grains of corn have been used instead 

 of the pill, by poisoning them ; bur. the pill is soon- 

 est prepared, and more thoroughly poisoned. If 

 the pills are seasoned highly enough, a single feed- 

 ing will suffice ; if not, then repeat. A day's labor 

 of a lad by this means, may destroy all the moles 

 on a farm. From your position, you can dissemi- 

 nate the above over a vast extent of country, and 

 do the farmer and gardener a great good. Yours 

 truly, J. L. Wilder. Cincinnati, May 22, 1849. 



Cover the Soil. — I am a staunch supporter of 

 the theory and practice of covering the soil in 

 which all trees or plants to be submitted to high 

 culture, are planted. I have found such decided 

 benefit from the spreading two or three inches of 

 straw over the surface where apricot trees are 

 planted, that I never think now of allowing an apri- 

 cot tree to grow in a border fully exposed to the sun. 



Dahlias, I found mulched, in many parts of Eng- 

 land, and if, as the gardeners always told me, the 

 growth and perfection of flowers were promoted 

 by keeping the roots uniformly moist and cool in 

 an English climate, how much more would they 

 profit by it here. 



I fully believe in that part of Professor Turner's 

 theory which relates to forming and keeping the 

 head and branches of a tree low, so as to shade 

 and shelter the stem and branches, and even the 

 soil in which the roots grow, from our violent sun- 

 shine. When the ground over the roots is open to 

 the broad sunshine, then by all means cover the 

 soil; and if you have not straw, then use litter, 

 spent tan-bark, sea- weed, or whatever you can lay 

 your hands on. Sincerely yours, An Original 

 Subscriber. Philadelphia, June 12, 1849. 



Rose Insects. — Dear Sir. Thanks to your ar- 

 ticle of last month, I have this year, for the first 

 time, been able to subdue the insects on my rose- 

 bushes. A white fly and a green slug together, 

 have for three years past so attacked my roses, 

 early in June, that they have completely eaten up 

 the under sides of the leaves, and totally spoiled 

 the beauty of the plants. 



After reading your article, I procured one of 

 Poole's syringes, with a crooked neck or discharg- 

 ing rose. With this, I could throw a shower of 

 tobacco water on the under sides of the leaves, 

 which I did for three successive days just at sunset. 

 The first day I thought the remedy of no value, 

 but the second dose killed nearly all, and the third 

 destroyed every vestige of an insect — so that my 

 plants entirely recovered and bloomed finely. 

 Yours, H. R. Harlem, N. Y., June, 1849. 



Profits of the Strawberry Culture. — Mr. 

 D. D. T. Moore, of Watervliet has about an acre 

 of ground, which has been planted to strawberries 

 three years. He paid sixty dollars for the land, 

 it being a part of a farm which he purchased at 

 that price per acre. The strawberries have paid 



for the land, and leave a nett profit of nearly 

 $200. The past season, the strawberry ground 

 has not been as productive as usual — it yielded 

 4.000 baskets, (three baskets to the quart,) and 

 brought in the aggregate about $150. Mr. M. 

 thinks it would render the strawberry culture in 

 this vicinity more profitable if more persons would 

 engage in it. The reason he gives for this opi- 

 nion is, that those who buy and sell strawberries 

 in the Albany and Troy markets, now oblige the 

 producers in this neighborhood to sell at. their pri- 

 ces. They do this by sending their agents through 

 the New- York markets, after the sales for the 

 city are principally closed for the day, and buying 

 up such as are left at low prices — then making 

 the producers here submit to corresponding pri- 

 ces, they control the markets. Mr. M. states 

 that from 100 to 150 dollars' worth per day are 

 brought here from New-York during the straw- 

 berry season. There should be enough raised here 

 to establish prices, independent of the dealers who 

 only purchase to sell again. Cultivator. 



Torenia Asiatica. — This new plant (figured 

 in May number,) is far more beautiful in its blos- 

 som than any engraving can represent. It is a 

 combination of the softest dove-color, with the 

 richest dark purple, in the same flower, and rich- 

 ly deserves a place in the collection of every ama- 

 teur. Yours, — R. P. Philadelphus, jr. 



Mildew on Foreign Grapes. — Early in July, 

 dust sulphur on the floor of the grape-house, to 

 prevent mildew; to be effectual, one pound should 

 be used for every twenty square feet of the house. 

 If the mildew should make its appearance, and 

 continue to increase, syringe the vines at evening, 

 and dust the foliage also with it. 



Nathaniel Silsbee, Jr., Esq. informs me that, 

 in his grapery, which is a cold house, he covers 

 the floor twice, every summer, with the sulphur, 

 and recommends its application in the middle of 

 the day, as, at that time, part of it will rise and 

 settle on the vine, but in such small particles as 

 to do no injury. He has found this effectual in 

 preventing mildew. If the fungus makes its ap- 

 pearance before the sulphur is applied, it will be 

 more difficult to suppress its growth. It has some- 

 times been very troublesome in late houses, and I 

 have had to dust the foliage and fruit before it 

 was checked, and the quantity used was much 

 greater than that named above. In early houses 

 I never have it. 



Mildew is a fungus, which perfects its seed in a 

 very short time, and spreads rapidly over the fruit 

 and foliage if not destroyed. Allen's Treatise on 

 the Vine. .... 



The Soil absorbs odors. — It is well known 

 that onicns, if buried in the earth for a few days 

 previous to being cooked, will have lost much of 

 their rank flavor. Wild ducks which are often too 

 fishy in flavor to be good, may be rendered much 

 more palatable by being wrapped in absorbent pa- 



