310 



THE GARDENER'S MONTJIL Y 



[ October, 



The American locust, or iirasshopjier, fell upon 

 us unusually early last Fall, say latter part of 

 September, and stripped every shrub and vege- 

 table, and all nursery stock, bare of foliagiv 

 We usually liave a good Fall garden, but tlie 

 earth and air were alive with this pest, and noth- 

 ing was raised. They seemed particularly fond 

 of Chrysanthemums and Verbenas, and in a half 

 day from the time the first cloud fell, all tlieso 

 were destroyed. I saved the wood of young 

 apple and pear trees only by washing, or rather, 

 smearing with a batter of clay. The rative red 

 cedar, and the Libocedrus decurrens, were en- 

 tirely exempt from their attacks; but all the 

 forms of the Chinese arbovitte suffered very 

 severely — our nursery of these was ate down to 

 the ground. Olive, Jasmines, Gardenia, Euony- 

 mus, in fact, everything seemed })alatable to 

 them. Ibis is the third time they have visited 

 us since 1873, but only once or twice before, in 

 the last twenty years, have they hatched out in 

 sufficient numbers in the Spring, to do any mis- 

 chief. Their ravages this Spring were very 

 serious, and discouraged the great mass of our 

 people from making horticultural improve- 

 ments. In a few places the crops were almost 

 entirely destroyed ; but, as a general thing, crop 

 prospects with us were never better. Of course 

 they did not affect our cotton and sweet potatoes, 

 as these are planted after the locusts have gone. 

 The fruit on tall trees, and grapes on high 

 arbors, were not reached by the young hopper ; 

 and just as soon as their Avings were sufficient 

 to bear their weight, they began to leave us — the 

 oldest about 5th or 8th of May, and the last, or 

 youngest, in two or three weeks afterwards. 

 Even before leaving, they moved in a living 

 stream in a north-west direction. Lime and 

 Paris green did little or no good in destroying 

 them. One man saved his wheat field by attach- 

 ing a broad, net-like cloth in front of a two- 

 wheeled cultivator, in which he caught and 

 destroyed them. Another man paid children 

 five cents per pound for all caught with a hand- 

 net in his orchard. Others smeared pine tar, 

 twice a week, on the bodies of fruit trees, over 

 which they would not pass. But this killed 

 some j'oung peach trees, while those with old, 

 hardened bark were unhurt. 



The experience of Rev. L. .7. Templin, in 

 Kansas, is very nearlj' our experience with some 

 thiogs, sv;ch as Tea, China, and Noisette Roses, 

 Japan Honeysuckles, Deutzia, Forsythia, Weige- 

 la, etc., viz: After being denuded early in 



Fall, they attempted an early Winter growtli, 

 and were destroyed by severe freezes. All of 

 the Roses appeared alive and healthy in tl e 

 Sjiring, in fact, were sf)ld from the nursery 

 believing all would grow, when, to our astonish- 

 ment, nearly every one died. In the extreme 

 southern portion of this big State I have had 

 the English Laurel to be winter-killed. 



The hop])ers left me only two peaches pn 

 Alexander's Early, one of which ripened last 

 of May (the other fell off), when the Beatrice 

 was coloring well. This last, and its sister, the 

 E. Louise, are much larger and finer with us 

 than your cliromo represented, and stand Spring 

 frosts better than most varieties. They were 

 well ripe when Hale's Early was coloring. This 

 last is our best and finest early poach. It never 

 rots, and is always large and handsome, but it 

 does not ripen its crops altogether, as the 

 Beatrice, but keeps the orchardists picking fruit 

 for five or six weeks. The Tillotson, though 

 voiy good, in nearly superseded by Hale's. 

 Next on market is Fleitas' St. John, large and 

 very showy, and ripening with Hale's, and gone 

 some time before it is. Then comes the Carolina 

 Amelia, largest and prettiest of early peaches, 

 but too delicate for carriage. The Mountain 

 Rose is just being tested by several, and bids 

 fair to be a profitable market fruit, as it is quite 

 firm, almost hard, some time after being well 

 colored. With it, ripens Crawford's Early, and 

 then comes Crawford's Late, Susquehanna (a 

 better peach), Cliinese Cling (the prince of 

 peaches), and Old Mixon Free. Old Mixon 

 Cling is a partial failure. After these comes a 

 trio of good Clings, the Indian, Yellow Pine- 

 apple, and White Pineapple, the latter a little 

 coarse. These ripen August 15th. After these, 

 say September 1st, come in White English and 

 Picquett's Late, followed by Goodes' October. 

 These are our very best peaches, so far as tried 

 in tnis section. 



RHYMES AND RECOLLECTIONS OF A CACTUS 



MAN. 



BV WM. T. HARniNG, SUPT. O.VK HILL CEMETERY, 



UPPER SANDUSKY, OHIO. 



(Concluded from page 2.~)2). 



The genus Gasteria, may be described as a 

 comely, fair featured family. These very desir- 

 able succulents, may be handled with impunity, 

 as they are good natured plants, in whom there 

 is no guile. Of the first G, fair pulchella, is her 

 name. And the second G, soft mollis. Then, 



