DOMESTIC NOTICES. 



perceptible in the darker hue of the foliage, and 

 now, at midsummer, in the greater luxuriance 

 of the growth. We have no hesitation in re- 

 commending this " manure for shrubs," as a 

 capital top-dresser for evergreen plantations, 

 and as an especially valuable manure for using 

 in the process of transplanting evergreens. We 

 understand it consists of a small quantity of 

 poudrette, and a considerable portion of mine- 

 ral manures adapted to the growth of trees ge- 

 nerally. 



Seventeen Year Locusts. — The hum of 

 this singular insect fills the woods and gardens 

 of Maryland at the present time, and the coun- 

 try there is alive with them. Though the Sev- 

 enteen year Locust only appears during this 

 long interval, the people of the districts favored 

 by the visitation, congratulate themselves that 

 the visits are so few and far between — for nei- 

 ther the ceaseless drone of the insect, nor the 

 havoc it causes in ploughing up the young bran- 

 ches of trees, are among the pleasant experien- 

 ces of country- life. 



It is a mistake of many persons to suppose 

 this insect feeds upon vegetation. It feeds 

 upon nothing during its three or four weeks 

 of existence above ground, but is occupied sole- 

 ly with paring, singing its song, (or more cor- 

 rectly beating its drum — which is really the 

 way in which the sound is made,) and laying 

 its eggs in the tender branches of the trees. 

 These young branches, which finallj- strew the 

 ground beneath the trees, fall from the trees, 

 broken by the winds at the weak place made by 

 the punctures of the female in laying her eggs 

 — and are not eaten off by the insects as many 

 suppose. The actual food of the Seventeen 

 Year Locust is made long beforehand, and con- 

 sists of the roots of trees, as it appears by the 

 careful examination of naturalists. Miss Mor- 

 ris, of Germantown, well known for her inves- 

 tigation of insect habits, has well settled the 

 point that these locusts are a busy devourer of 

 the roots of trees when they descend and take 

 up their long abode underground. She thinks, 

 from examination of the roots of many trees in 

 the locust districts, that the larvae do more 

 harm upon the roots of trees in this way, than 

 the full grown insects do upon the branches. 

 Doubtless many a fine tree, whose decline is a 

 of surprise and perplexity to the culti- 

 is the prey of these creatures at the root. 



Fortunately the Cicada Septendecem does not 

 occur all over the country at once — but in 

 different portions upon different years. There 

 is no longer any question, however, as to the 

 fact that each brood remains seventeen years 

 under the surface of the earth. The insect is 

 not a true locust like our annual insect of that 

 name, or those which ravage the East, devour- 

 ing the herbage, but a Cicada or larvent fiy — 

 equally as large and a good deal resembling a 

 true locust. 



Healthy Apricot Trees. — Dear Sir — Ob- 

 serving the weight you give to shielding tender 

 trees from the sun in summer, and rapid freez- 

 ing and thawing in winter, I was induced to ap- 

 ply the practice to my apricot trees — the only 

 fruit trees that uniformly have baffled my at- 

 tempts at successful cultivation. The trouble 

 with this tree, as many of your readers must be 

 aware, is that it " goes off" very suddenly, and 

 usually some time between the exfoliation and 

 the beginning of summer. There can be little 

 doubt that this is owing to the effects of heat and 

 cold upon the bark — as you have pointed out. 

 To guard against it I have employed old cotton 

 bagging, a material easily and cheaply obtained 

 by those who live near cities. I cleaned the bark 

 with soft-soap, and dipped the cloth just before 

 using, into a thin white-wash, both to preserve it 

 and prevent it from harboring insects. I then tied 

 it loosely but neatly round the stem and the lar- 

 ger and lower part of the branches. This has been 

 upon the trees three years and now requires re- 

 newing. It has answered the purpose well. The 

 trees are remarkably healthy, and both foliage 

 and fruit have been unusually large. Not one 

 of the trees so covered has been attacked by 

 the paralysis, common to the apricot, while 

 others not covered, in an adjoining garden, 

 have been dying off every season in the usual 

 way. If you think the foregoing worthy of 

 being printed, it is at your service. Yours, A. 

 W. Philadelphia, June, 1851. 



Daphne odora hardy. — We are extremely 

 glad to learn by the following extract from a 

 letter from Mr. Thorburn that this plant has 

 proved hardy on Long Island. There can be 

 no doubt that Chinese azaleas, raised from seeds, 

 and i)lanted out in a shaded border while young, 

 would also prove hardy, and what a beautiful 

 ornament to the shrubbery and flower garden 



