FARMER'S ASSISTANT. if I 



salt, old urine, strong soapsuds, a strong decoction of tobac- 

 co, onions, &c. &c. Let either of the four lastmentioned 

 ingredients be applied, boiling hot, to the roots, after first 

 taking the earth away, as before mentioned. 



CURCULIO. This is a bug, about the size of that which 

 eats into the pea, and has proved very troublesome to most 

 of the smoothskined stone-fruits, and even to peaches, ap- 

 ples, and pears, in different parts of the country contiguous 

 to Philadelphia. It has also made its appearance about 

 Albany. 



It ascends the trees in the Spring, and as the fruit ad 

 vances it makes a wound in the skin, and there deposits the 

 embryo; from which a maggot is first produced. This 

 preys upon the fruit until it dies and falls off; when the 

 maggot makes its way into the earth, and is there changed 

 into a bug, which is ready to ascend the tree the next 

 Spring, and make its deposit in the fruit, as before. 



One method of keeping this and all other insects from* 

 trees, as practised by Col. Nichols, near Easton, is to tie 

 a small bag of common salt round the tree. A ring put 

 round ihe tree, of a mixture of grease, or blubber, mixed 

 with salt, and some of the other ingredients before men- 

 tioned, would perhaps answer a better purpose, and be at* 

 tended with less trouble. 



A recipe of his, which he says he has practised on 

 peachtrees with advantage, in regard to their health, is : 



' Take away the 'iirt from around the root, and where 

 you find gum issuing out, there you will also find a white 

 maggot, which is carefully to be taken away; then wash the 

 body and roots with strong brine, which you will repeat 

 now and then, in the Spring and Summer.* 



We will mention two other methods, which are said to 

 be infallible, for keeping all insects from trees: One is, 

 bore a hole in the body of the tree, and fill the hole with 

 mercurial ointment (unguentum coeruleumj and cork it up 

 light. 



The other is, bore a hole in the north side of the body 

 of the tree, and fill it with spirits of turpentine, and cork it 

 up, as before. Where the latter article is put into the hole, 

 it should be bored slanting downwards, to keep this liquid 

 from runing out before the cork can be put in. 



If these remedies are effectual, and we have considerable 

 confidence in them, it must 'be owing to the essence of 

 either of these substances becoming diffused throughout the 

 tree, and thus rendering it noxious to insects. 



CATERPILLARS The above directions, for keeping Can- 

 kerworms from trees 3 are equally applicable to these in- 

 sects. 



