THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



i9 



canos were planted is not (piite in liannony 

 witli the tlii'ory tliat the (liscasc wa.s trans- 

 milti'd thronuli jilanls that iiail luen previ- 

 ously inf('ctf<l, or (Iffcclivf. Tliis yellow or 

 orange colonel nist, wliieh occurred on the 

 Kitlatinny lilacklieriy, is prol)aliIy the same 

 that is sonietinies found so ]>lenlilul!y on the 

 raspberry. It is the l'rt<l'i /((/^nii/y/iol' AIvcolo- 

 gists, and we have .seen the " l'hiladel|phia 

 raspberry" very seriously infected with it, in 

 the inclosme of Mr. Peter Uiley, formerly of 

 Lancaster city. There seems to be no reiiiedy 

 yet discovered for it, but the complete ile.struc- 

 tion of the plants, "both root and branch;" 

 and unless this is unhesitatingly and thunuighly 

 done, in a few years the whole blackberrv or 

 raspberry i)lantation may W destroyed. jThis 

 orange colored fungus lias been notir:ed in the 

 State of Pennsylvania, both on the blackberry 

 and the raspberry, these many years, but es- 

 pecially on the dewlwrry, where it is sujiposed 

 to have originated; and Dr. Michener, of New 

 Garden, Pa., wrote a paper on the subject as 

 early as IStlS. 



In coulirmation of Mr. Gillingham's experi- 

 ence, we may add that Dr. ^iicbeuer states 

 that he i)lauted the Wilson blackberry on 

 ground from which other varieties hadbpen 

 removed on account of their infection some 

 years previously, and that they were free from 

 the infection. 



Even if the theory of the superficial wax 

 secretion is correct, how are the [plants to be 

 restored to their normal condition when they 

 cea.se to secrete or eliminate sufficient wa.\ for 

 their own protection again.st Ur((h>' Can the 

 soil be so chemically manipulated as to afford 

 this substance in sufficient ipiantity V Even 

 if it can, it would seem almost suicidal to de- 

 pend upon a process so tardy and delicate in 

 its operation. It might an.swer as a future 

 preventive, but when the disease is once pres- 

 ent, then, like a hopeles.sly decayed and aching 

 tooth, the best thing is to pull it out entirely. 



WHAT IS "ANGUENTUM?" 



Near the bottom of the first column, on 

 page 14 of the January number of The 

 Fau.mei{, among a li.st of" insecticides used, is 

 one called "Anguentum," and we are asked 

 —"What is it?"' Well, in good truth, we 

 find we cannot tell. The article was ntkrUtl 

 from a respectable source, upon which we, 

 lierhai»s, relied more implicitly than upon our 

 own judgment, if we noticed it at all. Since, 

 however, our attention is specifically called to 

 it, we feel pretty safe in saying that the word 

 is a misprint, and that UiujufnUun was in- 

 tended. An Unijmnt, is a compound, mainly 

 of oil and bees-wax, to which may be, and 

 often are, added other ingredients, according 

 to the specific use that is to be made of it — in 

 short, an ointnunt. It is somewhat thicker, 

 or stiller, than a liniment, but not so still as 

 a cerate, which is generally composed of bees- 

 wax and tallow. The most connnon illustra- 

 tion of an unguent, or a cerate, is the sub- 

 stance used by tanners, and eonnnonly called 

 "Dubbin" or "Dubbing;" and we can now 

 [listinctly recall the circumstance, that when 

 we, its a boy, worked on afanu, full fifty years 

 ago, tluhbiti was frequently used as an antidote 

 311 lousy calves and pigs. And just here we 

 venture to add a few remarks upon the value 

 }f the remedies used by the writer of the 

 paragraph under discussion. He .savs that all 

 jf them failed except the "sprinkle" of 

 uilphur, "well rubl)ed into the hair," and the 

 nternul administration of ginger. 



Now, notwithstanding all this, we confess 

 hat ICC have more confidence in unguents or 

 liniple oils well rubbed in, as an insecticide, 

 han we liave in any dry application of sulphur. 

 3ut the oil or ointment niu.st reach tlie insects 

 -come in actual contact with them— for they 

 lave too much aversion to such substances, to 

 leliberately walk into and envelop themselves 

 vith them. 



In connection with this subject, no time 

 ould be more ajipropriate tluui the present, 

 o admonish our fruit, fiower and shrubbery 

 iiltivators, that before the buds begin to swell 



ill the Spring —if they have any stock infested 

 with "scale insects." "bark-lice," " Scnb- 

 liee." or whatever other common name may 

 be |applied; to them— is the iHDjier time to 

 a(hiuii.>ter a coat of oil to tlie braiKthcs thereof . 

 Ungueutum, or ungiuiits, may be too slitT 

 ill cold wi'ather, and to wait until the weallwr 

 is warm enough for this application il may lie 

 too late; therefore, almost any li(iiiicl grease 

 would be more effectual. The oil closes up 

 the breathing pores of insects and is sure to 

 kill all it reaches. When dead they loosen 

 from the bark and the spring rains wash them 

 oil', and leave the trees and shrubs clean and 

 heallhy. This is almost a sovereign remedy, 

 esiieci;illy in young apiile and pear trees, an<l 

 has received the endorsement of the highest 

 authorities. Indeed, the late M. Walsh, of 

 Rock Island, 111., deni<uistrated that oil was 

 eiitirelj- eflectual, where every other sub- 

 stance had failed. The oil is administered 

 with a comnion paint or varnish briisli. It is 

 true, that on large trees it would be almost 

 impracticable, liut the greatest danger is to 

 young trees and mirsery stock — old trees may 

 not need it. In conclusion, we commend the 

 habit of asking such quustions. It exhibits 

 an interest in the subject and a desire 

 to read understandingly, whetlK^r a remedy 

 is efiectual or not. To know to a certainty 

 what a thing is not, or what it irill wit do, is a 

 lirogressive step towards finding out what it ix 

 or what it tcill (Jo, and this cannot be too <iflen 

 or too earnestly impressed upon the human 

 mind. 



DANIEL WEBSTER. 



" Daniel Webster was a farmer, and took (ielieht in 

 eounlry tliinsrs. He had a patriarcli's love of sheep. 

 Clioiee breeds tliereof he had. He took delif;lit in 

 cows. He tilled paternal acres with his own oxen. 

 He loved to ijive the kine fodder. It was iilcaeant to 

 hear him talk of oxen, and hut three days l)efore lie 

 left the earth, too ill to visit them, his oxen, lowiiii,', 

 came to see their sick lord, and as he stood in his door, 

 his i^reat cattle were driven up, that he mii,'ht smell 

 their healthy breath, and look his last on those broad, 

 generous faces that were never false to him. 



" What an attecting scene is here deserit)ed ! Daniel 

 Webster loved these animals for thitir own sake and 

 not for their value in silver or .i^old. He l^ived to teed 

 them with his own" hands in order to witness their 

 hajipiness while satisiyino: tlieir hun<;cr, and to win 

 their love lor him. They loved their kind owner, 

 and no wonder they came lowinsr. one by one, to see 

 their sick lord! The scripture says "The ox 

 knoweth its owner." Then all the splendid animals, 

 numberine between one and two hundred, knew 

 Daniel Webster, as they were driven up and looked 

 on him lor the last time, and who shall say they did 

 not miss him and mourn lor him when he eould 

 see them no more ? No doubt this ^rcal man enjoyed 

 more real happiness in the society* of these dumb 

 brutes of every kind on the Marshtield farm, than he 

 ever realized in hearini;the plaudits of his fellow men, 

 as his eU'ijant words raiijr out in the Senate ehamher 

 of our ^reat nation, and thousands of worship- 

 ers were Ibllowiiif; in his train. He knew that fame 

 was but a breath, and learned, by bitter ex|M'rienee, 

 that the most devoted of his worshipers mi^lit des<'rt 

 and betray him, but that not one of these guiltless 

 creatures would ever prove false to him." 



Any one who has been brought up on a 

 f^iriii, or who has ever lived on one, must have 

 noticed, in many instances, the affections, or 

 at least the partiality, which some of the farm 

 animals have niiuiife.sted for certain memlK'rs 

 of the family, and that preference has otleii 

 been for the master, or head of the family. 

 On the other hand, they cannot have failed to 

 notice the aversions, dislikes and even hates, 

 V Inch some animals have entertained agiiinst 

 Certain memlwrs of the human species. Now 

 this is not mere caprice on the ]iart of the diinil) 

 animals, but has its foundation in rejuson, wheth- 

 er the animals in question are able to reason 

 upon the subject or not. It usually has its origin 

 in the kind of treatment which the animals 

 have received from man. These instances art; 

 quite frequent, and often manifest themselves 

 in a very striking manner on the part of 

 horses, dogs, poulti-\' and birds, btit are not 

 unusual among cattle and slieei). And when 

 their kind human friends have absented them- 

 selves, through removal, sickness or death, 

 the animals have seemed to l)e impres-sed with 

 a feeling that something has gone wrong with 



j their lienefactors, and they have exhibited feel- 

 ! iiigs of anxiety or sorrow. Poor creatures — 

 how true il appears that "the ass knoweth 

 his master's crib, and the ox his stall." 

 Kindness is appreciated and rewarded by 

 animals, whether il comes from a Washington, 

 a Webster, or one of the biimlilest iiieml«'rsof 

 the hiiiuan family. This incident in the life 

 of Daniel Webster recalls maiiv similar a.s.so- 

 ciatioiis of long ago, Uith "fortunate and 

 adverse," and we have no doubt many of our 

 rural readers have had like experiences. 



THE PERSIMMON— SEX— VARIETIES. 



( )ur valued correspondent, C.VsiMCit IIll.l.Klt, 

 who furnishes an interesting paper in thisiss'uc 

 on 77((' I'emininion, expresses some apprehen- 

 sion about the scientific accuracy of the con- 

 clusion of the first paragraph, where he alludes 

 to the sex of the trees. Practically, he is cor- 

 rect. Although the persimmon, so f;ir as our 

 knowledge of it exti^nds, cannot be classed with 

 purely (//orioii.s trees, yet, according to Dr. 

 Gray, its lloral system is "diieciously jwilyga- 

 moiis;" that is, the fertile and sterile llowers 

 — although generally on the same tree — are of- 

 ten on two dill'ereiit trees, the fertile being 

 axillary and solitaiy , while the sterile are often 

 in clu.sters, and moreover are much smaller 

 than the former. As to the sex of the trees, 

 we can only recommend to Mr. II. to make a 

 minute examination of tlii^ llowers next s<'asoii 

 when they are in bloom. He has had sufficient 

 experience in strawlieny culture to Ix; able to 

 distinguish between the pistillate and staminale 

 llowers. 



We are glad to see attention called to per- 

 simmon culture, and find that the inquiry is 

 spreading — indeed, if we are not much mis- 

 taken some nurserymen have them already 

 among their stock. There are about twelve or 

 fifteen species described by botanists as mdi- 

 geiious to different iiarts of the world. 



The Dioniji/ws Kaki, or Chinese persimmon, 

 is rei)resented as being as large as an apple, 

 and when dried, far superior to dried figs. If 

 Chinese seeds could be obtained fnnn di.stricts 

 in our own parallel of latitude, we iirobably 

 might propagate that sjieeies in this country. 

 This fruit in fcneign .countries is not known 

 under the name of " Persiiiinion;" it is called 

 the "Date-plum" in English, and has other 

 local names, rcrsimmon is the Virginia In- 

 dian name. 



^ 



GOOD BUTTER. 



Deservedly high as much of the butter of 

 Laiica.ster county stands among butter con- 

 sumers, yet, on the general ipieslioii of quality, 

 it seems almost self-evident that there is ample 

 room for improvement, not only in the elemen- 

 tary principles of butter itself, but also in but- 

 iar'-iiKdiiui — its process in detail, :us well as the 

 necessary previous conditions involving itssiic- 

 ccssful production. 



We, therefore, feel that the following extract 

 is most appropriate on this occitsiou, coming, 

 as it does, from such a distinguished source, 

 in the domain of American clii-ese and butter- 

 mtiking. We commend every word of it to 

 the thoughtful perusal of the professional and 

 amateur dairv lolks of our county. Although 

 tlie butter of Eanca-ster county, taken as a 

 whole, may very justly lie iiroiiounced ijood, 

 yet there is a higher degree of comiiarison cul- 

 hiinating in vci;/ ijood, that Lanca.ster county — 

 except ill very special cases — has not yet 

 reached, simply because she has not thor- 

 oughly comiilied with the neces-sjiry previous 

 conditions to any great extent. 



It is very .seldom that we see .so mucli on a 

 practical .subject so well .said, and condensed 

 into so limited a space; and, judging from the 

 many specimens of butter which have come 

 under our observation, and have lieen forced 

 upon our ga.strononiic disctission, we feel sure 

 that butter-makers will find somtUiing in it 

 worth remembering. 



There is no good rejison why there should be 

 fill// bad butter iirmluced in Lanca.ster county. 

 Biitter-making [involves the sublimest priiici- 



