46 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



But the "Hawk-niotlis," that are the pro- 

 genitors of the large green "tobacco worms" 

 which infest the plants in Julj' anil Angust, are 

 in the earth, a large brown chrysalis, with an 

 appendage like the handle of a jug during the 

 winter, and come forth in summer about the 

 time the "jimson-weed " is in bloom. They 

 are in repose during the day, but fly abroad in 

 the evening, and regale themselves on the 

 nectar of the weed aforenamed, and deposit 

 their eggs on the leaves of the tobacco plants 

 in small groups of from six to a dozen, from 

 which the worm in due time hatches and de- 

 veloHS, and then goes into the ground, where 

 it has been reared!, and changes to a chrysalis. 

 Hand-picking is the the cliief reliance, but the 

 introduction of a sweetened, active poison into 

 the trumi>et flowers of their favorite plant, 

 will prevent many of the worms from being 



born. • 



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Plums and the Curculio. 



There is no fruit in ejreater demand than the phjm. 

 If any one could succeed in raising them, he would 

 have no difliculty in tindinp; a market, and in making 

 a pile of money out of tliem. But that little fellow 

 commonly called the "Turk," (the cui'culio) stands 

 in the way. 



Some liave been trying to circumvent the pest by 

 introducing curculio proof varieties, but the result, 

 so far, has not been very encouraging, as these cur- 

 culio proof kinds compare with the green gage about 

 the same as the sour crab docs to the smokehouse 

 apple. The various expeiJients in use for preventing 

 its depredations have not been very successful and if 

 notliing better '* turns up" we might almost as well 

 give it up for a bad job. But, as " every day brings 

 something new," we must still hope for a successful 

 remedy. 



Prof. Heiges, at the York meeting of the Pennsyl- 

 vania Fruit Growers' Society, showed pliotographs of 

 branches laden with beautiful plums. He has been 

 experimenting, and thinks he has found a sure 

 remedy against the curculio. His trees were laden 

 with fruit, while tlie same varieties across the fence, 

 on hie neighlmr's lot were a total failure. He simply 

 syrintj^cs his trees with a strong suds of whale oil 

 soap, commencing with the completion of the bloom 

 and going over the trees after every rain, until the 

 fruit is safe. Let us try this simple remedy next 

 season. Its cost will be but tritUng. Have a lot of 

 the stinky stuft' ready in an out-of-the-way place. 



A bucketful put on with a syringe, will completely 

 coat over several trees. Anj' tinner can make a 

 cheap, ett'ectuQl syringe. But it would pay to get a 

 "portable pump and sprinkler," an instruments so 

 useful about a place, for washing windows, carriages, 

 watering plants, etc., that it need only be seen to be 

 appreciated. Cost from ^5 to -JIO. — C. H., Couestoga, 

 March Hth, 187.5. 



The remedy suggested by our correspondent 

 is ceitainly a simple one. and of easy applica- 

 tion, but it is "'as old as the hills," and for 

 many years has been the general remedy in all 

 cases of insect infestation, with different de- 

 grees of success, according to the strength of 

 the solution, the particular species of insects 

 upon wlucli it has been tried, and the 

 skill and perseverance with which it has 

 been applied. We must confess that vc 

 haven't as much cunlidence in it as we have 

 in the "jarring" process, although it is un- 

 doubtedly much cheaper and less laborious. 

 Some months ago, we read an article on this 

 subject, which we had intended to refer to 

 at some future time, but we took so much care 

 of it, that we have not been aljle to lay our 

 hands on it since. It purported to be the ex- 

 perience of an old peach and pliun grower, we 

 think in fSouth Michigan. He considered the 

 status of the rurndio to be such that it would 

 be nearl}' useless for any man to attcm-pt to 

 grow plums vmless he iilanted a large number 

 of trees in the same inclosure — not less than 

 one hundred as the iiihiirnuiti, but live hun- 

 dred or one thousand and upward woidd be 

 better, and would insure proportionately more 

 successful results. He also gave an account 

 of the quanties he sent to market, and the 

 prices he realized, which seemed entirely satis- 

 factory. His theory was, that it is useless to 

 attempt to "kill off" the curcidio by artificial 

 remedies, for it will he li.ere in greater or lesser 

 numbers at each returning season, and the 

 only way to meet the case is to ])lant and cul- 

 tivate a crop large enough to sujiply the 

 demands of the mark'et and the curculio also. 



He did not deny the efficacy of other reme- 



dies, but considered them "one-horse affairs" 

 at best. A dozen or two of plum trees on a 

 farm he considered only "curculio luirseries." 

 We make these remarks, not to discourage 

 plum culture on a small scale, but as sugges- 

 tions pointing to large co-operative systems 

 thr(jugh which the whole community may be 

 ultimately supplied with plums. 



The Scuppernong Grape. 



As I am now having a little leisure time, I will take 

 the opportunity to comply with the promise to furnish 

 you with a short article on my operations with the 

 Scuppernong grape this season. 



At the outset, I will say I am amazed at the pro- 

 ductiveness of this class of grapes ; the quantity that 

 can be raised on an acre of ground is no longer prob- 

 lematical with me. I have one vine covering an arbor 

 twenty yards long and fourteen yards wide, and 

 thirteen years old, which has given me thirty bushels 

 of clean grapes, by actual measurement, being at the 

 rate of five hundred and twenty-five bushels per acre ; 

 and as a bushel of grapes weighs fifty-two pounds, 

 and yields three and a half gallons juice per bushel, 

 lam getting at the rate of thirteen tons and 1,H00 

 gallons of wine per acre. This vine has never had 

 an hour's cultivation nor any manuring sipce it was 

 planted, other than the leaves that fall from it annually. 



I have another vine larger and older than the above 

 mentioned, being twenty-five years old. This is not 

 so productive, in consequence of growing in ground 

 too rich, being in the back yard to my house, where, 

 from its receiving the waste water incident to such a 

 situation, its growth is too vigorous. 



I have have had clusters of grapes this season car- 

 rying twenty-four large berries, aud numbers of ber- 

 ries measuring one aud a quarter (1'4) inches in 

 diameter each. I found one berry which measured 

 l'$ inches in diameter audiv; inches in circumfer- 

 ence, which is the largest I have ever seen or heard 

 of. I see in the papers some statements in regard to 

 the large yield of grapes the present season in some 

 of the vineyards in Calilbrnia, to-wit — four to five 

 tons per acre. I have no doubt whatever that, with 

 our Scuppernong, I can raise treble the number of 

 pounds per acre that can be either in California or 

 the Valley of Eschol, with any grape in the world. 



I have about one hundred vines of various ages 

 under cultivation. — J. Van Bueen, ClarlcsirUle, Oa. 



We clip the above from the columns of 

 the '■'■ llural i^mUlierner (tnd PlanUUion" more 

 to show what can be done with this poinilar 

 grape on its "native heath," than any design 

 of recommeuding it to the culture of Pennsyl- 

 vanians. If we are not very much mistaken, 

 our veneraljle friend Jacob 13. Garber, of Co- 

 lumbia, Pa., has given the "Scuppernong" a 

 thorough trial, and finds it not at all adapted 

 to the latitude of Lancaster county. 



This grape is also said to be free from the 

 attacks of Phiilhixera and other enemies that 

 this fruit is heir to, and that scions grafted 

 on its roots will escape their infestations. The 

 yield above described is so abundant, and the 

 fruit so remarkably fine, that other attempts 

 to acclimate jt might result more favoraljly, 

 and therefore be worthy of extended trial. 

 Of cotn-se, practical growers who cultivate 

 grapes for profit will best know what to do in 

 the premises. This is an exi>erimental or 

 transition period in the Ilortieultm-al history 

 of our country, and therefore in securing 

 any step forward we must run the risk of tem- 

 porary backward movements occasionally. 



Words of Cheer from a Veteran. 

 Havino been confined to my room by sickness for 

 the last three mouths of this extraordinary continnnl 

 cold winter, I have been unable to get to Lancaster. 

 I will now avail myself of the mail to tend you my 

 subscription for The Lancastek Fahmku. I do 

 hope, now that you have made so great a change in 

 the character of the paper, with the increased size, 

 that farmers and nil who are friendly to the farmers, 

 will at once subscribe; for it. Ti'uly I have spent time 

 and money to encoui-age it, but it seems all to no 

 purpose. Now I am no longer able, or I should still 

 try to say a good word for it. Every farmer wlio now 

 refuses to spend the dollar I'or so useful a publication 

 ought to have his name placed on a Itlack list.' To 

 pay $.")(! or more to a set of unknown tree agents is, 

 they think, well laid out, though when the trees 

 c«me into bearing they mav i)erhai)S find themselves 

 badly swindled.— J. B. G.,'Cclu„Ma, Feb. 18, 187.5. 



Nothing coidd stimulate us more in our en- 

 terprise tlian the above words of cheer from 

 our veteran friend, to whom we feel grate- 

 ful for his many efforts in Ijehalf of The 

 Faioier. We sympathize with him in his 



afflictions, for, to some extent, we have been 

 a fellow sufferer, but hope we may both have 

 a brighter and more joyous Spring. 



^ 



The Centennial and Small Exhibitors. 

 What ixDUCEMEXTSforpersons of small means to 

 exhibit anything at the Centennial ? Will they not 

 be imposed upon and have to pay extortionate prices 

 for board and lodging? Will it not be a very expen- 

 sive undertaking to attend as an exhibitor ? Persons 

 intending to exhibit would wish to know or be en- 

 lightened before they get themselves into a trap. — J. 

 B. E., Lancaster county, Fa. 



The foregoing queries, sent to us by an es- 

 teemed correspondent, are very reasonable, aud 

 ought to be very satisfactorily answered, but 

 we cannot answer them so now. We hope, 

 however, that small exhibitors will not be em- 

 barrassed or deterred, and that no imposition 

 will be permitted, under any circumstances, 

 on the approaching a\igust occasion, aud we 

 think there will not. The matter of "board" 

 will not be difficult to arrange, we think. 



I am glad to see The Fakmer "turn over a new 

 leaf." I have no doubt it will be a success in the 

 hands of the enterprising publishers who have taken 

 hold of it. The main thing now is to get the farmers 

 to write. We have plenty of good practical farmers 

 amongst us, who are not accustomed to " sling ink," 

 whose views we should be glad to have thnmgh your 

 columns ; but the chief attraction in The Faiimeu to 

 me, are the articles on entomology. You shall hear 

 from me again when I feel that I have anything worth 

 writing. — J. C. L., Oap, Lan. county, /'i*. 15(A, 1875. 



FARM AND GARDEN ITEMS. 



Do Plants Need Water? 



Thomas Meehan, editor of the Oardener's ^fonthly, 

 answers this question by saying that "if any one 

 thiidcs plants need water, he can try by stopping up 

 the hole in the bottom of a Hower pot, in which a 

 plant is growing. This will be one of the best ways of 

 learning that the essence of all good culture is to get 

 rid of the water in the soil as soon as possible. This 

 is the great principle that underlies the practice of 

 underiiraining land. AVe want moist oir in the soil, 

 not water. 'Firm potting' favors a large amount of 

 air spaces. If soil is moderately dry, the more we 

 ' pound ' it, the more we pulverize it, and pulveriza- 

 tion means dividing into minute particles. Tlie more 

 particles the more spaces — the more spaces, the more 

 porous is the mass. Every pfire contains air, and this 

 air is moist air, and it is on this moisture that the 

 plants draw. There is no difference in the manner by 

 which a root draws moisture from the atmosijhere 

 under the ground, and that by which the root of an 

 air plant draws moisture above the ground. If you 

 take the earth in which a healthy plant is growing, 

 and handle it you will find no nat'.r in it; but you 

 will perhaps find it moixt enough to damijen a 

 piece of paper. We do not know that any amount 

 of pressure would squeeze water out of some soils 

 in which plants grow healthy, though jiossibly 

 moist air might be so compressed as to make water. 

 Inde.ed, the matter seems so clear to us, that we sup- 

 posed it would be necessary only to state it to insure 

 conviction. And we wonder very much that writers 

 still contiime to use the word water, when they speak 

 of the necessary conditions in the food of plants." 



The Milk Question. 



The farmers of Bedford, New Hampshire, had their 

 annual "feast" on the r2th ult., at which they dis- 

 cussed various phases of the farming interest. In 

 re])ly to some comiilaints that they could get only 

 four cents a quart for their milk. Ward Parker, of 

 Merrimack, said he wastiredofthe continual whining 

 about milkmen. If you don't want to sell your milk 

 for four cents you needn't ; there is no law to jirevent 

 your m.aking it into butter or carrying it to market 

 yourself. If the milkmen pay all they agree to, that 

 is enough ; if anyone will agree to pay more, it is your 

 pri\ilege to sell to him. As for him, he wouldn't sell 

 milk for six cents per quart; could do better making 

 it into butter. By making butter he saved lugging 

 home the price of it in grain and hunting the cuuntry 

 through for new milk cows every fall. He believed 

 the prospect was never so good for butter-makers as 

 now. His cows have yielded over ?;UII1 worth of but- 

 ter each this year, and the skim milk from each cow 

 he calls worth $4-0 more; gets this amount out of 

 skim milk by feeding it to calves which sell for from 

 $.50 to *100 each ; keeps Devons and can sell at these 

 prices all the calves he can raise. There are only 800 

 Devons in the United States and Canadas. The first 

 ones imported and sold were sold at low prices, which 

 has kept the price down ever since. His cows give 

 milled quarts of which will make a pound of butter; 

 has one cow which has given 32 quarts per day ; feeds 

 no grain except after the cows come in aud before they 

 get out to grass. 



