ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND FACT.S. £OR THE PEOPLE. 395 



Besides the Cherry and'Apple,- both wild 

 and cultivated, the Apple-tree tent-cater-, 

 pillar will feed upon Plum, Thorn, Rose, 

 and perhaps on most plants belonging to 

 the Rose family, though the Peach is 

 not congenial to it, and it never attacks 

 the Pear, upon which, according to Dr. 

 Trimble, it will starve. It does well on 

 Willow and Poplar, and even on White 

 Oak, according to Fitch, who also found 

 it on White Hazel and Beech. 



Remedies. — Cut off and burn the egg- 

 clusters during winter, and examine the 

 trees carefully in the spring for the nests 

 from such clusters that may have eluded 

 the winter search. The eggs are best cut 

 off in the manner presently to be de- 

 scribed for the Tent-caterpillar of the 

 Forest. Though to kill the caterpillars 

 numerous methods have been resorted to, 

 such as burning, and swabbing with oil, 

 soap-suds, lye, etc, they are all unneces- 

 sary, for the nests should not be allowed 

 to get large, and if taken when small are 

 most easily and effectually destroyed by 

 going over the orchard with the fruit- 

 ladder, and by the use of gloved hands. 

 As the caterpillars feed about twice each 

 day, once in the forenoon and once in 

 the afternoon, and as they are almost 

 always in their nests till after nine 

 a. M., and late in the evening, the early 

 and late hours of the day are the best in 

 which to perform the operation. As a 

 means of facilitating this operation, it 

 v.-ould be a good plan, as Dr. Fitch has 

 iv.ggested, to plant a few wild cherry 

 trees in the vicinity of the orchard, and 

 as the moths will mostly be attracted to 

 such trees to deposit their eggs, and as a 

 hundred clusters on a single tree are de- 

 stroyed more easily than if they were 

 scattered over a hundred trees, these trees 

 will well repay the trouble wherever the 

 Tent-caterpillar is known to be a grievous 

 pest 



TURNIP FLEA BEETLE.— The tur- 

 nip is exposed to numerous depredators, 

 of which the turnip flea-beetle is the most 

 inveterate. It attacks the plant as soon 

 as the first leaves expand, and often de- 

 stroys two or three successive sowings. 

 The black caterpillar, slugs, wire- worms, 

 and numerous other insects, grubs and 

 aphides prey upon and greatly diminish 

 the crop. 



Remedies have been tried to an al~ 

 most indefinite extent, but none hitherto* 

 with more, than very partial success- 

 Liberal sowing and rapid growth best in- 

 sure the plant from injury ; and to effect 

 this, the seed thould be plentifully sown 

 in a rich soil, and if possible, when the 

 ground is moist. Before sowing the seed 

 should be steeped in some preparation, 

 which experience has shown will the 

 most quickly develop the germ. Solu- 

 tions of nitrates or sulphates, urine, soot- 

 water, liquid guano, or currier's oil, im- 

 pregnate the first leaves with substances 

 distasteful to their early enemies, and 

 thus a short respite from their attacks will 

 be secured. Gypsum, ashes, bone-dust 

 and poudrette drilled in with the seed,. 

 are excellent forcers for the young roots. 

 Charcoal dust, applied in the same way, 

 has been found to increase the early 

 growth from four to tenfold. When the 

 fly or bug is discovered, the application 

 of lime, ashes or soot, or all combined, 

 should be made upon the leaves, while 

 the dew or a slight moisture is on them. 

 This leads the young plant along, and 

 kills such enemies as it reaches, Stale 

 urine, diluted sulphuric acid (oil of vitrol), 

 and other liquid manures will have the 

 same effect. Ducks, chickens, young 

 turkeys and birds will devour innumera- 

 ble quantities, and their presence should 

 always be encouraged, not only on this,, 

 but on most of the fields. Dragging the 

 surface with fine, light brush, will lessen 

 the slugs and insects. The ground should 

 be plowed just before winter sets in, 

 which exposes the worms and the larvae 

 of insects to the frost, when they are un- 

 able to work themselves into a place of 

 safety. The seed should not be planted 

 on ground recently occupied by any of 

 the order of plants crucifera, (cabbage, 

 radish, mustard, charlock and water- 

 cress), as they all afford food for the ene- 

 mies of turnips, and thereby tend to their 

 multiplication. 



LOCUST BORER, To Destroy.— To de- 

 stroy the well-known locust borer, a beau- 

 tiful variegated black and yellow beetle, 

 it has been recommended to apply soft 

 soap to the trunks of very young trees 

 every summer, about the first of August,, 

 or earlier. 



GOOSEBERRY WORMS.— See Cur- 

 rant Worm. 



