238 AMYGDALUS PERSICA. 
Philadelphia Society for promoting Agriculture," that he had "failed in many 
things, in which others are said to have succeeded. Straw and bass, or paper, 
surrounding the tree, from the root, at all distances, from six inches, to three or 
four feet, white-washing, painting, urinous applications, brine, soot, lime, frames 
filled with sand, oil, tar, turpentine, sulphuric acid, nitrous mixtures, and almost 
every kind of coating. I ruined several trees, by cutting them down, and per- 
mitting the stump to throw up new shoots, and branch at pleasure. All tegu- 
ments kept the exudation from evaporating with freedom. The pores being 
closed, or too open, were alike injurious. Teguments of straw or bass, made 
the bark tender; and it threw out, under the covering, sickly shoots. The more 
dense coating stopped the perspiration. The oil invited mice, and other vermin, 
which ate the bark thus prepared for their repast, and killed the tree. I planted 
in hedge-rows and near woods I paved, raised hillocks of stone I have suffered 
them to grow from the stone only, grafted on various stocks, and budded, hilled 
up the earth in the spring, and exposed the butt in the fall sometimes I have 
used the knife freely frequently have left the tree to shoot in every direction I 
have scrubbed the stocks or trunks with hard brushes, soap-suds and sand, 
scraped them with proper instruments ; I have, for a season or two, under vari- 
ous experiments, amused myself with the persuasion, that I had discovered an 
infallible panacea. I had temporary success, but final disappointment." " I 
remove the earth, a few inches round the tree in August or September, pour 
around the butt, beginning about one foot above the ground, a quart or more, 
(not being nice about the quantity,) of boiling-hot soap-suds or water. This 
kills the egg, or worm lodged in the tender bark; and of course prevents its rav- 
ages the next season. I carefully search the trees, though I seldom find worms. 
I do not perceive any injury from this operation. I have discovered worms in 
or near the roots of the smallest stocks taken from the nursery. These I fre- 
quently plunge into boiling water, before planting. I lose very few; and do not 
attribute the losses to the hot water." 
The peach-tree also sometimes surfers severely from the attacks of leaf-hop- 
pers, (Thrips,) as well as from those of the true plant-lice {Aphides.) They 
are found beneath the leaves, in small cavities produced by their irritating punc- 
tures, and are so small that they may readily escape notice. These minute 
insects have very slender bodies, and narrow wings, which are fringed with fine 
hairs, and lie close to their backs when they are at rest. They are exceedingly 
active, and appear to leap, rather than fly, when they move. The plant-lice, 
likewise live under the leaves of the peach, causing them, by their punctures, to 
become increased in thickness, to curl or form hollows beneath, and correspond- 
ing crispy and reddish swellings above, and finally to perish and drop off prema- 
turely. The depredations of these lice is thought to be one of the causes, if not 
the only cause, of the peculiar malady affecting the peach-tree in the early part 
of summer, known under the name of "blight."* The most efficacious means 
employed for the destruction of the thrips and aphides are fumigations of sul- 
phur, tobacco, or other acrid substances, and throwing into the trees, with con- 
siderable violence, warm solutions of tobacco and water, soap-suds, and even 
pure water. 
The fruit of the peach-tree is punctured in an early stage of its growth, by a 
small, rough, dark-brown beetle, {Ciirculio nenuphar, Herbst,) for the purpose 
of depositing her eggs, and thereby providing for her future progeny. When a 
peach is stung by these beetles, a small drop of gum may be seen oozing from 
its surface. The larvae consist of little whitish grubs, which bore into the fruit, 
and cause it to fall before it is mature. For a further account of this insect, the 
* Harris' Report, pp. 187 et 192. 
