THE FARMERS' REGISTER. 



315 



than mostolher kinds. Some have been destroy- 

 ed by ashes thrown round the stem. Under ivvo 

 trees, the pigs were led with corn, and the cobs 

 scattered over the ground : both perished. In a 

 shght depression near another, ihe vvnter collecied 

 in rainy weather, and the geese dabbled in ii : ihe 

 tree died the same summer. Lime whitewash 

 has also been charged with injuring the cherry 

 tree ; and if it be used at all, the experiment 

 should be cautiously conducted. 



The morello and Kentish appear to be adapted 

 to a greater variety of soils than the heart cherry 

 trees ; and may be employed as stocks !or the lat- 

 ter in unfavorable situations. The outgrovvintr ol 

 the stick by the gralt, constitutes no valid objec- 

 tion. We have never seen a tree endangered by 

 such overgrowth, while the obstruction to the 

 descent of the juices, lavors the enlargement of 

 the (ruit. 



The apricot was formerly ranked with the plum, 

 but It dirters enough to stand separate. Like the 

 plum however, it has a smooth stone, and turns 

 eour with heat : though in flavor it resembles the 

 peach more than any of our Iruiis. It resembles 

 it also in the excitability of the fruit buds in win- 

 ter. Its earlier bloom exposes it rather more to 

 severe weather in the spring, but generally it 

 succeeds wiierever the peach can be euccesslully 

 cuhivated. In this climate, the tree is perfectly 

 hardy. 



There are two species of the apricot : the black, 

 and the common sort, which has spread into many 

 varieties. Ripening earlier than the peach, their 

 presence in the Iruit garden is very desirable. 



Neither the borer nor the caterpillar attack the 

 pear tree ; but sometimes flies, wasps, and hornets 

 are busy among the leaves, showing that all is 

 not right, and that honey dew emitted by plant 

 ]ice, attracts them. But this tree is subject to a 

 more serious injury, to wit : the^re blight, which 

 occurs early in summer, the leaves from the ex- 

 tremity of the branches lor two or more leet, ap- 

 pearing as if they were scorched. We think 

 however, that two distinct causes occasionally 

 operate to produce similar effects, namely : in- 

 sects, and a starting of the bark in winter. 



The late Professor Peck on examining the 

 branch of a pear tree which had died with fire 

 blight, said the damage was caused by an insect 

 {Scolytus pyri,) and that to cut off tne limbs a 

 loot or more below the dead part, and immediately 

 burn them, would be the proper remedy. We 

 have faithfully followed this advice ; and though 

 the fire blight has been several times in the Iruit 

 garden, its ravages have always been arrested at 

 once, so that we have not lost a tree from this 

 cause in twenty years. We have believed that 

 the new colonies went with us when we earned 

 off and destroyed the branches. 



The starting of the bark in winter, appears to 

 be caused by an untimely flowing of the sap, Ibl- 

 lowed by intense cold, which expands it into ice, 

 and separates the bark Irom the wood. We have 

 observed such effects once or twice, succeeded on 

 some of the smaller branches by a blighting of 

 the leaves, but we believe it seldom occurs in this 

 district. 



The plum tree is sometimes, though rarely, 

 attacked by the peach worm in western New 



York. Its most formidable enemy, however, is 

 the insect that caupes the "black gum,'''' similar in 

 its effects to the insect that destroys the morello, 

 if they are not identical. Be this as it may, it is 

 rapidly increasing ; and unless our farmers shall 

 turn over a new leaf^ the plum will eoon become 

 very rare amongst us. In every direction that 

 we travel, branches are loaded with these excres- 

 cences ; and if there is one man within fifty 

 miles of us who has done his duty, we should be 

 pleased to hear it. 



To guard against this insect, the trees should 

 be well pruned, though not enough to check their 

 vigor, so that the bunches may be readily disco- 

 vered. Unless this precaution be taken, it would 

 be very diflii'ult to find all of them, without spend- 

 ing more time than people in general have to 

 spare. Let there be no delay in cutting off and 

 burning them when they are found. 



It appears that the eggs of this insect are depo- 

 sited in a slit of the bark some time during the 

 summer, and where they generally pass the win- 

 ter without hatching. Soon after vegetation com- 

 mences in the spring, a kind of fungous wood ia 

 formed, swelling out on one side of the branch, and 

 amongst this the youns progeny finds nourish- 

 ment and shelter. This fungous wood, however, 

 appears not to be occasioned by the worm, for it 

 often occurs where there are none, but by some 

 irritating secretion from the parent. 



After the late severe drought, when the treea 

 took a second growth, we found several new ex- 

 crescences so late in the season that probably 

 the worms would have perished with cold if we 

 had not arrested their career. Does the starting 

 of the fiingous wood cause the eggs to 

 hatch? 



We have spoken of insects that depredate on 

 theiree : we now turn to such as injure \he fruit 

 by puncturing, and then depositing a nit, so that 

 it becomes wormy, and drops prematurely from the 

 tree. 



Every person that cultivates the plum, apricot, 

 or nectarine, ought to be acquainted with the 

 curculio, both by sight and by character. There 

 ought to be a good drawing of this insect, but we 

 have seen none ; and at this season of the year 

 we cannot have one prepared. It is however a 

 dark brown bug, about a quarter of an inch long, 

 and of singular ibrm, having a slender neck and 

 head. When it drops from the tree, it lies still, 

 pretending to be dead ; or if a dried blossom 

 or leaf be near, where it can hide, it moves cau- 

 tiously under, learing to be seen in motion. 

 When crushed between the thumb and finger, 

 it leels like Indian meal, andlikeno other insect 

 that we have examined. 



It is timid; and when hogs, sheep, or cattle 

 pass frequently under the trees, it is scarcer thaa 

 in more retired places. Trees that stand near a 

 door where there is much passing are often en- 

 tirely exempt from its visits ; and the same result 

 occurs where they stand in a lane or barn-yard. 

 The late Thomas Forrest, of Germantown, near 

 Philadelphia, tied one end of a cord to a plum 

 tree, and the other end to his pump handle, so 

 that it shook the tree whenever they drew water. 

 It saved the fruit. 



This insect on one point is very sagacious. It 

 is unwilling to have its progeny drop on a pave- 

 ment, or into water. The same shrewd horiicul- 



