NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Published by John B. Russell, at the corner of Congress and Lindull Streets. — Thomas G. Pessenden, Editor. 



VOL. IV. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1826. 



NO. 48. 



ORIGINAL PAPERS. 



TO THE EDITOR. OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



CANKER WORMS. 



Mr Fessenden, — As the Canker Worm has 

 again made its appearance in some parts of this 

 State, and is extending its ravages in many valua- 

 ble orchards, I have thought it proper to commu- 

 nicate the following experiments, which, as far ;\.s 

 has come to my knowledge, contain informatioL 

 not heretofore laid before the public. If the prac- 

 tice here recommended has not been tried in other 

 instances, it is believed to be worthy of attention ; 

 and if it has, eitlier yourself or some of your num- 

 erous correspondents will be able to give informa- 

 tion as to the result. 



In the year 1819 John True, Esq. an observing 

 and intelligent Gentleman, of Hampstead, N. H. 

 having been much molested by the canker worm 

 in Iiis orchards the preceding year, procured a few 

 ounces of Mercurial Ointment, commonly called 

 Ungucnlum (Unguentum Hydrargyri,) which he 

 •spread upon strips of woolen cloth, or narrow lists 

 such as are cut from the edges of broadcloth, which 

 strips he closely applied around a number of his 

 trees, and the effect, or at least the fact, was that 

 these trees were entirely exempt from their rava 

 ges the ensuing summer. 



REMEDY FOR CHOKED CATTLE. 

 Mr Fessenden — I noticed in No. 45 of your 

 paper a remedy for choked cattle. I think tlio fol- 

 low-ing method a more easy and expeditious one 

 and on that account much to be preferred. IL was 

 communicated to me by a person who has tried it 

 in repeated instances and never knew it fail. 



Take about a thimble full or more of gun pow- 

 der, put in it a paper with three sides closed, and 

 cover the other end with the fore finger ; then in- 

 sert your arm into the tliroat of the creature below 

 the gullet, let the powder be discliarged from tlio 

 paper, and as soon as t!ie powder dissolves, the an- 

 imal throws the substance from his throat. There 

 have been instances where large .<-.ubstances were 

 detained in the throat, that required two portions 

 before relief was given ; but farmers may rely upon 

 this recipe as in most cases, an effectual one. It 

 was bought of a German in Pennsylvania, and re- 

 mained a secret with the purcliaser for some years: 

 but humanity prevailed, aud the intelligence is for 

 the public. With much respect, 



your obcd't serv't, 

 FRANCIS BREWER. 



Springfield, Ms. June 16, 1826. 



INTERNAL IMPROVEMENT. 

 Mr Fessenden — On the 25th of Blay last I left 

 j„ tj'jQ autumn of that | Garnet, Vermont, on a tour for general information, 

 year, I commenced the practice of medicine in that I ' 'lave examined the contemplated route of a canal 

 town, and the next spring had numerous applica- from Connecticut nver at Haverhill, N.II. throiigli 

 tinn= fnr tl,p nrtir-lp anrl nrnrnrpd =pvpral nniinds Coventry to Wamcr and Wentworth, and followed 



tions for t)ie article, and procured several pound 

 of quicksilver, and was employed a great part of 

 the iiionth of March, in preparing the uiiguenlum 

 for the neighboring farmers, by wliom it was op- 

 plied to many hundreds of trees, and all with uni- 

 form success : — but as the worms that year wore 

 rather upon the decline, and as many trees were 

 •exempted wliicli liad not been treated in this man- 

 ner, this experiment I'lough upon a lari^e scale, 

 was not deemed so decisive as that of the preced- 

 ing year, and happily we have had no opportunity 

 of testing its utility, from that time to the present. 

 it might perhaps occur to all who would try the 

 experiment that it is necessary that the bark must 

 be made smooth, wliere it is not so, that none of 

 the grubs or females that deposit the eggs, from 

 which the worms are produced, may pass under 

 the band or strip which contains tlie ointment. — 

 Tliose who are acquainted witli its nature and ef- 

 fects upon worms iind insects will readily believe 

 it impossible for those that produce the canker 

 worm to pass over it and live. 



The advantages of using the unguentum over 

 any mode in common use are obvious. While tar 

 requires to be renewed every night that it may 

 catch and hold the grubs merely by its tenacity, 

 this mode requires preparing but once a year, and 

 will be growing stronger for a long time, by an in- 

 creased oxidation of the mercury when exposed 

 to the air — and as this is supposed to be in an ac- 

 tive state, even after it is applied, there is no op- 

 portunity for their passing as they may frequently 

 do over tar, after it becomes hardened before it is 

 •Tfenewed. I remain, 



Respectfully yours, 

 JEREMIAH SPO'- 



Bra^rd, /«ne 14. I82»3. _ ^.fFORD. 



entry to vv arncr ana vv eniwortn, and toUowe 

 the waters of Baker's river to Plymouth. The 

 sus'mit in Coventry is reported to be 400 feet above 

 Connecticut river, i tliinic the summit can be sup- 

 plied by means of a feeder from Talton's Pond, in 

 Piormont. From Wentworth Village to Little 



canal is completed, tlie beef cattle in the abore 

 counties will be barrelled at Haverhiil or Newbu- 

 ry, and thence freighted by means of the canal to 

 Dover, Portsmouth, or Boston, and the freight 

 would not be over 50 cents per barrel. Allowing 

 the four northern counties of New Hampshire to 

 be posssesed of the same number of cattle, the to- 

 tal number of barreh of beef would amount to 

 43,944, and the freight at 50 cents per barrel would 

 amount to $21,97."j. 



Again, any pe; son acquainted with tlw northern 

 section of Vermont or New Hampshire, will say 

 that this is not cno half the tonnage which wiU be 

 sent from this district of country to market, 

 abounds in pork, butter, cheese, meal, grain, hay, 

 ilax seed, timber, &c. We can put with safety the 

 amount of exports from this section of country at 

 f^.TSS tons, which, at .S5.00 will amount to .§43,990. 

 The amount of tonnage of imports, say equal to 

 one half of exports, will make in gross 1.3,182 tons, 

 uhich, at §5.00 per ton, would bo .$65,910 — the 

 interest of more than ,$1,090,000. 



It has been estimated by men of sound judge- 

 ment, that this undertaking will not cost more than 

 7 or 800,000, to make a canal navigable for boats 

 of 25 or 30 taus. 



»4gain, tlie section of country spoken of, is yet 

 comparatively new. Let this comimuiication be 

 opened, and a vigorous impulse will be given to 

 the agricultural and manufacturing interest. And 

 it is a fact, there is more water power and good 

 scites for manufactories in the counties of Caledo- 

 nia in Vcrmim:, .ind in Grafton, N. H. than in any 

 two counties ill New England, of similar size. — It 

 is to mo :*»r),><iKing tliat tlie capitalists of Boston, 

 Dover, and X'ortsmoutii have been so long forget- 

 ful of their ovn interest, and t!ie obhgations they 



Sfiuam Pond, a canal may be made on a level,, and i are under to tl:e inhabitants of the interior. 



supplied by a feeder from the Pemegewasset river 

 from Little Squam, which is now navigable to Big 

 Squom Pond, there is no difficulty. From Big 

 Squam to the Winepiseogee Lake, at Center Har- 

 bour, Mr Baldwin reports about 50 feet as the do- 

 scent. 



From the south end of said Lake to Dover, Mr. 

 Baldwin has examined, and his report is now be- 

 fore the public. 



I think the subject of a canal from Dover to Win- 

 episeogee Lake deserves immediate attention. — 

 This route, in my view, is the only practicable one 

 for a canal from tide water to Connecticut river. 

 The distance from the north end of Lake Winepis- 

 eogee, at Center Harbour, to Connecticut river is 

 about 40 miles ; and from tide water to the Lake 

 would be of great importance, not only to the sec- i 

 tion of tlie country in the immediate vicinity of the. 

 Lake, but to the northern section of Vermont '^n,d 

 New Hampshire. And if the canal was cor;,pleted 

 to Connecticut river, it would increase Vne amount 

 of tonnage very much. 



In turning to the " Grand 

 1823, you will fmd that t 

 years old and uf- 

 counties. ^' ^svards, in. 



BnrmI, ( Vt.j June lS2{i. 



II. S. 



TIME AND METHOD OF DESTROYING 

 LICE WHICH INFEST APPLE-TREES. 

 For two or tlirae years, I observed tliat the bod- 

 ies, and many of the limbs of my young apple 

 trees, were covered ^vith lice, resembling in shape 

 a flax-seed, though mvich smaller, and of a light 

 colour, stationary and adhering fast to tlie bark. 

 Ill some instances, thfiy almost covered the sur- 

 face. It was apparent that they subsisted upon, 

 the sap, obstructed its circulation, and mateiiallv 

 retarded tlie growth ; p.nd in one instance, 1 a.=';rib- 

 ed the lo.-ss of a tree solely to them. 'i\r ashing 

 with ley and soap suds in tho spriu'- ],_^ji produc- 

 ed no effbct. In June last, I "'"^ggj^ed directions 

 in the .Yew EnslaMt Fa'>- _„ ,.^„ .ipctrovins the 



^'^*" vr V ermoftt for 

 ...e number of cattle of t- 



; mer for destroying 



.ojounts to 87-*^'~j8. Now 



parasitic prnxaj ; tS"' ^^^^'-^^Xn" the particular 

 time to «tak^ U>' ^„ ",i.„tioi, 1 Immediately set 

 about it, F- f '^PP"='^^f "f ,o_k ci"ht parts of 



liro^ • .ad two ot soft ^oaP' _^" , ^yiti, a 



^ enough to .^ke a tack ^^ ,,, 



.-hitewash and paui brush I p ^^ ^^^^ ^^^^_ 



^,e five uortb^ ..vol trunks '^-^^^\i:[^;:^Z%:^ bark, and covering 

 V ..astern | ticable, filling the cra^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^ ^^^ „„iy 



..owing that the whole surface. 



Or- 



. creature in 10 i» fettenM^' ',,,,^X;;Vtra;ird;s"t'r7y most of thelice, 

 they weiffh 5' _,• aininci., ai.v. \ ^ _j .,;„„,rina nr 



I V. ould bp ■'^ y -^^" -^''i 



■ about ■iV^*-' barrels, «."w. ..« -.-- a\,^^a has. 



. to 'i^'^'' tQP3. In case the Winnepiseogee \ rough and hard» uae. 



lequ" 



The outer 



the roufamoiintl an improved and vigorous appe^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ 



which would be 1 bark, which, from a stinted growtn, ^^^^^ ^ ^_ 



but to givejhe trees 



irorous appearance. 



" Viau nt 

 in a measure, fallen oif in 



