1839} 



FARMERS' REGISTER 



493 



with stamens only, (or in a largo proportion,) tlioy 

 are. of course barren; when pistils only are pro- 

 duced in abundance, they are fertile. To have a 

 bod planted so as to. bear abundantly, about one 

 plant in eight or ten should be staminate or barren 

 b!ossnaiin<i; plants ; the others the fertile ones — |()r 

 if the lattar only be kept, they atone will also be 

 (ound unproductive. 



If any person will examine a bed of the Hudson 

 or any of the large scarlet strawberries, when they 

 are in blossom, he will discover a great number of 

 plants which bear large showy blossoms filled with 

 line yellow stamens. These are the barren plants. 

 Here and there, also, he will discover plants bear- 

 ing much smaller blossoms, filled with the heads of 

 pistils, like a small green strawberry. The latter 

 are the fertile ones. Now the vigor of the barren 

 plants is so much greater than that of the (ertile 

 ones, and their oflsets are so much more numerous, 

 that ii care be not taken to prevent this, they soon 

 completely overrun and crowd out the fl-rtile or 

 bearing plants, and to this cause only is to be at- 

 tributed the unproductive state of many beds of the 

 large fruited strawberries, which are in many in- 

 stances perha[)s, entirely devoid of fertile plants. 



The proper method undoubtedly is to select a 

 lew fertile plants of each kind, plant them in a 

 small bed by themselves, and allow them to in- 

 crease freely by runners; then, on planting, the 

 proper proportion could be made and kept up by 

 the regular clipping of the runners. 



Matjynfthe fine English varieties of straw- 

 berry, (Wilmot's superb, for instance,) are gene- 

 rally found worthless here. This is owing, in some 

 cases, to the ignorance or want of care of those 

 persons who export the varieties, in sending often, 

 no fertile plants ; in other instances, it is equall}' 

 owing to our negligence here, in not preserving 

 the due |>roportion of barren and fertile plants. 



This peculiarity in the blossoms is very little 

 known or understood, even among scientific culti- 

 vators. It was first pointed out to us by our es- 

 teemed friend, N. Longworth, Esq., of Cincinnati, 

 one of our most distinguished western horticultu- 

 rists. Its truth we have repeatedly verified, and a 

 slight examination will convince any person of the 

 cause of the numerous worthless yet thriftly look- 

 ing strawberry beds throuuhout our gardens. 



The finest of the large English varieties of this 

 fruit which we cultivate here is the Bishop's. It 

 is remarkably large, a most abundant bearer, and 

 of superior flavor. Many of the larger berried 

 sorts, as the Methven Castle, have been hollow 

 and comparatively tasteless, though of uncommon 

 size. This variety, liowever, appear to us to 

 unite all that can be desired, to constitute a truly 

 fine and delicious strawberry. A.J. D. 



INSECT nEPREDATORS. 



From the Genesee Ftirincr. 

 Of the insect tribes there are many that occa- 

 sionally prey on the vegetables produced by hu- 

 man labor, some making their appearance at one 

 season, or in some particular year, while others 

 are irregular in their visits, and at times disappear 

 for years in succession. Occasionally, too, new 

 depredators make their appearance, or as is most 

 probable, first attract notice by the mischief they 

 produce. Some insects feed only while in the 



larva siale, and hence the mischef they ocoasioi> 

 is performed while in that stage of their existence. 

 Others spend their larva state inactive; but while 

 existing as perfect insects, arc most destructive ; 

 while a few are injurious in both of these states. 

 Thus it is, the larva? of the Hessian fly, the cut 

 grub and army worms, that occasion sucit loss to 

 the farmer; while the chinch and rose bugs, the 

 grasshopper and locust, are injurious only while 

 they live as perfect insects. A knowledge of the 

 history, habits,- periods of existence, and depreda- 

 tions of the mosi formidable Insect depredators 

 is very necessary to all classes of cultivators, and 

 we may be permitted to hoj)e that tliis desideratum 

 will be supplied by the gentlemen who are now, 

 b}' authority, engaged in investigating the ento- 

 mology ofsome of the principal states. 



Few years pass, in which, on the whole, more 

 injury is not sustained from these pests oi" agri- 

 culture, than has occurred in the present. Some 

 districts have, it is true. eufTered severely, but the 

 insect visitation has not been general, or unusually 

 destructive where it has occurred. The three 

 principal depiedators of the present year liave 

 been the Hessian fly, the chinch bug, and the 

 army worm. The first of these has scarcely 

 been noticed, and has produced no injury worth 

 mentioning, except on the tide water districts of 

 the middle and southern states. Here it was very 

 prevalent, and lor a time created much alarm. At 

 harvest, however, the damage, though considera- 

 ble, was found to have been overrated ; the very 

 fine weather bringing the crop forward in spite of 

 the fly. It has hardly been mentioned north of 

 the Delaware. The chinch bug is peculiary a 

 southern pest, very destructive to crops, and its or- 

 igin, habits and transformations, judging li'om the 

 little we have been able to find respecting it, does 

 not appear to be at all understood, even in those 

 districts where it is most prevalent. These dis- 

 tricts are what may be called the first table lands 

 of the south, or those lying between tide level 

 and the first ranges of highlands. It is described 

 as making its appearance in immense numbers in 

 the woods, from which it spreads in every direc- 

 tion, attacking indiscriminately wheat, corn, and 

 indeed the most of the cultivated grains and 

 grasses. No method as yet has been found efl^ectun! 

 to arrest their progress. Though provided with 

 wings, they rarelj' use them, but march forward 

 on the earth, feeding on whatever attracts them 

 during their progress. Their disappearance is as 

 sudden as their appearance, and apparently equall}' 

 involved in mystery. Aninvestigationof ihehab- 

 iis of this insect is well worthy the study of the 

 southern man of science, as its frequent appear- 

 ance, and the loss it occasions, render it a formi- 

 dable enemy to the farmers of the districts in which 

 it most prevails. The army worm is the name 

 given to the larva or caterpillar produced by some 

 one of the counfless fi^imily of the moths, though 

 what one, does not yei appear to have been ascer- 

 tained. It. has received its name from the num- 

 bers in which it appears, the seeming order and 

 regularity of its movements, and its destructive 

 voracity. Wherever it appears, and whichever 

 way the dense masses are directed, vegetation dis- 

 api)ears with astonishing celeritj'. Before, is the 

 garden of Eden; behind is a desolate wilderness. 

 The present season it has done much injury in 

 Illinois, parts of Indiana and Michigan; and a lew 



