NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



27 



For the Neiu England Farmer. 

 INSECTS— ORCHARDS— HENS. 



BY WM. D. BROWN. 



Mr. Brown : — I have just read over again 

 Downing's article in the July Horticulturist, "A 

 few woids on Fruit Culture." 



He says, "The multiplication of insects seems 

 more rapid, if possible, than that of gardens or 

 orchards in this country. Everywhere the culture 

 of fruit appears the easiest possible matter, and so 

 it would be, were it not for some insect pest that 

 stands ready to destroy." This is true; and it is 

 the greatest drawback the fruit culturist has to en- 

 counter. 



I heard Professor Agassiz deliver a lecture upon 

 injurious insects, a few weeks since. He says that 

 there is a great deficiency of accurate knowledge 

 yet on the subject. He urged that the pupils in 

 our common schools might be profitably instructed 

 concerning injurious insects. He would have 

 specimens for the teachers to exhibit and describe. 



I am no advocate for any further addition to the 

 numerous studies already pursued in our schools, 

 but this suggestion of Professor Agassiz seemed 

 eminently practical. A little attention on the part 

 of the teacher would enable him to point out occa- 

 sionally to his elder pupils much that would aid 

 them in checking the ravages of these enemies. 

 He might train their eyes to look over a young 

 orchard after the fall of the leaf, or before the buds 

 opened in spring, to detect the glazed clusters of 

 caterpillars, all ready to swell up into devouring 

 colonies. He should tell them that every "nest" 

 which appeared afterwards, should be demolished 

 early in the season and early in the day. I would 

 have him almost eloquent upon the folly — yes, 

 worse than that — upon the criminality of allowing 

 those nests to mature. 



I recollect well the pleasure with which I looked 

 upon a long row of apple trees in a neighboring 

 town, some years ago. A few years after, I saw 

 those trees again. Some were almost white with 

 caterpillar's nests, and barren enough of leaves for 

 pigeon stands. The owner, it seemed, had aban- 

 doned them to the worms I thought before I 

 would do so, I would serve them as you know the 

 Dutchman did his grain-stacks, to rid them of the 

 pesky rats — set them on fire ! 



I was in a store in this town, once, when a wor- 

 thy citizen entered and said, "What's Mr. 's 



first name ?" 



"My good sir," said the clerk, "can't you see 

 it on his sign?" 



"0 ! I beg your pardon," replied the old gentle- 

 man, "I never look so highzs that." 



Now if the caterpillars should happen to get in- 

 to his orchard, wouldn't they have a "time ?" 



I think, sir, the swarming myriads of insects de- 

 mand our utmost vigilance. It wont do for a man 

 to walk among his trees without his "head up," 

 high enough, too, to see any "sign" of unprofita- 

 ble marauders. 



It is a generally admitted fact that insects, such 

 as often prey on apple trees, derive important "aid 

 and comfort" from the ground about the trunk. 

 Their propagation and concealment is assisted by 

 an annual deposit of unadulterated stable manure. 

 Now if the ground were to be cultivated over the 

 whole orchard, and the manure applied broadcast, 

 the hens and chickens would destroy a multitude of 



insects during the summer. Hens and swine have 

 been confined under plum trees with excellent suc- 

 cess. No other course, has, as yet, troubled the 

 curculios very much. 



If the orchard is near home, and it is worth 

 most there, the hens will enjoy their daily search 

 under the trees. If the ground is cultivated, and 

 kept mellow, you will have the full benefit of their 

 investigations. 



About three years ago, I began to keep hens in 

 my nursery. Whenever the cultivator or plow 

 was started, the fowls were found in the wake, 

 and the way they raked out the worms would sur- ' 

 prise one not accustomed to the sight. I have 

 seen a hen ("with yellow legs") swallow sixty- 

 one grubs in an hour. I would not undertake to 

 get through a single summer without my hens and 

 chickens among the young, as well as old trees. 



Downing recommends bonfires on June evenings 

 to destroy the millers. I generally give them the 

 full benefit of my collected trimmings. The blaze 

 sometimes scorches their wings, but the hens take 

 wings, legs, bodies and all. 



You see, sir, I don't believe in keeping the poul- 

 try upon the doorstep. Just give the hens a chance 

 to scratch, and, if they are anything near the good 

 old native breed for enterprise, depend upon it the 

 legs will fly. Respectfully yours, w. d. b. 



Concord, Mass., Dec. 5, 1851. 



HEAVES IN HO £ES. 



It has often been remarked to us that the disease 

 in horses called "heaves" is more prevalent now 

 than it was formerly. We cannot say whether it 

 is a fact that there are more horses troubled with 

 this disorder than there used to be, or whether, as 

 there are more horses now in existence, there are 

 consequently more seen troubled in this way, while 

 the comparative number of diseased ones may be 

 the same. We have never been fully satisfied in 

 regard to the real cause of this disease, or the real 

 seat of it. Every one, however, can soon distin- 

 guish the symptoms. It consists in a difficulty of 

 breathing, — the flanks or respiratory muscles seem 

 to do the whole work, and that, too, very labori- 

 ously. The air is drawn into the lungs when the 

 muscles at the flanks begin to draw in as if push- 

 ing out the breath, and after pressing in witli a 

 good deal of action, they drop suddenly as if a catch 

 or spring had let go of them, and they fall by their 

 own weight. There is also a dry hacking cough 

 attending the disease, and on driving the horse 

 quick, the cough is often excited, and this labori- 

 ous breathing is brought on very severely. This 

 would seem to fix the seat of the disease in the 

 lungs. We have noticed, however, that heavey 

 horses, as they are called, are generally enormous 

 eaters, and if suffered to eat as much as they want, 

 will fill their stomachs to' a most uncomfortable ex- 

 tent, and when thus distended, are much worse 

 troubled than when sparingly fed. Many causes 

 have been alleged as producing this prevalence — 

 such as feeding more freely on clover hay than for- 

 merly—dusty hay, caused by the smother of the 

 modern horse-power threshing-machine, in barns 

 where hay is kept, &c. &c. It would seem, from 

 the fact of an increased or morbid appetite in the 

 horse, that the stomach has also taken on diseased 

 action. 



Various remedies have been proposed, and some 

 of them relieve or palliate the disease for a time. 



