NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



301 



it is rather of a drab color, but when very white 

 of a i-eddish cast, quite sweet, and with a very 

 white aroma. I have never known it mildew, 

 which most of the white varieties are apt to do. 

 The fruit is much larger on the cultivated than on 

 the old stock, but it does not get its full flavor till 

 the vines have borne two or three years, or till 

 the roots get strong. It is perfectly hardy in our 

 climate, and usually stops growing about the first 

 of September. The fruit ripens about the middle 

 of the month in common seasons, and will keep 

 for some time. It is a good bearer : a neighbor 

 has a vine about ten years old, (a layer from the 

 old vine,) which for the last two years has borne 

 more than three bushels each year of very fine 

 fruit. When planted on the south side of a build- 

 ing, it frequently ripens a week earlier. They are 

 now scattered through the whole of New England, 

 and one lot in New York. About two years ago 

 I planted some small vines on a high, dry knoll in 

 the open field to test their growing on high, dry 

 ground, and I have/never seen any grow better. 

 Whenever I have s<5nt the fruit as a specimen, it 

 has invariably given perfect satisfaction ; and 

 should it prove adapted to the wants of the peo- 

 ple, I shall feel myself richly rewarded for my 

 trouble. — Plow, Loom and Anvil. 



For the Neiv England Farmer. 



HOW TO PRESERVE VINES FROM 

 BUGS. 



Mr. Editor : — As the season has arrived when 

 bugs commence their depredations upon squash, 

 pumpkin, cucumber, and sometimes other vines, 

 perhaps some of your numerous readers would 

 like to hear of a simple way to prevent this evil. 

 Two years ago, I planted a piece of ground with 

 vines, of the kinds above mentioned ; they came 

 up and began to look quite flourishing, but sud- 

 denly the bugs commenced operations upon them 

 in good earnest. The bags were of two kinds ; 

 mostly very small, striped with black and yellow, 

 and a few large black ones, commonly called 

 "pumpkin bugs." 



I showered the vines several times with soap 

 suds, but it seemed to do very little good. I 

 then tried the effect of common ivood ashes. Af- 

 ter wetting the vines (if they were dry,) the 

 ashes were sprinkled upon them until the leaves 

 were covered. 



Unless there was considerable rain, or very 

 high winds, the ashes would adhere several days, 

 and when it had fallen off, if the bugs had re- 

 turned, the vines were sprinkled again in the same 

 manner as before. This was repeated as occa- 

 sion required, until the vines were too large to be 

 seriously injured by their enemies. The bugs 

 were completely frustrated in their designs, and 

 the ashes did not injure the vines in the least. 



I applied ashes to my vines last year in the 

 same manner, with like success, and have com- 

 menced doing the same this year, and I have no 

 doubt the effect will be the same. Bugs are the 

 most numerous in warm dry weather, and there- 

 fore the vines, at such times, should be looked 

 to the more frequently. Yours, &c, s. d. w. 



Groton, June 16, 1852. 



Ei^ Mechanics should ever remember that punc- 

 tuality is the life of trade. 



For the I\'ew England Farmer. 

 POTASH WATER FOR TREES. 



BY M. M. COFFIN. 



Messrs. Editors : — Much is said at the present 

 time in many of our public journals, recommending 

 a solution of potash in water as a wash for fruit 

 trees. The recipes given vary somewhat, but the 

 most common is, "a pound of potash to a gallon 

 of water." 



Mr. JonN Baciielder, of this town, on Satur- 

 day, the 5th inst., applied a wash as above direct- 

 ed — except adding a slight sprinkling of rye meal, 

 to a fine thrifty orchard of his, consisting of one 

 hundred and six Baldwin trees. On the following 

 Monday he found, to his perfect astonishment, that 

 he had completely killed his trees with this act of 

 kindness. The bark of the trees above ground 

 was crisped and the wood thoroughly saturated 

 to the pith. 



Some of our most distinguished orchardists have 

 viewed the premises and are surprised at the re- 

 sult, whilst all must regard it as an unfortunate 

 occurrence, a pecuniary loss to Mr. B., and a fact 

 worth knowing. 



From this the important question arises, was it 

 simply the addition of rye meal that made the 

 wash so destructive, or is there danger of making 

 it too strong? We are of the opinion that a 

 wash of potash and water alone, made as here di- 

 rected, and applied to trees at this season of the 

 year — that is to say, trees whose bark is thin and 

 free from moss — will kill them. 



Yours for the benefit of whom it may concern, 



Hampton Falls, June 14, 1852. m. m. c. 



Remarks. — We thank friend Coffin for his com- 

 munication ; it will be the means of saving many 

 an orchard from the fate which Mr. Batchelder's 

 has met. No recommendation to use the strong 

 potash water for trees can be found in the columns 

 of the New England Farmer. On the contrary, 

 we have given recipes which we know to be valu- 

 able, and might be used even in unskilful and 

 (•areless hands, without danger of destroying the 

 trees. We have been shown trees repeatedly, 

 washed with potash water of even less strength 

 than "one pound to a gallon," where the effect 

 was just what you describe it to be on Mr. Batch- 

 elder's trees. That potash water of the strength 

 used on Mr. B.'s trees has been used many times 

 with impunity, we do not doubt ; and that it some- 

 times destroys them is well known. The best way, 

 therefore, is not to use it of a greater strength 

 than one pound of potash to two and a half gal- 

 lons of water for young trees, and a gallon and a 

 half or two gallons for old trees. 



It is no small loss in time and money to have an 

 orchard thus summarily ruined, and knowing the 

 caustic power of potash, we have been extremely 

 careful in recommending its use. Although pot- 

 ash water is highly recommended by some, we 

 never use it, but use strong soap suds made of 

 common soft soap and find all the advantages from 

 it which we have expected to derive from any 

 wash. 



