NEW ENISLiANl> FARJf ER. 



Published by John B. RussEiL, at A'b. 63 Mrth Market Street, (at the Agricultural IVarehouse). — Thomas G. Fessenden, Editor. 



— 7* 



VOL. 



VII. 



iOK 



B OSTON, FR IDAY, APRIL 3, 1829. 



■■ 



No. 37. 



AGRICULTURE. 



sisted eye, it appears only as a red atom, but it is 

 furnished witli a pair of long whitish wings, long 

 antennaj or horns, 6 legs with appropriate joints, 

 and 2 filaments or bristles terminating the tail. — 

 This minute insect perforates the middle of the 

 case covering the female, and thus celebrates its 

 nuptials with its invisible partner." The rest of 

 the history may be gathered from what is known 

 of other species. After impregnation the female 

 deposits her eggs beneath her body, and dies ; and 

 the young Cocci, or lice, leave the shelter, under 

 wh.ch they were fostered, by. the natural crevice 

 at tlie posterior part of the shell which covers the 

 mrther. 



FOR THE HEW EflaLABD FARMER. 



ADDITIONAL REMARKS ON THE BARK- 

 LOUSE, OR COCCUS. 



Mr Fessenden — Agreeably to your intimation 

 I have examined the specimens sent you by Mr 

 Bartlett ; and offer the following remarks on those 

 in the ]uiper numbered 3. 



These are the insects which have been the sub- 

 ject of some speculation and queries in your Jour- 

 nal, and prove, as I have conjectured, to belong to 

 the genus Coccus, though a distinct species from 

 the oblong one of Perley. The insect itself was 

 new to me, but the figure was familiar, and I have, 

 for some time, been endeavoring to ascertain 

 where I had seen it. At last, in tlic Transactions 

 of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Stockholm, 

 for 1825, 1 have discovered a little memoir by the 

 naturalist Dahnan, with figures of several new 

 species, one of which greatly rfesembles that which 

 is before me. Dalman's memoir is, principally, jU 

 the Swedish language, and therefore unintelligibe 

 to me ; but the scientific part is in Latin, and fron 

 that with a reference to his figures, 1 propose !o 

 make some extracts, as tending to illustrate oir 

 insect, and proving it to be, at least, congenerc 

 and closely aUied, if not identical. 



The Swedish insect is called Coccus cryptoga- 

 mua ; the specific name being derived from tw) 



Greek words which signify concealed nuptials 



Dalraan observed the twigs of a kitid of Aspen D 

 be covered with numerous scales some of which 

 were larger than others ; the former were discov- 

 ered to be the habitations or pupa-cases of the fe- 

 males, and the latter those of the males. ■• The 

 case (puparium) of the female is of an irregular 

 ovate form, pointed at one end, and dilated at the 

 other, or similar in shape to our oyster-shell. It 

 is of a silky or membranous texture, of a whitish 

 color, with an oval dark speck at the pointed ex- 

 tremity. This dark portion is the cast-skin of the 

 former larva. Beneath tliis habitation the female 

 resides, and from it never emerges j" she is there- 

 fore entirely concealed from her mate, a fact which 

 is equally true in other species, as has been previ- 

 ously intimated. " The female herself is minute, 

 of an oval form, wrinkled at the sides, flattened 

 above, of a yellowish red color, with a pair of 

 black eyes, and a proboscis" apparently one-third 

 the length of the body. The feet are not discov- 

 erable. "The proboscis is constantly inserted [imperfect and dead specimens of the puparia) must 

 into the bark, and through it the sap, which nour- ! determine or disprove its identity with the Swedish 

 iahes her, is imbibed. The puparium of the male j species. Those gentlemen who are familiar with 

 is of similar color and material with that of the fe- our species, will readily perceive the close resem- 

 male, but much smaller, very narrow, and oblong, j blance, and, I hope, will excuse the attempt to ex- 

 and surmounted at one end by the oval shell of i plain one by reference to the other. 



Fig. 1. A piece of Aspen twig with the habita- 

 tions or puparia of Coccus cryptogamus, of the 

 natural size. 



2. Puparium of the female magnified, bearing 

 the shell of the larva at its apex. 



3. Puparium of the male magnified. 



4. Female magnified. The line in the circle 

 above shows the actual length. 



5 & 6. Male magnified. The cross in the cir- 

 cle represents the natural size of the male with 

 the wings expanded. 



It will be distinctly recollected that I do not as- 

 sert the insect, mentioned by your correspondents 

 M., Judge Buel, Mr Bartlett, and others, to be the 

 Coccus cryptogamus of Dalman : further observa- 

 tion of the American insect (which is now for the 

 first time known to me, and that only from a few 



the larva. The metamorphosis takes place under 

 this case, and on the 17th of July the perfect male 

 escapes at the posterior end, coming out back- 

 wards ; the wings, with which it is famished, are 

 reversed over the head in the operation, and are 

 the last to be extricated." The male is nearly as 

 minute a&a point, but a powerful magnifier shows 

 its body to be divided into segments, and endued 

 with all the important parts and functions of a 

 liTlng anltnal. Dalman says that, ' to the unas- 



The extent to which the punctures of these mi- 

 nute insects affect the color of the bark and albur- 

 num, corroborates the suggestions which have fre- 

 quently been made on the poisonous influence ex- 

 erted by larger insects on our Tegetable produc- 

 tions, and which is somewhat exemplified by the 

 effects, on the human subject, of the biles, stings, 

 and punctures of bees, wasps, musquitoes, spiders, 

 and scorpions. By a law of nature, when an im- 

 portant end in the economy of the insect is Jo be 



attained, as in providing for a succession of tho 

 species, the effijct is much greater than where tho 

 injury is inflicted merely by organs furnished for 

 self defence or temporary nourishment. 



Yours, &c. T. W. H. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



SELECTIONS OF NOTICES OP THE NEW 

 VARIETIES OF TABLE PEARS. 



(Continued from page 283.J 

 In the year 1820 the following pears were pro. 

 scnted to, tasted, and examined by the Council of 

 the London Horticultural Society, and the follow, 

 ing notices inserted in their Transactions, vol. i7. 

 part iv. 



1. Marie I/ttiise. " This pear (says the Editor) 

 has far exceeded the highest ex[)ectations formed 

 of it. Its geteral form is like that of the St Ger» 

 main, but tapering less towards the stalk. The 

 skin is of a gieenish yellow, deepening when ex- 

 posed to the sun, or when full ripe to a rich yel» 

 low, clouded with light brown russet. Flesh in- 

 clining to yellow, perfectly melting, with abun- 

 dance of sweet juice. It is in favorable situations 

 sometimes five inches long, and three inches wide, 

 weighing 8 ounees. Its period of maturity from 

 the middle cf October to the middle of November. 

 It is a new seedhng Flemish pear, said to have 

 been raised by the Abbe Duquesne, who alsp 

 raised the Ntpoleon. 



[The desciiption is so minute, that any persons 

 can readily krovv whether any pear which they 

 may have received for that, be the same or not 

 Persons, who i.nay have fruit under that nama, 

 which shall differ essentially from the above, aro 

 earnestly requested to give notice of it, and of the 

 differences, and to state from whom they received 

 the trees or grafts. This is the only mode by 

 which the introduction of false names can be pre- 

 vented. Already great confusion has taken place 

 in Europe as to these pears of recent production, 

 although the eyes of scientific horticulturists have 

 been constantly upon them. Thus for example, 

 the Napoleon has, by some heedless person, beett 

 called L' Empereur, and it now appears in some 

 catalogues as two different pears. — J. Lowell.] 



2. Charles Z>' Autriche pear — received from Db 

 Van Mons. This is a large variety, three inches 

 and a half by three inches. Stalk an inch long — 

 eye in a confined cavity not deeply sunk. Skin 

 greenish yellow, profusely sprinkled with brown 

 spots, and partially russeted. Flesh melting,white 

 — very juicy, with a rich high flavor, but with httla 

 or any perfume ; a beautiful and fine fruit. Period 

 of maturity about the middle of November. Mb 

 Knight thinks it will be prculuctive. [Remarks— 

 By russeted is meant a roughness such as is seei» 

 in the Russeting apple and the Monsieur Jean.— 

 By perfume, as distinguished from flavor, is meanj 

 the peculiar aroma, which is perceived in the 

 Seckle — the Gibson, or Amory — and eminently in 

 the Moor Fowl Egg, or Echasserie.] 



3. Tillington. 3. A. Knight, Esq. sent speci-. 

 mens of a pear raised from a seed of the autumn 

 Bergomotte, impregnated with the pollen of th» 

 Jargonelle. It is the size and shape of the Doy- 

 enne Oris, but was rounded at the head. Stalk 



