1859. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



161 



CHESTBE COUNTY, PA., SOW^. 



The above is a fine representation of the Ches- 

 ter County Sow Mazurka, bred by Thomas 

 Wood, Esq., of Penningtonville, Pennsylvania, 

 and now owned by William A. White, of Lan- 

 caster, N. H. This breed is distinguished for 

 large size, rapid growth, early maturity and great 

 propensity to fatten ; remarkable, also, for beau- 

 ty and symmetry of form, and docile disposition. 

 No part of the farm economy better deserves at- 

 tention than that of swine, as they are manufac- 

 turers as well as producers. More attention 

 ought to be given to breeds, so as to secure those 

 that are symmetrical, of quiet dispositions, and 

 that will gain the largest weight upon the small- 

 est amount of food. See advertisement in an- 

 other column. 



sufficiently evident. It seems to be the inevita- 

 ble result of civilization, that the birds, the beau- 

 tiful feathered police of Nature, decrease, with 

 the march of its improvements ; and hence in pro- 

 portion as the land becomes more cultivated, the 

 insects, freed from their natural devourers, in- 

 crease in proportion, and the fruit-grower, obliged 

 to turn from one remedy to another, finds too of 

 ten, now inadequate the contrivances of man art 

 to effect the object. 



In order to understand how to apply the true 

 remedy, let us consider for a moment the habits 

 of the canker worm. Though the greater num- 

 ber of these ascend the tree about the middle of 

 March, they emerge from the ground during 

 the open weather of every month of winter, and 

 of these the largest proportion are females. Hav- 

 ing reached some suitable crevice or twig on the 

 tree, each female lays from 80 to 100 eggs, and 

 covering them with a glue impervious to water, 

 dies. In the month of June these eggs hatch, 

 and the young canker worm soon destroy every 

 green leaf on the tree. The great desideratum, it 

 Few persons are aware, perhaps, of the extent is plain, must be to prevent the worm from get- 

 of the ravages made by the canker worm, and ting up the tree. 



other insects, upon the orchards of New England. A contrivance of Wm. W. Taylor, Esq., of 

 In Massachusets a'one, there are estim ited to be South Dartmouth, meets the object better, in my 

 no less than one liui.lred different varieties of opinion, than any contrivance hitherto devised by 

 the class Geometni', (to which the canker worm the ingenuity of man. It consists oi a simple 

 belongs,) according to T. W. Harris. The a])ple circular cup of iron, cast in two semi-circular sec- 

 tree suffers most from these worms, but the cher- tions, so as to be easily screwed tightly together, 

 ry, the plum, lime and elm trees, are often the Between the cup and the tree, a packing is placed 

 subjects of their devastating attacks. The nu- of sea-weed, straw, cotton waste or any other suit- 

 merous pomological societies which have sprung able material impervious to insects, but not so 

 up within a short time are proofs of the increased to water ; over the cup is place*!, ata distance of 

 interest which the culture of fruit is demanding two inches, a screen, or roof projecting a little be- 

 from the farmers of New England ; and when we yond the outer circumference. The cup is then 

 consider the fact that 50,000 bbls. of apples were filled with bitter water, which will not freeze in 

 recently shipped from Boston in a single month, any temperature, and is delequescent, (absorbing 

 the importance of staying the pest which more moisture from the atmosi)here.) It has also the 

 than any other has hitherto made the profits of advantage of being far cheaper than oil, or any of 

 fruit p-rowing insecure and hazardous, becomes, the substances heretofore used in contrivances 



For the New England Farmer. 

 CAWKEK WORMS. 



