224 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



May 



the antenna; are feathered, and the thorax is very 

 hairy ; they expand frona one and one-quarter to 

 one and one-half inches. 



There are four states in which these destruc- 

 tive insects may be killed. First, in the egg, by 

 crushing the band of eggs, but as the eggs are 

 small, this cannot be practiced to any great ex- 

 tent. Secondly in the caterpillar. Various meas- 

 ures have been advised to remove these pests, but 

 the best that I have tried is to brush them off by 

 means of a conical brush made for the purpose, 

 and then crush them ; this should be used early in 

 the morning, at noon, or at night, for the cater- 

 pillars are out in the forenoon and afternoon 

 only. Thirdly, in the chrysalis; this is easyi 

 enough, for when you find a cocoon, crush it;] 

 they are seen very plenty under tops of fences, 

 and on buildings under the thick part of the 

 shingles or clapboards. Fourthly, in the moth ; 

 the best way to kill them in this state is to build 

 fires, in the places infested by them, in July, be- 

 fore they lay their eggs, for they will fly into the 

 fire and get burned. 



How they would disappear if every person 

 killed every caterpillar he saw crawling on the 

 ground, or every cocoon he saw sticking to a 

 fence or building ! 



Carleton a. Shurtleff. 



Brookline, Mass., 1859. 



SUPERPHOSPHATE OP LIMB FOR 

 TRANSPLANTING TREES, 



Phosphoric acid possesses a very great and re- 

 markable influence on the development of roots, 

 causing plants to throw them out with unusual j 

 vigor ; we do not know of any very satisfactory | 

 explanation of this phenomenon, either chemical j 

 or physiological, but of the fact itself there | 

 seems to be no doubt. The most convenient 

 mode of employing this substance is in the form 

 of superphosphate of lime, as it is called, that is 

 to say, a mixture of oil of vitriol and burnt 

 bones. This compound, which is rich in phos- 

 phoric acid in a soluble state, may be readily 

 mixed wiih a little dry mould ; it then forms a 

 most valuable aid to the planter. Superphos- 

 phate of lime, is, therefore, a very valuable fer- 

 tilizer in the hands of the planter; but in using 

 it he must always remember that as his plants 

 must necessarily absorb the whole or the great- 

 er part of the soluble manure which he gives 

 them he must take care not to give them too 

 much. He must not suppose that if one hand- 

 ful will do good, therefore ten handfuls will do 

 more ; it is very easy to give too much, and 

 plants, like animals, may equally be injured by 

 overfeeding or by starvation. — Prof. Lindley. 



BUCKWHEAT AS FOOD. 



M. Isidore Pierre has recently been making 

 some investigations on buckwheat, from which 

 is condensed the following interesting results:— 

 Buckwheat cakes are equal to pure white bread 

 as regards the phosphates or bone-making mate- 

 rial, and nitrogenous principles which they con- 

 tain, and are superior to bread in fatty matters. 

 The general yield of buckwheat when cooked is 

 about three times the weight of the flour used, 

 showing that such flour will retain forty to forty- 



one per cent, of water. Between different batches 

 of ground buckwheat is a great dissimilaiity of 

 composition — one batch containing nearly sev- 

 enteen times as much nitrogen, twenty-five times 

 as much fatty matter, as another. The bran is 

 the richest portion of the buckwheat, but cannot 

 be digested by weak stomachs. The finest qual 

 ities of buckwheat flour, and the white mill dust, 

 especially, are very suitable for children and per- 

 sons in delicate health, while the coarser varie- 

 ties require a strong stomach and much exercise 

 for their perfect digestion. — Rural New-Yorker. 



HARDY NATIVE FLOWERS. 

 Among the most beautiful wild flowers that 

 grace our meadows in summer with its unrivalled 

 1 scarlet blossoms, is the Lohella cardiiiaJis, some- 

 times called the Pride of America. This plant is 

 found generally on the borders of our brooks and 

 wet meadows, and it seems to be almost the only 

 plant, with the exception of the Podophylhim 

 peltatum, or May apple, that will thrive equally 

 well in our gardens. The Geradias, another 

 beautiful genus, of which there are four or five 

 species, on the contrary, are extremely difficult 

 to raise in our gardens, either from the root or 

 seed, while the Asdepias tuberosa, or orange 

 colored Milk Weed, the most showy variety of 

 that genus, will grow quite as well when trans- 

 planted to our gardens, as in its native woods. 

 The Eepaiica triloba, or Liverwort ; the varie- 

 ties of Viola or Pansy ; Ihjpoxis ereda, or Star 

 of Bethlehem ; Sanguinaria canadensis, or 

 Blood Root ; Anemone nemorosa, or Wood An- 

 emone, are of easy culture. Many of them will 

 improve in size and beauty under cultivation. 

 I They are as showy as many foreign varieties for 

 , which high prices are paid. These will all thrive, 

 if placed in moist soil, or in a half-shady part of 

 the garden. 



THE MILK TRADE. 

 The Committee on Agriculture in our Legisla- 

 ture has reported a bill in relation to the pur- 

 chase, sale and measurement of milk. The bill is 

 a fair one, and if passed, will tend to correct a 

 good deal of corruption in the business, establish 

 the measure so that every body may know what 

 a quart or a gallon is, and greatly promote the 

 chances for the people in the cities to get pure 

 milk and just measure. We trust our friends 

 will attend to this matter now, and place before 

 their members of the Legislature, all the facts 

 ihey may possess, to enable them to show why 

 the bill should be passed. The opposition to the 

 bill comes from the milk-venders, who now pur- 

 chase seven or eight quarts and sell it for ten — to 

 say nothing of water added. Milk raisers in the 

 country have no time to lose in attending to the 

 matter— it is one of great importance, and should 

 receive prompt and energetic attention. 



