110 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BO-.3TON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCT. 1C, 1S33 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER, 



OCTOBER 16, 1833: 



CATERPILLARS. 



Thds. G. Fessenden, Esq. — Sir, Having had 

 an opportunity for the first time the past season 

 (having always resided in the city) to observe the 

 movements and operations of the various insects 

 that infest and injure the fruit trees — my curiosity 

 and attention was called more particularly to the 

 Caterpillar, having seen a great deal respecting 

 them in your paper. Several apple trees are situ- 

 ated near my house, so that I had a fair chance to 

 watch them. I found in dull, cool, wet mornings, 

 they were generally all at home: I thought that a 

 good time to try my experiment. On a tree in 

 front of my window, on a lower limb, was a large 

 nept, containing thousands of caterpillars: I thought 

 I would try if I could prevent their intercourse 

 with tiie other parts of the tree, thinking if I could 

 it might lead to something more important : I am 

 happy to say I did succeed, and stopt them. The 

 experiment was as follows : viz. with India rubber 

 dissolved in spirits of turpentine, about as thick as 

 common paint, I made a circle round the limb on 

 which the nest was, near the body of the tree, 

 about half an inch wide, with a small brush, on 

 which I sifted from a common pepper box flour of 

 sulphur, pretty thick. I then disturbed them in 

 the nest to see the effect. They came to the sul- 

 phur, and halted much quicker than many soldiers 

 I have seen at the word of command — but did not 

 march over the line, but retreated as quick as pos- 

 sible. I watched them for some time, and did not 

 see one cross the sulphur. The nest is now on 

 the limb with the remains of the starved caterpil- 

 lars ; the foliage is entirely dead. The other part 

 of the tree is in good health, and bearing: one of 

 the apples I herewith send you. 



I am yours, respectfully, Wm. Howe. 



Dorchester, Sept. 1833. 



By the Editor. We are always right glad to re- 

 ceive notices of experiments of the kind mentioned 

 above. But, as " one swallow makes no summer," 

 one experiment cannot be deemed conclusive in 

 matters relating to rural economy, &c. In the N. 

 E. Farmer, vol. i, p. 379, we republished from the 

 second vol. of the Memoirs of the Board of Agri- 

 culture, an article attributed to George Webster of 

 Albany, in which it is asserted, in substance, that 

 on boring a hole into a tree infested with caterpil- 

 lars, or other insects of any sort, filling the hole 

 with sulphur, and driving a plug to confine the 

 sulphur, the insects would perish or leave the tree 

 iu forty-eight hours. This experiment, however, 

 was tried by Dr. Thacher, and " A Brookline Far- 

 mer," [see New England Farmer, vol. ii. p. 370, 

 and 377] but without producing any perceptible 

 effect. Dr. Thacher's experiments were as fol- 

 lows : 



" Early in May, when caterpillars had attained to 

 about one third their natural size, I selected a nest 

 on the branch of an apple tree, and eight feet be- 

 low the nest I bored a hole about two-thirds 

 through the main branch, beiug about 5 inches, 

 into which I crowded more than a spoonful of flour 

 of sulphur, and plugged up the hole. In 48 

 hours after, I visited the object of my curiosity, 

 and found that not a single reptile had received its 

 quietus. Heft them to the influence of the drug 

 four days longer when finding the whole hive in 

 their active gambols, increasing in sizo in defiance 



of my experiment, I opened the nest and despatch 

 ed the inhabitants. A few days after I observed 

 that a new nest had been constructed on the same 

 branch by a few of the tribe, which had escaped 

 my vigilance. In about 16 days I bored out the 

 plug and found the sulphur not diminished iu 

 quantity, hut rather increased in its odour by con- 

 finement. As the result of this experiment did 

 not diminish my incredulity, I selected another 

 nest, which I opened and filled with sulphur; anil 

 having wrapped a covering of paper round the 

 nest to confine the insects, I left them completely 

 enveloped and exposed to the noxious drug for 

 about twenty four hours, when finding them in the 

 enjoyment of perfect health and vigor, I subject- 

 ed them to the fumes of burning sulphur, to which 

 they did not yield until scorched by the blaze. 

 This closed my experiments and confirmed my 

 scepticism." 



It is probable that the spirits of turpentine might 

 be more obnoxious to insects than sulphur, and 

 with the India rubber to give it consistency might 

 form a temporary barrier to the progress of cater- 

 pillars. But, perhaps it would he easier to take 

 them by storm iu their citadel than to draw a line 

 of circumvallation round their head quarters. A 

 very few drops of spirits of turpentine, or of com- 

 mon fish oil, or a mixture of both, or strong soap 

 suds introduced into a nest by a rag fastened to a 

 pole and wet with those substances ; or the use of 

 the well known brush of Col. Pickering, afford 

 short and complete modes of destroying caterpil- 

 lars. Some say, however, that a sprinkling with 

 a decoction of tobacco, from a syringe or water 

 pot, is the best application for the purpose above 

 mentioned. 



el and a half yearly, since which the fruit has as- 

 sumed a new color, become much larger, as you 

 can perceive by tin: one inclosed in white paper; 

 which is about the average size of their former 

 growth. 



The quantity of fruit the tree now yields is more 

 than double that of former years, all "which can be- 

 satisfactorily attested. Yours, &c. most respect- 

 n,ll .v, Joh.n S. Chamb?net. 



Mington, Oct. 10, 1833. 



SPORT OF NATURE. 



Mr. Nathaniel S. Bennett of Framingham, Mass. 

 has sent us a small box, containing clusters of Isa- 

 bella Grapes, in which some grapes are ripe and 

 edible, others blasted, and some green, appearing 

 to be about half grown. Mr. B. wishes me to tell 

 if I can " why nature should be so unnatural as to 

 destroy much of its first progeny that might have 

 been worth something, and then send outso many 

 of those late worthless berries as you see on those 

 I send you, and that without any blossoms?" 



We are not able to account for this departure 

 from the common law of vegetation. Perhaps the 

 first crop was blasted by east winds, frost or in- 

 sects, and the second crop was the consequence 

 of an effort of nature at reproduction, similar to 

 that which causes the second growth of the young 

 plants of Indian corn, after a frost, which has cut 

 them down to the surface of the ground. AVith 

 regard to the Second growth not being preceded 

 by blossoms, there is, perhaps, something analo- 

 gous in the produce of certain insects, such as the 

 Aphis for example, in which naturalists tell us 

 that one impregnation will serve for several suc- 

 cessive generations. 



For the New England Fanner. 

 ASHES APPLIED TO PEAR TREES. 



Respected Sir, — I have enclosed in a small pack- 

 age a sample of Pears, should you deeln them wor- 

 thy of acceptance; although the name and species 

 is not known with us. 



About three years since, I commenced digging 

 around and removing the earth and tough sward 

 from the body of the tree; filliug up with fresh 

 ashes, applying it in fall and winter, about a bush- 



ITEMS OF INTELLIGENCE. 



Cattle Show, fyc. The Annual Exhibition and Cattle 

 Show, of the Plymouth County Agricultural Society, 

 took, place at Bridgcwater, on Wednesday last, and, al- 

 though the morning showed strong symptoms of a very 

 unfavorable day, yet, we thought, the collection of peo- 

 ple was unusually great. The number and appearance 

 of the stock in the pens was respectable, and we were 

 told that this part of the exhibition was equal to that of 

 any former year. In the hall of manufactures, were 

 many articles of the nicest needlework, network, &c. 

 We were told by the committee, that the manufactures 

 were fewer in number, but equal in quality, to those of 

 former years. At ten o'clock, a choice of officers took 

 place, and generally those of the last year were re-elect- 

 ed. At one o'clock, the Society set down to a substan- 

 tial Farmer's dinner, at Sampson's Hotel, after which 

 they proceeded to the meeting house, where they listen- 

 ed to a very excellent, practical and appropriate address 

 from the Rev. Joseph Richardson, of Hingham. Ply. 

 mouth Memorial. 



Temperance. The first association for abstinence from 

 ardent spirits that we have heard of, was formed at 

 Litchfield, Conn, on the 9th of May, 1769, and consist- 

 ed of thirty-four members, eleven of whom are now liv- 

 ing. 



The next Temperance Society was established at Mo- 

 reau and Northumberland, Saratoga county, N. T. in 

 1808. Fines were provided of 25 cents, for drinking ar- 

 dent spirits and wine, 25 for offering them to others, and 

 50 for being intoxicated. This Society consisted of for- 

 ty-three members, nearly all of whom are living.— Sa- 

 lem Ohserver. 



Black Hawk. Found, 20 feet below the surface of the 

 earth, at Portsmouth, Virginia, while boring for water, 

 a silver coin, the size of an English shilling. The effi- 

 gies are prominent, and one of the profiles resembles 

 Black Hawk, and probably represents one of his ances- 

 tors. The inscription is in Roman letters, but indistinct. 

 On the reverse side is the figure of a warrior bare-head- 

 ed, holding a spear, and in the attitude of coming to the 

 charge. No one can tell the age oi this coin, or the cir- 

 cumstances of its deep deposit. 



The total number of sheep in Vermont, according to 

 the returns in the Secretary of State's office were for the 

 year 1831, 7C0,o07, for 1832, 805,4(1!). The increase is 

 less than 6 per cent. — Vermont Intelligencer. 



As every individual is interested in making his return 

 as small as possible, the whole number of sheep in the 

 state, is not probably less than one million.— Brattlcbo- 

 rough Inquirer. 



We have been presented with an apple taken from a 

 tree in this village, weighing seventeen ounces and 

 measuring fifteen inches in circumference. We under- 

 stand that one was taken from the 6ame tree which 

 weighed nineteen ounces — a little heavier, we believe 

 than any of which our Massachusetts neighbors have- 

 boasted. — Brattlcborovgh Messenger. 



Enormous Fruit. We examined a few days since, s 

 quantity of apples raised by Gov. Lincoln of the variety 

 called the " Gloria Mundi," which for size and beauty 



