VOX,. XII. NO. 45. 



AND HORTICULTURAL JOURNAL. 



36.5 



L.OCUSTS. 



!t appears that the seven teep-year Locusts (J i- 

 cada, septemdecim) are to pay their periodical visit 



this year. It has been ascertained that the insect 

 appears, periodically^ once in seventeen years, ami 

 in the spring pf the year. They were observed 

 in this country at the stated intervals (Voir) L749 to 

 1817. Apprehensions are expressed that they will 

 commit great ravages, ami it is asserted that more 

 than once, when they visiied some parts of New 

 England, they not only ate up all the grass in the 

 fields, hut actually attacked clothing and fences to 

 appease their insatiable hunger. But the Encyclo- 

 paedia Americana informs us that they are in no 

 way injurious to vegetation, except from the dam- 

 age done by the female in depositing her eggs — 

 while the insect is itself the favorite food of various 



animals, ami in this way may he turned to g I 



account. Hogs devour them eagerly, and some of 

 the larger lards are fond of them. The Indians 

 consider them a delicate food when fried. In New 

 Jersey they have been converted into soap. 



In various parts of the world, from time imme- 

 morial, these insects have been used as food for 

 human beings. For this purpose, in some coun- 

 tries, they are caught in nets, and when a sufficient 

 number is procured, they are roasted over a slow 

 fire, in an earthen vessel, till the wings and legs 

 drop from them ; when thus prepared they are said 

 to taste like craw-fish. The locust constituted a 

 common food among the Jews, and Moses (Levit. 

 xi, v. 22,) has specified the different kinds which 

 they were permitted to eat. 



It has been disputed, however, whether the food 

 of John the Baptist, in the wilderness, was the in- 

 sect locust, or a fruit of the same name. — .V. 1. 

 Farmer. 



From tlie Noriliern Fanner. 

 GRAFTING. 



The usual mode is to rut off" the stock, limb, or 

 whatever is to be grafted, pare the stump, split it, 

 and prepare a scion by forming the butt of it wedg- 

 ing, to suit the split, having care that the part that 

 sets in the rind of the stump is thickest. .1 will 

 notice a misconception here. The idea is, that the 

 two barks take first ; nay, that the bark is all that 

 unites ; that as long as the two harks fail to unite, 

 the scion must fail to start. This is not a fact : it 

 is the circulation of the sap in the wood that sup- 

 ports the scion, while there is little or none in the 

 hark. Try the experiment on any tree : by beat- 

 ing off its bark you can start no sap. Cut a little 

 into the wood, and the sap will immediately flow: 

 hence it is, the grains of both woods being equally 

 open, that the flow of the sap in the stump passes 

 into the scion, and the air being kept out, that the 

 scion is supported. Thus it is necessary that the 

 scion be taken down equally on both edges, so as 

 to come in complete contact with the stump. It 

 may be observed, that the two barks never unite 

 until the scion is swollen, and often full leaved. 

 The bark inevitably shrinks and dies at the wound 

 on the outside, and grows anew before they can 

 unite. The idea that the wood does not unite is 

 erroneous. 1 have examined them, and have found 

 that both the wood of the scion and the inoculated 

 bud early and closely unite. Thus it is necessary 

 that the two woods be placed fairly together in 

 both cases. I have a new method, to me, of graft- 

 ing ; that is, to take away the earth from around 

 the stock, make an incision near the root, with a 

 sharp knife, downward, inclining a little in, so 



that the lower part will be a little within the hark. 

 I take a scion, and slope it from one to one and a 

 half inches, wholly on one side, bringing it per- 

 fectly to a point, having care not to start the bark. 

 I then take a little of the outside bark from the 

 back side of the lower end of the scion, leaving it 

 a little wedging at the extreme point. ]n this 

 form I thrust my scion fairly to the bottom of the 

 incision, and then bring it snug to the stock, bind- 

 ing it with coarse strong yarn. 1 then replace the 

 earth, covering the whole a lew inches, with noth- 

 ing more applied, leaving the scion out in propor- 

 tion to the length you may choose to have it. As 

 this was an experiment with me, I varied much in 

 the length of the scion, and found no detriment 

 from either extreme. In this experiment I was 

 successful beyond my expectations: (i r it seemed 

 to he a blind work. I think I set forty or fiftj 

 scions in this manner, and I do not recollect of 

 any one failing or faltering in the least. The old 

 slock should be cut away as soon as the scion is 

 well united and growing. I put frequently two to 

 a tree, and cut away some of the inferior ones. 

 These grafts continue to thrive as well as any set 

 in any other manner, and all the reason 1 can give 

 for not practising this mode is its being more slow. 

 It is a sure and a simple way of grafting, and may 

 be recommended especially to those who are timid 

 about cutting oft' a tree to graft, having a distrust 

 of their ability in the art of grafting; or to those 

 who have hut a few trees and do not value a little 

 pains. This mode is applicable to other fruit, 

 as well as apple trees. I recollect I have a thrifty 

 plum tree grafted in this manner, in a wild red 

 cherry stock of three years' growth. 1 will ob- 

 serve that the yarn bound round for the benefit of 

 the scion needs no loosening, it rots sufljcieutlj 

 last. All the advantages and disadvantages taken 

 into view, I think this mode can be recommended, 

 for grafting at the ground, above any I am ac- 

 quainted with. Abednego Robi.\so_\. 



SECURING A CROP OF FUU1T ON PEAR 

 TREES. 



Take a pair of scissors (such as are used in 

 thinning grapes), and go over the corymbs of 

 flowers, or rather of flower-buds, as soon as they 

 are sufficiently elongated to allow the points of 

 the scissors to pass between them (that is, some 

 days before the blossoms are expanded), and thin 

 them ; leaving only five or six blossoms in each, 

 according to the size of the corymb ; always pre- 

 ferring to leave the flowers which have the stout- 

 est stalks, and those which are nearest the centre. 

 This operation has the effect of diverting the sap 

 to the flowers which remain, and gives them suffi- 

 cient strength to set from one to three fruits in 

 each umbel ; which will prove a sufficient crop, 

 and well repay the labor bestowed. Another mode, 

 less tedious than the above, is also practised here, 

 with success, on young trees. It consists in defer- 

 ring that part of the pruning of them which is 

 termed shortening the young wood, until the blos- 

 soms are in about the same state as is described in 

 the above directions for thinning, and then short- 

 ening them hack to the required length. This also 

 checks the progress of the sap, and enables the 

 tree to set fruit very freely. I am aware that mv 

 plan is a tedious one, and one that is almost im- 

 practicable on a large scale; but it is decidedly an 

 excellent plan for dwarf trees in gardens, whether 

 they are cultivated in the quenouilk mode, against 

 walls, or as espaliers; as these trees come within 



the reach of the hand, of a pair of steps, or of a 

 ladder. 



In the hope that these remarks may, through 

 your indulgence, avail my fellow-laborers in horti- 

 culture, at the coming season, I am, sir, yours, &c. 

 Bernard Saunders. 



Nursery, Island of Jersey, Dec. 6, 1833. 



We recommend the above article to the particu- 

 lar attention of young gardeners. The system of 

 disbudding advised in the preceding paper by Mr. 

 CallbW, and that of thinning nut blossoms suggest- 

 ed in trie above paper by Mr. Saunders, are appli- 

 cable to all fruit trees, »nd, if generally adopted, 

 would insure important results. We know an in- 

 stance of a large apple orchard, the property of a 

 commercial gardener in Kent, in which a knife 

 has never been used : every thing is effected by 

 disbudding, and pinching out young wood with 

 the linger and thumb. The proprietor is not a 

 scientific gardener ; and be adopted the above 

 practice from no particular theory, but simply from 

 his own observation and experience, to stive labor, 

 and to insure good crops of large fruit. We hope 

 to see his orchard next summer, and to report on 

 it. — Loudon's Magazine. 



TRANSPLANTING RCTA BAGA. 



Mead Atvvater, of Brighton, has called at the 

 office, and communicated to us verbally, his suc- 

 cess in cultivating the Kuta-haga the past season. 



Mr. Atvvater informs us that be sowed the seed 

 about the middle of June, on seed beds, and when 

 ihe plants wire a suitable size, transplanted them 

 out tit suitable distances. The plants were after- 

 wards hoed and kept char from weeds. At the 

 proper season for harvesting he went over the 

 ground with a sharp garden hoe, and struck oft' the 

 tops wl.i h he afti rvvards gathered up with a rake. 

 He then with a dull hoe pulled the turnips out of 

 the ground. The produce he thought was at least 

 one thousand bushels per acre, and the quality as 

 hoe or finer lb n those which had been allowed to 

 stand where they were sowed. 



Mr. Atvvater expressed himself in favor of trans- 

 planting, instead of sowing the seed where they 

 wire in grow, for the following reasons: that it 

 saveil once boring, which he thought more labor 

 than to transplant them. That the ground might 

 be ploughed at the time of setting, and would con- 

 tinue in latter condition for maturing the crop 

 than when ploughed earlier in the season. — Good- 

 sell's Farmer. 



POl'LTRY IN PARIS. 



The annual consumption of poultry and small 

 garni in Paris usually amounts to ten millions of 

 kilogrammes (near twenty-two millions of English 

 pounds.) 



Of this quantity one-third is of prime quality, 

 and sells at 1 fr, 40 cent, per kit. ; one-third of 

 second quality, at 1 fr. 20 cent, per kil. ; and one- 

 third of common quality, at 1 fr. per kil. ; averag- 

 ing 1 \'v. 20 cent, per kil., (or about 5£d. per lb. 

 English,) which is also the average price of but- 

 cher meat. 



Alter the revolution of July, when the large 

 game of the royal forests was destroyed, it was 

 with difficulty that it could he sold in Paris at 40 

 centimes per kilogramme (2d. per lb.) 



It is calculated that the inhabitants of Paris con- 

 sume annually at the rate of between twelve and 

 thirteen kilogrammes of poultry per head. — Quar- 

 terly Journal. 



