3.96 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Julj 8, 



ORXeZKAI. COIVXIMnrNXCATXOHS. 



FOR THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



PRODUCTION'S OF MISSOURI AND ILLINOIS. 

 The following extr.ict of a letter from a gen- 

 tleman who is a member of Congress, to a friend 

 of the Editor, wiio h;is ever evinced a laudable 

 solicitude in promoting the agricultural interests 

 of New England, is kindly handed us lor publi- 

 cation in the New England Farmer. 



the spot, exceeds, perhaps, every other liquor whicTi 

 nature or art have produced. He has been offered 60 

 guineas for a hogshead containing 110 gallons of this 

 liquor." 



It appears to be a point, generally agreed on, by onr 

 most experienced and scientific horticulturists, that the 

 grape for making wine cannot be profitably cultivated 

 in New England. But if there are kinds of .apples in 

 existence, (of which we have no doubt,} that can afford 

 a liquor even superior to the best varieties of the grape, 

 and those apples are adapted to our soil and cliina'.e. 

 we have no need of the grape for the vintage, becaus-- 

 we may command a substitute of better quality and 

 more easily cultivated. If the Missouri, the Virs^inia, 



" You ask me for information respecting the 

 Crab Apple in Missouri :,nd Illinois, &c. In both i 

 Missouri and Illinois the Crab Tree is a part I ""■ "^^ Hagloe crab will any or all of them furni-h such 

 of the natural growth of the country. In fact, I ^ substitute, let some of our patriotic cultivators bene- 



the Crab Tree abounds all over the country. — 

 What is called the American bottom on the II 

 linois side of the Mis.sissippi river, is literally 



fit their country and enrich themselves by their intro- 

 duction. The seeds of tlicse fruits or any other variety 

 of the crab might be imported at a small expense, and 



covered with this tree. They form natural i there can be but little, if any risk in the experiment 

 orchards for miles — grow thick, close, and are for if the fruit should prove of less value than may be 

 from 15 to 30 feet high. They seldom fail toLnticipated, the stocks will be of the best kind for 

 bear plentiful crops. The aj)plc varies in size grafting, and the wood of great value for the turner's 

 from one to two inches in diameter. They grow latho, &c. We have fine varieties of table-apples; but 

 less in the thickets of trees than « hen they Lj^g farmer cannot supplv the place of the latter. In- 

 stand lurther apart They stand close enough jeed we are assured by those who profess to be best 

 in some places to form a hedge. We never use 1 acquainted with the subject, that " the worse the ap- 



Ihem, except for preserves or sweet-meats. — 

 They grow on all low flat grounds, and in the 

 bottoms. You might gather thousands of bush- 

 els within the moderate distance of a few miles 

 on the -American bottom. 



" The Plum also abounds. Orchards of them 

 arc to be found in the same bottom, and in fact 

 all over the country. They are large, red and 

 yellow, very solid and siveet. No pains have 

 been taken with either. They are so abundant 

 that they are disregarded, as among the most 

 common productions. 



" We have also the Grape in great abundance. 

 What we call the mountain and bottom grape. 

 The former about i of an inch in diameter, — 

 the latter ~ of an inch — very tart — the former 



pie is for the table, the better it is in general esteemed 

 for cider!" In the cider making counties of England 

 they would as soon tliink of mixing potatoes with their 

 apples in manufacturing cider, as putting cider apples 

 and table apples in the same cheese. 



Perhaps the Missouri plum and grape might be in- 

 troduced to advantage in the more northern sections 

 of the United States. If we cannot rationally expect 

 to be successful !n cultivating grapes for making wine, 

 on a large scale, in our climate, we may perhaps man- 

 ufacture a little wine for domestic use ; and there ran 

 be no doubt but we can raise grapes ibr the table and 

 ''ruit market to advantage. Whether the Missouri fruits 

 will sustain the severity of our northern winters can be 

 ascertained only by experiment. But much may be 



sweet. Wine for family use is sometimes Inade I hoped for from the power which plants possess of be 

 from tnem. coming accUmaled, or adapting themselves to the clim- 



ate into which they are transplanted. 

 Remarks by the Editor .^W'hWc some patriotic indl 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE tiCW ENGLAND FARMER. 



METHODS OF DESTROYING INSECTS. 

 Stock-port, {Pa.) July 2, 1825. 

 Sir, — Having devoted a strict attention this 



viduals are engaged in importing new and valuable 



varieties of fruits, ic from Europe, it would be well 



to direct similar efforts to disseminate in every part of 



the United States those which are now only to be met j 



■within particular IracU of our immense ttcritory. — 



f crhaps some, if not all of the above mentioned kinds , season to discover some easy, cheap remedy lo 



of fruits, would prove a valuable acquisition to the or- 1 prevent the smalt yeltoxo iwo^s from eating mv 



fhards and gardensof the Northern and Middle States, i young cucumbers, melons, &.c. 1 may noiv give 



The crab apple tree, in particular, seems entitled to a } the result of my three experiments. 



place not only in our orchards and hedges, but our I 1-1 boiled up a. very strong decoction of red 



■woodlands. It is the parent stock from which all the ' pepper and tobacco, putting a small spoonful on 



varieties of apple trees were originally obtained. It is 

 said to make the best stocks for grafting, because it is 

 more hardy, more vigorous, and less liable to diseases 

 and Insects than any other kind of apple tree. Its wood 

 is highly valued by turners, and when made into cogs 

 for wheels, it acquires a polish, which renders it very 

 lUirable. The Virginia crab apple has long been fam- 

 ous for yielding a kind of cider, or " apple-wine," (as 

 Dr Mitchell says we should call it) of a quality but lit- 

 tle inferior to the best wine from the grape. In Eng- 

 land a kind of crab apple is, or lias been cultivated, of 

 ■which Mr Marshall says, " A gentleman of Hereford- 

 sliirf , in England, Mr Bellamy, produces cider from the 

 liagloc crab, which for richness, Savour, ani price on 



a plant as it came up, that etTecliially kept lliera 

 oil' while the strength lasted; but it woiild wash 

 olT with the rain^, and evaporate with the Ikmv} 

 dews, and then the bugs uould again commence 

 their depredations, unless the process was often 

 repeateil. 1 ilid not discover that it had any 

 tendency to injure the growth of the plant. 



2. I tried sprinkling them with what we call 

 Lake Plaster, as it comes to us from the Cayuga 

 Lake in the slate of New York. It is Tery dif- 

 ferent from the Nova Scoiia plaster, — is black, 

 and has a very disagreeable, strong sulphureous 

 smell, and is more adhesive to the p'.int. ll 

 answered a good purpose, but lew bugs touched 

 the plants that were sprinkled with it. 



3. This kind of bugs were vastly numerous in 

 my garden and around the house.' One evening 

 1 obr^prved them 'o fly into the candle. The 

 two nest evenings I kindled fires in my garden, 

 oi shavings and light blazing wood. The con- 

 sequence was. — 1 have not seen one bug since. 

 They must either have flown into the tires or 

 absconded. It is now ten days since, and 1 have 

 had olher similar plants to come up in the time, 

 on which I have not put any thing. They yet 

 remain untouched by such inserts. This mode 

 of (destroying them, if it generally succeeds as 

 well in other places, bemg so cheap and easy, 

 should be pursued to their extermination, for - 

 the great benefit of Agriculture and Gardening. 

 SAMUEL PRi::sTON. 



TO THE EDITOR OF THE NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



BLIND STAGGERS IN PIGS. 

 Sir, — If yon, or any of your correspondents, 

 will luivo the goodness to communicate ihrouo-h 

 j (he medium oi your valuaiile paper, information 

 rc?[iei:tiiig the best mode of Irealing the dis- 

 ease in pigs, called the blind staggers, it will ob- 

 lige I^Ia.nv Lovers of Pohk. 



P. S. If bleeding is useful, in w har [lart is the 

 ojieralion lo be performed ? 



Remarks htj Iht Editor.— ]n the second volume of the 

 -'■ Memoirs of the P/nladelphia Jlgricutlural Sucit^i/," 

 page £S, is a letter fiom J. P. DeGrucliy, to tlit Hon. 

 Richard Peters, Esq. President of said Society, frosp 

 which (lie following is extracted. " I have generally 

 in my pen from 100 to 250 of these animals ; they are 

 of course suljcct lo diseases ; one with which I was 

 most troubled, was a disorder that I believe might be 

 called the staggers. It attacked them generally in the 

 month of September ; the hcg would ail at once turn 

 round very rapidly, and if assistance was not at hand, 

 would in less than half an hour, die. It seldom hap- 

 pened that one alone was attacked, six, eight or a doz- 

 en would be seized in the same way, in the course of a 

 few hours ; they were immediately bled under the ear 

 and at the tail ; some sweet milk and brimstone were 

 given to them ; and on which they afterwards fed till 

 they were well, or died ; a few recovered, but a great- 

 er number died ; this however was the only remedy that 

 1 knew of, until the year 1803, when a young man who 

 had lately arrived from Wales, and who was thin work- 

 ing in my still house, put into my hands an old pamph- 

 let, the title page of which was nearly torn off, but it 

 was printed, I think, in the year 170o or 1707, and was 

 composed of recipes for the cure of animals j there was 

 described a malady among hoge, which I was satisfied 

 was the same as my swine were attacked with, and the 

 cure pointed out was as follows. '" Vou will see a 

 bare knob in the roof of the mouth, cut it and let it 

 bleed, take the powder of loam and salt, rub it with it, 

 and then give him a little urine and he will mend." 

 Every year my pens were more or less subjected to this 

 disorder ; and since it came to my knowledge I have 

 invariably followed this prescription, with certain suc- 

 cess ; for where I used to lose six, I do not now lose 

 more than one; but though the pigs recover they do 

 not thrive so well after such an attack." 



In the 3d volume of the same " Memoirs.,'''' Szc, page 

 30 is a communication " On tarious Agricultural To- 

 pics, It!) James Ecroyd, PhiladelpUia Counli/," from 

 which the following is extracted. 



" The disease of pigs, I allude to, is the complaint' 



