16 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



six inches, %\id. undergo their transformation into 

 clirysalids. It has been generally supposed that 

 they come out of the ground t)nly in the spring ; 

 but it is now known that they l)cgin to make their 

 appearance in the autumn ; and in mild winters 

 they continue to emerge from their cells during 

 every m )ntli from October to March. The occur- 

 rence of mild weather after a severe frost, like 

 t!iat which lias just been experienced, stimulates 

 some of tiicm to burst their chr^^salis skins and 

 come forth to commence their instinctive prepara- 

 tions for another summer's campaign. They come 

 out of tlie ground chiefly in the night. The 

 males, it is said, are more abundant in the spring. 

 The sluggish females make their way to the 

 nearest tree, followed l)y the winged and active 

 males, who flutter about and accompany them in 

 their ascent, during which the insects pair. Soon 

 after this the females lay their eggs upon the 

 branches of the trees, placing them on their ends, 

 close together in rows, foi'ming clustei'S perhaps 

 of a hundred eggs, which is the number usually 

 h^id by each female. The eggs are glued to each 

 other and to tlie bark by a sort of varnish, which is 

 impervious to water. Having thus provided for a 

 succession of their devastating reign, they lan- 

 guish and die. The eggs are hatched in May, 

 about the time that the leaves of the apple tree 

 begin to start from the bud, and the worms gath- 

 er upon the tender leaves and live and grow up- 

 on the growing foliage. They leave off eating 

 when about four weeks old, by which time they 

 have generally made clean work of the luxurious 

 feast which nature, through the farmer's neglect, 

 has provided for them. 



The metliods for preventing the ravages of the 

 canker-worm, which have been tried and found 

 more or les^s efficacious, are : to apply tar or oil 

 around the body of the tree, either directly upon 

 the bark or over a belt of clay mortar, or on a 

 strip of canvass or strong paper ; to nail boards 

 together around the base of the tree, smearing 

 them out-side with tar : to place circular troughs 

 of tin around tlie tree, filled with tar or fish oil, 

 or a belt of cloth smeared with melted India rub- 

 ber, &c. Either of these remedies is attended 

 with considerable trouble, for the tar or whatever 

 is applied to arrest the progress of the insects, 

 must be renewed and kept fresh as long as they 

 continue to rise. Sprinkling tlie trees to destroy 

 the worms when first hatched, has been practised 

 ■with some success ; but this method is trouble- 

 some, expensive, and uncertain. It has also been 

 recommended to dig around the trees after the 

 worms have descended to tlie ground, and remove 

 the soil. But the application of tar is jirobabiy 

 the most economical and efficacious mode of wag- 

 ing war upon this annoying enemy. — Traveller. 



For l/ir Pfcir F.nslnnd Fnrnier. 



A T¥/0-ACEE FARM". 



Mr. Editor : — The article recently in the Far- 

 mer, gWincr an account of a " one acre farm," 

 has led me to think I miglit possibly make a state- 

 ment of facts that would 1)0 valua'ile, and [ for- 

 ward tlie same to you, hoping yuu will use it just 

 as it deserves. 



Nine years ago last spring I came into pos- 

 session of a two-acre farm, and at tliat time it 

 was barely possible to get one ton of hay from the 



whole of it, such was the state of cultivation it 

 was in. It was all in mowing at the time, ex- 

 cept one-eighth of an acre that I sowed oats on, 

 and tlicy were so small that a good stout grass- 

 hopper could eat the heads off hy standing tiptoe. 

 Circumstances prevented me from making much 

 improvement on it until 1849 or '50, and now for 

 the result of the past dry season : 



2Uons hay, at $8 per ton ...20,00 



12 bushels corn, at 80 cents per bush 9,60 



Corn Fodder, 1,00 



2 loads pumpkins 1,00 



21 bush, potatoes, 30c " 6,30 



2 bush, beans, 9Jc " 3,00 



38 bush, carrots, 30c " 11,40 



32 bush, turnips, 20c " 6,40 



10 bush, {iraft apples, 50c " 5,00 



Garden sauce 5,00 



Growth of 140 standard apple, plum, cherry and 



pear trees, 10c each, 14,00 



GroNYlh 250 nursery trees, 2d year, 5c each 12,50 



" 1100 " " 1st year, 3c each 33,00 



'• lOOU seedlings, ^c each 5,C0 



Total 133,20 



Perhaps some may think it is impossible to have 

 so much on so small a surface. I would just say 

 that my beans and carrots grew amongst the nur- 

 sery trees, and the most of the turnips amongst 

 the potatoes. On one small patcli I raised a 

 good crop of green peas, potatoes and turnips ; 

 the peas were planted in the hills with the pota- 

 toes, and the turnips set both ways between the 

 hills, getting three good crops on the same land 

 in the same season, and neither crop appeared to 

 injure the other — at least they all did well. 



Now if tlais will stimulate any other two-acre 

 farmer to do the like out of notiiing, I have my 

 reward. Truly yours, u. 



Nov. 13, 1854. 



Wintering C.vbbage Plants. — Any method 

 simple and inexpensive, for preserving of autumn 

 sown cabbage plants through the M'inter, is a val- 

 uable consideration. We know of none better 

 adopted for the great bulk of people, than the 

 following, practiced to a considerable extent by 

 market gardeners, and in dry, sandy or upland 

 soil, with good success. 



Towards the end of October, prepare some rich 

 well-dug ground ; drew some deep drills eigh- 

 teen inches apart, and plant the cabbage one foot 

 apart in these, on the sunny side of the drills, so 

 that the plants may have all the benefit of the 

 sun in the fall before severe frost, and in early 

 spring. When the frost sets in fiiirly, place some 

 straw, or other light material crossways of the 

 rows, which will eflfectually keep the sun's rays 

 off during M'inter, which is the great point to be 

 attended to. At the approach of spring, remove 

 the covering, and as the plants grow, draw a lit- 

 tle of the soil to their stems. 



If they stand the winter well, they will be in 

 advance of tliose planted in the spring. The 

 strongest of the plants from the sowing made last 

 month, should be selected, while those weaker will 

 do to winter as recommended in a previous paper. 

 — E. S., in Country Gent. 



Deadening Timber. — When the bark slips free- 

 ly in June, July or x\ugust, it is the best time to 

 girdle trees. Cut the small growth three feet 

 above tlie ground ; the roots do not sprout, and 

 the stumps are more easily removed. 



