418 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



EXTRACTS AND REPLIES. 



Al'IIIDES, Oil rL.\>.'T LICE. 



Mr. Farmek : — Your correspondent "J. D." of 

 Exeter, N. H., inquires how he can destroy Aphi- 

 des or plant lice. Some dozen years since they 

 were here very destructive to young trees, but they 

 have since nearly disappeared. Whale oil soap is 

 what few farmers have — and common soap or soap- 

 suds, when applied so strong as to kill the trees, 

 will not injure them. 



The only effectual remedy I have ever applied is 

 strong tobacco water; this will kill the insects 

 without injuring the trees. It is easily applied by 

 (Upping the limbs in the water, or by sponging 

 them ; any piece of old quilt or cotton batting will 

 answer for a sponge. 



The wife of Professor Thompson, an enthusiastic 

 horticultm-ist, and one who has raised more young 

 trees than any other lady in this town, told me she 

 had been perfectly successful in ridding her trees of 

 the whole tribe of aphides by using water in which 

 potatoes had been boiled ; this she preferred to to- 

 bacco water, as it chscolored nothing in its applica- 

 tion. C. Goodrich. 



Burlington, Vt., July 20, 1855. 



TALL rye — AND THE CROPS. 



Mr. Editor : — Your paper of June 16th speaks 

 of some tall rye raised in Farmington, Iowa, which 

 measured six feet in length ; one of my neighbors 

 has a lot of rye growing, wliich stands six feet and 

 a quarter high ; Mr. James Hall has a number of 

 acres of noble-looking rye, some of which measm-es 

 six feet and a half in length. 



Crops generally look very well, though the 

 weather has been rather wet for some pieces of 

 corn. A Subscriber. 



JVeivport, JV. K, July 11, 1855. 



SKUNK CABBAGE. 



Mr. Editor ; — I wish to know if there is any 

 way to eradicate skunk cabbage. I have a maple- 

 swamp, which contains a great deal of this plant, 

 and I am desirous of removing it entirely. Any in- 

 formation wliich you can give will be acceptable to 



A Subscriber. 



Remarks. — Where you cannot plow, puU it up 

 when it is just gone out of blossom. Persist in 

 this course for two or three years, and you will 

 greatly check, if not eradicate it. A piece of the root 

 an inch in length will grow at first, but cannot re 

 tain much \itality for any length of time if de^ 

 prived of the friendly offices of the leaves. Or, dig 

 it up with a spade in May, and then as often as the 

 leaves get to be 8 or 10 inches long. 



crops — reapers — ILVIL-STORM. 



The prospect for an abundant harvest is very 

 good in every section of Canada West. 



Several reaping machines have been purchased 

 for use in thi^ vicinity, and will soon be m operation. 

 Grass is the lightest crop. 



A very destructive hail storm passed through this 

 county on the 13th inst., doing much damage to 

 crops in some places. It went in a vein about half 

 a mile wide. More than one hundred panes of 

 glass were broken in one house, and a great many 

 acres of grain were entirely destroyed. It is re- 



ported that in one neighborhood many birds were 

 killed by the hail. The hailstones were as large as 

 hens' eggs, and it is said some were seen seve7i 

 inches in circumference ; but I camiot vouch for the 

 truth of it. 



Weather very hot ; mercury 87"^ in the shade. 



July n, 1855. L. Varney. 



HORSE POWER — APPLES. 



Mr. Nourse : — Sir, — Will you inform me 

 through your paper, what would be the cost of a 

 small thresliing macliine that could be worked by 

 horse-power, (a.) 



I have a small mill for grinding corn which is 

 worked by horses; could I get a machine to be 

 worked by the same power that carries the mill ? (b.) 



Also, will you please to inform me what will pre- 

 vent the stinging of apples, causing them to drop 

 ofi" while very small, (c.) Daniel Childs. 



Cotuit Port, 1855. 



Remarks. — (a.) Thresher, separator and fix- 

 tures complete, with a 24 inch cylinder, $37,00 ; 

 size larger, $40,00. Set of India rubber belts, and 

 other extras, $5,00. 



(b.) The same power that carries your mill may 

 be appHed to the thresher. 



(c.) Apples fall from two causes — mostly fi-om 

 the egg deposited in the blossom, where the worm is 

 hatched and passes into the apple itself. Another 

 cause is, that the apple is perforated by the curculio, 

 and an egg deposited under the skin where it is 

 hatched and the worm passes into the apple. If 

 you will devise a remedy, you may consider your 

 fortune as made. 



BILES on the horse. 



Mr. Editor : — I vdfih to inquire what will cure 

 collar biles. I have a mare affiicted with them so 

 that I am unable to work her at a4I. They are small 

 biles, M'hich come out in great numbers under the 

 collar and on the back. C. C. 



Spi-ingtield, Jidy, 1855. 



Remarks. — Your mare has at some time, prob- 

 ably, been heated and then fed highly with grain, 

 and the blood has contracted humors which show 

 themselves whenever the skin is chafed or becomes 

 hot. Careful feeding, Math carefid usage, will be the 

 best remedy. Let her have a run of five or six 

 weeks in a good pasture where the grass is sweet, 

 if you can possibly spare her. 



HOW TO KILL PLANT LICE. 



Make a wash of soft soap, cow manure, and wa- 

 ter, and wash the trunlvs and large limbs with it. 

 Then for two or three mornings when the dew is 

 on, sprinkle with ashes. This, with me, has effectu- 

 ally destroyed the small green lice on my trees. 



'East Ahington. A. "Broavn. 



TO kill PASTURE BRAKES. 



Mow them closely in dry weather, and rake the 

 brakes off at once so as to expose the roots as much 

 as possible, or put on ashes pretty freely, and it 

 wll kill them. _ s. F. 



Houghtonsville, Vt. 



