No. 1. Saw Dust for Packing Plants — The Turnep Fly. 



11 



sorbent, the soil requires to be turned down- 

 wards of the slope ; and the fences to be di- 

 rected by the natural lines of the hill as much 

 as possible. In laying out cow grounds, or 

 other perrennial pasture grounds, regard 

 should be particularly had to water ; and 

 wherever good water is naturally found, or 

 can be conveniently brought by art, to that 

 point, a pasture ground ought to tend, in or- 

 der to enjoy the necessary supply as much as 

 possible." 



When the soil and situation of the land 

 will permit, the arable grounds should be laid 

 out nearest the farm house, and the pasture 

 grounds most remote from it. This will save 

 much cartage in removing the grain to the 

 barn, and carrying out the manure to the 

 fields. The laborers, moreover, will be more 

 immediately under the supervision of their 

 employer. 



losses sustained in the removal of trees and 

 plants to a distance — and they are not few — 

 are to be ascribed to the imperfect manner in 

 which the packages are made up. An acci- 

 dental delay, or unexpected change of wea- 

 ther, may materially retard the operation of 

 planting ; and if such occurrences are not 

 guarded against by the care of the nursery- 

 man, disappointment must frequently be the 

 lot of his customers. 



A HORTICTJLTDRIST. 



Prom the Farmer and Gardener. 



Saw Dust for Packing PIants< 



I have noticed in the agricultural papers, 

 some accounts of the loss of a large number 

 of Morus Multicaulis imported from France 

 during the past spring, occasioned by neglect 

 or inefficiency in packing. I presume the 

 material commonly used for preserving the 

 vitality of plants is moss. The kind denom- 

 inated Sphagnum is the best for that purpose, 

 as it retains moisture for a length of time, 

 and is not liable to fermentation. 



The moss, however, besides that it is not 

 always readily accessible, is, I believe, infe 

 rior to saw-dust in both the qualities adverted 

 to. When mixed with earth in equal propor- 

 tions, and with a proper allowance of water, 

 it will be many months before it can become 

 dry, when securely closed in a box. By the 

 way, boxes should be used in preference to 

 mats — in all cases at least in which plants are 

 impatient of removal ; or when they are to 

 be transmitted to a considerable distance. 



Some years ago I received a box of plants 

 from the south, which were put up in the fall 

 and sent to Charleston to await the sailing of 

 a packet. It lay there for months, and did 

 not reach me until quite late in the spring 

 but on opening it, 1 found the contents in a 

 fine growing condition. 



About the first of this year I put up two 

 boxes in the same manner — one to be sent to 

 Boston, the other to Columbus, in Ohio. On 

 the 2.3d of May, the former was opened, and 

 the plants were in a state of perfect preser- 

 vation; having lain undisturbed for nearly 

 five months. In the other case, though the 

 box was small, and almost as late in reaching 

 its destination, yet the plants were in a con- 

 dition equally good. 



I have reason to believe that many of the 



The Tiirnep Fly. 



The Editor of the Farmer and Gardener, 

 E. P. Roberts, Esq. states that he lately saw 

 a patch of Ruta-baga, on the farm of Mr. 

 John Barney, near this city, which had been 

 rescued from the ravages of the fly by the 

 'use of fish oil. He says Mr. B's mode of 

 japplying it was as follows : — "The oil being 

 i placed in a vessel, he dipped a rag into it and 

 sprinkled it over the plants. He had pre- 

 viously tried sifting lime over them without 

 effect, as was evinced by the many rents in the 

 first leaves; the aroma of the oil being re- 

 pulsive to the delicate sense of smell of these 

 little mischief doers, they instinctively leave 

 the plants as the oil is cast upon them. An- 

 other good is effected by the use of it — it acts 

 as a powerful manure, and pushes the plant 

 rapidly into the rough leaf state, when it is 

 beyond the reach of harm from this insect. 

 It is the opinion of Mr. Barney, that a gallon 

 of oil, judiciously used, will go over an acre 

 of turneps ; but should it take four, the ex- 

 pense should be no object with any one de- 

 surous of securing a crop of turneps ; for if 

 it will drive off the fly, there can be no ques- 

 tion that it will also expel grass-hoppers, 

 which, of late years, have proved equally as 

 destructive to the turnep plant as the fly it- 

 self." 



We have seen it often stated that by bor- 

 ing a tree, inserting a portion of quicksilver 

 or sulphur in the hole, and plugging it up 

 again, that it would exempt it from the cater- 

 pillar and other insects. While in Philadel- 

 phia lately, we were shown an Elm tree, on 

 vvliich the experiment had been doubly tried, 



that is, two holes had been bored in it. In 

 the one, quicksilver had been placed, and in 

 the other flour of sulphur, and when we saw 

 the tree a week ago, not a single living leaf 

 was on it — its insidious foe had been as rife 

 with his mischief an ever. — Gar. and Far. 



Why do you desire riches and grandeur? 

 Because you think they will bring happiness 

 with them. The very thing you want is now 

 in your power — you have only to study con- 

 tentment. 



