No. 1. 



Peach Trees. — Potatoes. 



23 



rately they are examined. M. de Lisle saw, 

 with a microscope, a very small insect that 

 in one second of time advanced three inches, 

 taking five hundred and forty steps; and many 

 of the discoveries of Leuwenheck were even 

 still more wonderful than this. — Note Book 

 of a Naturalist. 



Peach Trees. 



The following letter from New Jersey was read at 

 a late meeting of the Farmers" Club, in New Yurk. 

 We could not agree will) the writer that the yellows is 

 not a serious cause of failure. We have regarded it 

 about as much so as the worm. — Ed. 



It was about the year 1804 or 5, that the 

 grub began to destroy the peach trees in 

 New Jersey. My father had at that time 

 30 or 40 acres in fine condition and young 

 trees. They began to fail, and in two or 

 three years were either dead or of no value. 

 We found that in proportion as the worms 

 progressed around the trees the same were 

 more or less decayed, and as such has been 

 my uniform observation ever since I have 

 failed in raising as many trees as would 

 even supply my family with fruit imtil 

 within si.K or seven years, and of kte, have 

 only grown enough to test the certainty of 

 my remedy. Of the many trees which I 

 have examined — I may say thousands — with 

 the exception of one, I have foimd their fail- 

 ure to be from the worm. I do not believe 

 in the yellows as a serious cause of failure 

 in this part of New Jersey. While I was 

 on a farm I tried very many plans for saving 

 my trees, but they all failed. My belief is, 

 that an insect in the course of the summer 

 deposits its eggs in the body or limbs of the 

 tree, and that before winter the eggs are 

 hatched and the insects find their way to 

 the bark of the root about an inch below the 

 surface of the ground. I have found plenty 

 of them singly, or in clusters in crevices of 

 the bark in October and November; and 

 often — if late in the season — when they 

 have pierced and entered the bark: about 

 that locality, and never above the surface of 

 the ground, or far below. I have tried many 

 experiments on scores of these worms to find 

 their bane, and none has answered better 

 than the Corrosive Sublimate. I have pre- 

 pared it as follows: common tar, 2 lbs.; tal- 

 low, 2 lbs.; melt them together, and afler 

 they are cooled .so much as to hold suspend- 

 ed, add three ounces pulverized corrosive 

 sublimate, and three ounces pulverized com- 

 mon salts of nitre. Stir the preparation 

 from the time it begins to cool until the 

 powder is thoroughly diffused through the 

 entire mass. 



Then the earth must be removed fron) the 



trees down to the departure of the roots, and 

 the surface well rubbed with a cloth or brush, 

 and all crevices and defects in the bark freed 

 from the soil. The preparation must then 

 be applied, a little warmed, but not enough 

 to allow the powder to separate from the 

 mass. Then with an old brush thoroughly 

 cover every part and crevice of the bark 

 with the preparation, from the branching of 

 the roots to about two inches above the 

 ground. Surround this surface with a sin- 

 gle bandage made of old India rubber cloth, 

 oil cloth, or any cheap muslin well painted 

 and dried for use, or any other covering 

 which will certainly prevent the absorption 

 of the corrosive by the wet earth. Then 

 tie a string around the bandage firmly at 

 the upper end above the ground, and replace 

 tlie earth and pack it around the tree as be- 

 fore. In the early part of next April take 

 off the bandages, cleanse, and save them for 

 use again. You will find the preparation 

 still on the bark, but no grubs alive, and if 

 any are found in newly dressed trees, they 

 will be nothing more than the .skins of 

 worms which had gained an entrance be- 

 fore the dressing was applied. No grub 

 can live under this dressing if applied as is 

 here directed. The corrosive costs about 

 eight slii. lings per pound, which would be 

 sufficient to protect a large orchard. The 

 whole expense of making the application 

 will, I think, not exceed two cents a tree. 



Potatoes. 



There is a new potatoe called Thurston's 

 Victoria, of which the most extraordinary 

 stories are told, as to its bearing. I do not 

 doubt the facts — but I saw, I should think, 

 two bushels taken from four potatoes once ; 

 they may be said to have occupied in actual 

 measurement a plot two feet in width and 

 six feet in length ; and this was by the 

 grower multiplied by as many such plots as 

 there were in an acre, and it was given out 

 at once that the said potatoe yielded so many 

 tons to the acre; but the four potatoes were 

 taken infinite pains with, and the place all 

 round them bore nothing, for it was robbed 

 to earth them up; and the mere little plot 

 which they occupied was no criterion of the 

 space required; that plot was all potatoes, 

 and there was no fairness in estimating an 

 acre equally filled, because it would be im- 

 possible to fill it. I do not say Thurston's 

 Victoria depends on any such recommenda- 

 tion — but all stories about a thing yielding 

 "at the rate of," should be road with cau- 

 tion. I consider any good new potatoe an 

 acquisition, therefore inean not to discourage 

 any. — Gardener and Practical Florist. 



