438 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Sept. 



small negro boy, who mistaking a mocasin for a 

 stick, picked it up and was bitten on the thumb. 

 Mr. A. had frequently been informed that his 

 grandTather, one of our oldest settlers, who was a 

 great hunter, had never failed to prevent any evil 

 consequences resulting from a snake bite by wash- 

 ing the wound in water, and at the same time 

 squeezing out the poison. He, in this case, resort- 

 ed to this cure. Holding the wounded member 

 under water, he washed it for some time. The 

 cure was complete ; the thumb did not even swell. 

 The bite of the mocasin is as much dreaded as 

 that of the rattlesnake. This statement may be 

 relied upon. Mr. Andrews is a man of character. 

 — Darlington Flag. 



For the New England Fanner, 



NEVER WHITEWASH TREES. 



The orchardist should set his face like a flint 

 against all sorts of compositions that leave a coat- 

 ing upon the bark, no matter what they are, nor 

 what is claimed for them by charlatans or empirics. 

 The arl)oriculturist of Boston Common made a sad 

 mistake in coating those trees with some sort of 

 composition, of the consistency of paint. The ob- 

 jection to this treatment is, that it interferes with 

 the functions of the epidermis. But, say the users 

 of these compositions, they are necessary for the de- 

 struction of insects. As well might they advocate 

 the whitewashing of men, women and children, 

 when infested with insects of the genus Pediculus, 

 in order to get rid of them, as that of painting or 

 whitewashing fruit or ornamental trees to rid them 

 of aphides, habitants of their bark or outer cover- 

 ing. That trees grow and seem to flourish, not- 

 withstanding this mistaken treatment, not because of 

 it, is no more evidence in favor of it, than the fact 

 that some persons, who seldom or never bathe, yet 

 enjoy good health, is against bathing and surface 

 cleanliness in general. There is no danger of keep- 

 ing fruit trees too clean, and this can be done with 

 pure soft water, or if a little soap be mixed with 

 it, it may cause no harm. A good and the safest 

 wash for trees is pure water. 



The tree or plant is enveloped with its epidermis 

 like an animal ; and for any one to say that this has 

 no function to perform beyond that of covering the 

 organism animated with life, as the envelope does 

 the letter, is to publish his ignorance of vege- 

 table physiology. The condition of the covering 

 of the animal is deemed somewhat essential to the 

 state or condition of the animal ; so of the tree ; its 

 bark or covering is indicative of the healthful vig- 

 or of the tree, or of its opposite condition. Any one 

 at all acquainted with fruit trees, whether from a 

 knowledge of long cultivation or of observation, is 

 prepared to judge of the condition of an orchard, 

 or garden of fruit or other tree.5, by looking at the 

 condition of the bark. Several marked illustra- 

 tions of this remark occur to the writer, which, but 

 for seeming invidious, might be named. Such il- 

 lustrations will occur to the mind of the reader. 

 Hence, it would seem that the bark might have 

 some function, essential to the growth of the tree, 

 and its condition otherwise. Now what are the facts 

 — not what is somebody's opinion about this mat- 

 ter under consideration ? Facts, not opinions, con- 

 stitute the material of which all true science is 

 constructed. If the bark have no ofhce to perform 



but that of your house — to protect its inmates 

 from the heat and cold and storm, — then, as with 

 your house, it may be painted or whitewashed ac- 

 cording to taste or economy, and it will perform its 

 purpose of protection all the better. And more- 

 over, it would seem according to such notions, that 

 it would matter little how many aphides might ac- 

 cumulate on this "impenetrable" envelope, house, 

 covering, bark or epidermis. 



De Candolle and Hedwig, celebrated naturalists, 

 demonstrated by microscopic examinations that 

 the epidermis of plants and trees abounds in pores. 

 "If a plant, dried, shrunk and shrivelled, be placed 

 in water, it imbibes moisture at once, j.nd speedily 

 acquires its original plumpness and verdure, obvi- 

 ously receiving aliment through the pores of its 

 epidermis, which restore it." Hence, it is evident 

 that "the moisture required by the plant for its 

 nourishment is received through the pores of the 

 bark, of the stem, the branches, the fruit, and the 

 roots — no less than through the stomata of the 

 leaves, and the open mouths of the spongioles." 



Schleiden, a celebrated German botanist and 

 professor, remarks that the epidermis has little or- 

 ifices between the cells which compose it, lead- 

 ing to the interior of the plant, through which it 

 communicates with the air, and expires gases, and 

 inspires moisture, and peradventure, nutrition. — 

 These are called stomatas. 



Other celebrated botanists might be quoted fur- 

 ther to demonstrate that the bark, like the skin, 

 has other functions than that of protecting its in- 

 mate from the inclemencies of the weather ; and 

 further confirming the striking analogy between 

 its functions and those of the skin. It is really as- 

 tonishing that any person unless he has "an axe to 

 grind," should assert "that the bark of trees has 

 no vital or important function whatever to per- 

 form." After making such an absurd statement it 

 is recommended "to whitewash as an important 

 aid in the growth and nourishment of trees." One 

 would about as soon think, in case the bark has no 

 function, as asserted, of plastering the outside of 

 his pig-sty, in order to make its inmates thrive 

 and grow. 



It is no uncommon thing for peach trees to look 

 badly the first part of the season, especially if cold 

 and wet, and, afterwards, when the weather be- 

 comes more genial, to change their aspect and 

 grow and flourish finely, whether whitewashed or 

 not. But this late growth is almost certain to win- 

 ter-kill, because it has not had t'me to become lig- 

 neous. Dr. Harris and Mr. Buel may have, in for- 

 mer times, recommended whitewashing, but it was 

 with reference to destroying insects without reflect- 

 ing upon the evil done the tree, or perhaps, in view 

 of the evils to choose the less. The writer joins 

 with you, friend Brown, in proscribing all washes 

 for trees that leave a coating on the surface, thus 

 obstructing the essential functions of the epider- 

 mis. L. w. 



The Crops South. — The St. Louis Democrat 

 of the 8th inst. says of the crops South : 



"We learn from our exchanges that the recent 

 rains in north Mississippi, north Alabama, west 

 Tennessee and Arkansas have proved cf incalcula- 

 ble benefit to corn and cotton. The corn crop, it 

 is stated, will beyond doubt prove immensely large. 

 Cotton has also improvSti decidedly." 



