650 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Dec. 



THE PURPLE WASP. 



The purple, or mud wasp, commences buildinj^ 

 her nest or cell at one end, leavina^ a round hole 

 sufficiently large for her to go in, and continues her 

 work until it is a little longer than her body, then 

 places her egg at the bottom of the cell ; ^he then 

 collects 8];iders and deposits them in the ce'l until 

 it is full J at each deposit she chants a sort of lulla- 

 by over her victim, which lies quiet in its prison 

 until the cell is filled; the wasp then brings a ball 

 of mud and seals up the mouth of the cell. She 

 then proceeds to build other cells adjoining, some- 

 times to the number of eight or ten. Cy the time 

 the last one is finished, the maggot contained in the 

 first becomes a wasp, and is ready to le-ive its Cf^U. 

 When the maggot is hatched, it commences feeding 

 on the spiders, killing no faster than it requires 

 food ; sometimes a dead spider, partly eaten, may 

 be found in the cell. If these cells are opened soon 

 after the last one is finished, it will answer Mr. 

 Dunlap's description; there may be found wasps in 

 some cells, and nothing but spiders in others, if the 

 egg be overlooked. j. AV. 



Jlntrim, JV. H., Oct., 1857. 



INQUIRY ABOUT FRUIT TREES. 



In your paper, some months ago, I noticed a 

 piece entitled, "How to get fruit trees to your lik- 

 ing." Your correspondent says, "In October or No- 

 vember take a branch of an ajiple or pear tree, 

 such as suits your tiste, take off to the third year's 

 growth, cut it smooth and rub it on a red-hot iron, 

 so as to scorch and shut the pores of the v/ood 

 thoroughly, then bury it in the ground, all but the 

 last year's growth. If placed.-in good ground and 

 well taken care of, you will have good fruit in five 

 or six years." 



Now I would like to make to the inquiry, which 

 month is the best, or whether it makes any differ- 

 ence. Answer this, and oblige an 



Oct. 14, 1857. Honest Farmer Boy. 



BEET CULTURE IN FRANCE. 



In 1856, 282 beet root sugar manufactories in 

 France produced 110,279,179 lbs. sugar. These 

 factories will, this year, 1857, produce 240,000,000 

 lbs. sugar. 



In addition to the produce of sugar, they manu- 

 facture the beet into brandy; in 1854-5 the value 

 of this distillation was estimated at £2,000,000, or 

 in American currency to about $10,000,000. This 

 liquor has increased as the grape has decreased ; 

 from the residuum an immense quantity of mutton 

 and beef is fatted ; and from their manure larger 

 quantities of wheat are grown. 



See "Journal of Agriculture" and the "Transac- 

 tions of the Highland and Agricultural Society of 

 Scotland," No. 57, p. 49. Observer. 



fall of snow and rain. 



Mr. Brown:— By the kind attention of my 

 friend, Mr. Lamson, of Salem, I am able to correct 

 two errors made in the statement of meteorological 

 facts, published in your paper of September. I am 

 the more anxious these corrections should be made, 

 because facts that are not facts are worse than no 

 information at all. 



For the year 1849 the depth of snow that fell 

 was 20.75 inches instead of41.75 inches, as printed. 



For the year 1850, the quantity of rain that fell 

 was 51.03 inches instead of 56 03 inches, as print- 

 ed. Both of which errors arose from a misappre- 

 hension of the figures. 



The quantity of rain that fell during the summer 

 months, the present year, was 15.25 inches; a 

 greater quantity, than in either of the preceding 

 summers, excepting that of 1856, when it was 17,68 

 inches. J. W. Proctor. 



South Danvers, Oct. 13, 1857. 



TIME TO SET OUT FRUIT TREES. 



Mr. Editor: — I am often inquired of for the 

 best time to set out fruit trees. I prefer the spring 

 to autumn, as they are not so likely to injury from 

 frost ; bui either time will do better than none. I 

 find by my memoranda that the last week in April 

 and October has been my time, and they have al- 

 ways done well, Norfolk Farmer. 



HYDRAULIC CEMENT-ITS USES. 



This valuable article is beginning to be more ex- 

 tensively known and used than formerly, and we 

 are satisfied that it requires only to be universally 

 known to be universally applid to uses hitherto 

 unthought of, even by our most practical builders. 

 A correspondent observes : 



"I have' been manufacturing and using hydraulic 

 cement for a number of years — consequently I feel 

 as though I am capable of throwing a little light on 

 the subject. It is in general use for building" cis- 

 terns, cellar bottoms, cellar walls, a cheap and du- 

 rable pipe for conveying water, mill flumes, mill 

 dams, houses, &c. Cement makes a much stronger 

 mortar than quick lime, and will set as hard as a 

 rock in the watei*. For plastering the exterior of 

 buildings in imitation of stone, and for plastering 

 the inside of houses, it makes a very hard, smooth 

 surface, capable of being washed with soap aud wa- 

 ter without injury, and presenting a smooth unab- 

 sorhlng basis for paint. 



Cisterns are vaiiously constructed. The best 

 way, however, in my opinion, is to excavate a hole 

 in the ground in the shape of an egg, with the lit- 

 tle end down, plastering on the ground, building 

 an arch vi'ith brick to form the covering. Cisterns 

 .re more frequently covered with large stone or 

 plank, which will answer a very good purpo-e. Five 

 bushels or 300 pounds, which would be in a barrel 

 of cement, is sufficient for a cistern containing 30 

 barrels of water.' 



Cellar Bottoms. — Take spalls of stone or coarse 

 gravel and cover your cellar bottoms to the depth 

 of four or five inches ; make your mortar into a thin 

 grout, and smooth the top of the same with a trow- 

 el. This will make an excellent bottom, and is an 

 effectual remedy against rats. 



Pipe. — Excavate a ditch of sufficient depth, and 

 bed down the mortar made of cement ; then take a 

 leather bag four feet long, of the size you require, 

 filled with sand, which you have prepared for the 

 purpose. Lay down the leather bag on the mortar, 

 and build over the same with mortar. In a short 

 tin;e it will set sufficiently, so that you can draw the 

 bag forward, and build over as before. This pipe 

 will soon bear a great pressure of water, and is a 

 cheap and durable pipe. 



Mill Dam.— Build a wall H or 2 feet in thick- 

 ness, taking spalls of stone or clear gravel ; make 



