196 



Sex of Sirawhcmj Plant, ^^c. — Tfie Plum. Vol. VIII. 



cover after the application of the water : I 

 have taken out the full grown worm alive. 



The worm, as your correspondent G. B. 

 Smith, (see last No. of Cabinet, p. 143,) 

 observes, is the product of a wasp-like in- 

 sect, and remains in the tree at least one 

 winter before it is transformed into the perfect 

 or winged state. Those who are curious in 

 such matters, will find a fine engraving ofi 

 the insect, (iEgeria Exitiosa) in Say's En- 

 tomology. I hope that the sheet zinc, as 

 recommended by your Washington friend, 

 may continue to prove a protection against 

 this vexatious intruder ; but I fear that such 

 is the unerring impulses by which all insects 

 are guided to their appropriate aliment, that 

 all our attempts to circumvent and outwit 

 them, will end in discomfiture and disappoint- 

 ment, — and we will be compelled to admit, 

 that instinct in such cases is an over-match 

 for reason. If time and space permitted, I 

 might describe some contests of this kind 

 amusing enough ; which convinced me that 

 to succeed in our purpose, or rather to pre- 

 vent these pests from effecting theirs, we 

 must either put them to death, or erect such 

 a barrier between them and their prey, that 

 they can neitlier cut their way through nor 

 get round. 



The peach insect is capable of enduring 

 almost any degree of cold, but does not bear 

 heat equally well ; and this is the reason 

 why it is more destructive in a cool loose 

 soil, shaded by grass and weeds, than in a 

 gravelly or sandy situation, exposed to the 

 direct rays of the sun. Charcoal has been 

 highly recommended from several quarters, 

 as a preventive when applied around tlie 

 root of the tree, to be confined there by a 

 box or otherwise. From the well known 

 capacity of this substance for heat I should 

 be disposed to place much confidence in it. 



To preserve apples so as to retain all their 

 freshness and peculiar flavour, it is neces- 

 sary that they should be excluded from the 

 air, and kept as cool as possible, so as not to 

 incur the risk of freezing, by which means 

 we prevent both evaporation and chemical 

 change. 



Charcoal as suggested, will preserve them, 

 but they become dry and insipid: plaster 

 doubtless will succeed much better. 



The method which I have adopted for many 

 years, is one which has been frequently re- 

 commended, and is perfectly successful ; so 

 far at least, as regards freshness and flavour; 

 many of certain kinds will rot in this way 

 as well as every other which I have tried. 

 Charcoal as a mere preservative, is perhaps 

 superior to every other substance : but when 



we wish to have dried apples we take a 

 more expeditious method. 



I gather the apples when dry, and imme- 

 diately pack away such as are sound, m a 

 dry cool cellar, in boxes or casks, keeping 

 each kind by itself, in alternate layers of 

 clean dry sand. An important advantage of 

 the sand is, that the moisture from the rotten 

 ones, of which there will always be more or 

 less, will be absorbed, so as not to injure 

 others lying in contact. 



After a fair trial of the Centre-draught 

 plough of the Messrs. Prouty & Mears, I 

 liave the pleasure to say that it performs its 

 work admirably, and requires less motive 

 power than any other we have had hero ; at 

 the same time I regret to state, that it has 

 one defect, which must exclude it from our 

 limestone vallies ; and this arises from the 

 insulated coulter. In the structure of our 

 ploughs, it is absolutely necessary that the 

 heel of the coulter should rest upon the pomt 

 of the share, so as mutually to protect and 

 support each other; otherwise it is impos- 

 sible that they can sustain the violent shocks 

 necessarily encountered against the rocks 

 every where concealed below the surface. 

 For the above reasons the Lancaster, or 

 Shielman plough, is a great favourite with 

 us; makes splendid work, but is of a heavy 

 draught, requiring three horses in a sod. 

 Joseph Henderson. 



Kishacoquillis, Pa., Jan. 1st, 1844. 



The Plum. 



To THE Editor of the F. Cabinet, — 



Dear Sir, — I find many valuable hints in 

 your excellent paper on raising fruit, together 

 with their diseases, enemies, and cures: but 

 there is a disease in the finer varieties of 

 plum in this region, which blasts all the hopes 

 of the cultivator, and one which I have never 

 seen noticed, that I know of. 



The plum when young, grows off very 

 finely, if it is not disturbed by the curculio; 

 and this is easily prevented by spreading salt, 

 or a heavy coat of ashes around the tree, aa 

 far as the branches extend, in April : but 

 when nearly ripe the truit begins to mould 

 and rot on the tree, and in a few days it is 

 gone, and nothing is left to reward tlie care 

 of the cultivator. I have tried heavy prun- 

 ing ; I have used soapsuds to wash the tree, 

 and ashes around the root, and I have let 

 nature take her course, but all to no effect 

 Perhaps some of your numerous readers can 

 throw some light upon the subject: if so, you 

 will much oblige one of your constant readers. 



A Young Beginner. 

 Centreville, K'y, Dec. 2Cth, 1843. 



