214 



Coated Saperda of the Linden Tree. — Sirawherries. Vol. VIII. 



published at Philadelphia in 1824. In this 

 work, volume 2nd, page 290, you will find 

 the scientific characters of the insect, under 

 the name of Saperda vestila, wliich name 

 may be translated the Coated Saperda — to 

 which you can add — of the Linden tree. 

 Mr. Say took the insect near the southern 

 extremity of Lake Michigan, and states 

 that it is also sometimes found in Pennsyl- 

 vania. It is not common in New England ; 

 but I have taken it several times in Milton 

 and in Cambridge, Massachusetts, about the 

 first of July, and last year, found it on the 

 European Linden, in this place, near which 

 tree I had once or twice before, captured 

 specimens. There are several large and 

 noble trees of this kind in Cambridge, and 

 also some equally fine American Lindens; 

 and from what you say of the ravages of the 

 Saperda on the Lindens of Philadelphia, I 

 fear that these insects may be by far, too 

 common here in a few years hence. 



In form, they closely resemble the de- 

 structive apple tree borer, {Saperda bivit- 

 tata, of Say,) an account of which you will 

 find in a " Treatise on some of the Insects 

 of New England, which are injurious to 

 Vegetation," published by Jolin Owen, of 

 Cambridge, in 1842. It is highly probable 

 that the habits of the coated Saperda of the 

 Linden, may resemble those of the apple 

 tree borer; allow me, therefore, to refer you 

 also, to the files of the " Massacluisetts 

 Ploughman" for the past year, and particu- 

 larly to the paper dated November 11th, 

 1843, for some valuable observations on the 

 borer of the apple tree, by Mr. Euckmin- 

 ster, the editor; possibly they may serve to 

 throw some light on the habits of the Lin- 

 den borer, or may suggest means for check- 

 ing the ravages of this insect. 



I beg leave to recommend that the trees 

 should be examined early in July, several 

 evenings successively, with the expectation 

 that by so doing, many of the females may 

 be caught on the trunks while laying their 

 eggs. By this means the numbers of the 

 future brood of grubs would be very much 

 lessened. The beetles may be killed by 

 being thrown into boiling water; or they 

 may be preserved in spirit, to aflbrd natural- 

 ists and others, an opportunity of obtaining 

 specimens of an insect hitherto supposed to 

 be rare, and now more than ever, an object 

 of interest, on account of its destructive 

 powers. 



I shall be glad to procure some of the 

 grubs which may be kept in a phial of 

 spirit; and shall be much gratified if you 

 will, when convenient, give me also, a more 

 full and complete account of their proceed- 

 ings. My present duties prevent me from 



giving that attention to the natural history 

 of insects that the subject demands, and I 

 am obliged to forego the pleasure of making 

 such investigations and experiments as are 

 necessary to lead to any practically useful 

 results; but am always happy, when time 

 will permit, to contribute such information 

 as my observations in past years may enable 

 me to afford. 



I cannot suppose that this letter will be of 

 service to the community; but if you think 

 otherwise, you are at liberty to use it in 

 your own way. It gives me an opportunity 

 to thank you for the specimens which you 

 have sent to your friend, 



Thaddeus William Harris. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 StraAvberries. 



I NOTICED a piece in a late number of 

 your paper,* upon the cultivation of straw- 

 berries, in which the writer appears to doubt 

 whether there are male and female plants. 

 It is known to botanists that all the plants 

 of strawberries have both male and female 

 organs upon each flower. But upon one 

 plant the male organs will so predominate 

 that it will rarely bear any fruit; this for 

 practical purposes, I call the male plant. It 

 is easily distinguished, — is a larger, stronger 

 plant; has larger and rougher flowers than 

 the other : all the runners from it produce 

 the same kind of plants, with the like kind 

 of flowers. The male plant being stronger 

 and not reduced by bearing, spreads rapidly 

 over the ground and smothers the bcarino- 

 plants, and the strawberry bed becomes bar- 

 ren. Where strawberry beds are mixed in 

 this way, with barren and productive plants, 

 it can certainly be told when they are in 

 bloom, what parts of the bed will bear. Let 

 those toho would have productive strawberry 

 beds, not neglect to set out a majority of 

 female plants, whatever may be said by 

 botanists and horticulturists to the contrary. 

 One male to a dozen females, will be sufil- 

 cient. Mr. Longv/orth, of Cincinnati, I 

 think, first called the attention of the public 

 to the above facts. I have known them for 

 about twenty years, and have had productive 

 beds. I have seen beds where a sino-je fe- 

 male flower could not be found : and in the 

 season for fruit, twenty strawberries could 

 not be found upon a rod of ground. I had 

 four different kinds of strawberries brought 

 from your city some years ago, and every 

 plant of each kind was a male plant, conse- 

 quently they have never produced any fruit 

 worth speaking of S. D. Martin. 



Colbvville, Kentucky, Jan., 1844. 



* See p. 139, current volume. 



