No. 7. 



" Take care of the Creatures^ 



2'Zl 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 

 " Take care of the Creatures." 



Such were the last words of one of the 

 patriots and heroes of the American Revo- 

 lution: — WJlo was he! In an introductory 

 lecture to a course of lectures, upon the In- 

 stitutes and practice of medicine, delivered 

 in the University of Pennsylvania, on the 

 2nd of November, 1807, upon the duty and 

 advantages of studying the diseases of do- 

 mestic animals, and the remedies proper to 

 remove them, by that great luminary of the 

 healing art, Doctor Benjamin Rush, he con- 

 cludes his lecture and enforces his argu- 

 ments, by this sentence : 



" One of the patriots and heroes of the 

 Revolution, who died suddenly a few years 

 ago, in his barn-yard, said with his last 

 breath to his servant, who stood near him, — 

 ' Take care of the creatures.^ " 



That beautiful lecture was published en- 

 tire, by the writer of this, more than twenty- 

 one years since, in the American Farmer, 

 and has been perused again lately, with in- 

 creased admiration, of the heart and the 

 head from which it proceeded ; but he con- 

 fesses that if he ever knew, as he presumes 

 he did, who was the hero and patriot alluded 

 to by the great philosopher, he has forgotten ; 

 nor has he as yet been able to learn by pri- 

 vate inquiry — will you, Mr. Editor, be good 

 enough to find out and publish his name in 

 large letters in tiie Cabinet, that the man 

 may command, as the sentiment does, the 

 respect and admiration of all benevolent 

 farmers. J. S. S. 



Washington, D. C, Jan. 10th, 1844. 



To Soften Putty. — This being often an 

 object with the gardener, that he may re- 

 move glass from fi"ames without breaking 

 it, he will be glad to know, that a very 

 strong solution of caustic potash, or caustic 

 soda, applied to it for a few hours, by laying 

 upon it an old rag dipped in the solution, 

 will have the desired effect. 



From the American Farmer. 



Management of Peach Trees and Cul- 

 ture of Indian Corn. 



To THE Editor, — The accompanying let- 

 ter from Mr. Physick, son of the illustrious 

 physician and surgeon, is too interesting to 

 be buried on a private file. It is in fact a 

 reply to one whicli, as corresponding secre- 

 tary of the Columbian Horticultural Society, 

 I was prompted to address to him for his 

 views on the strangely contested question, 

 whether it be or not, advantageous to culti- 



vate peach trees 1 The whole letter may 

 be deemed worthy of insertion, and if so, it 

 is at your service. Your subscribers, I am 

 sure, will unite with me in a sentiment of 

 thankfulness and respect to the writer, who, 

 besides the obligation he confers by the 

 prompt and courteous communication of his 

 experience and opinions, sets in that respect, 

 a salutary example to all who have it in 

 their power to contribute something to the 

 hive of knowledge. Yours, respectfully, 



J. S. Skinner. 



Washington, 17th Dec, 1843. 



Ararat Farm, Oct. 28th, 1843. 



Dear Sir, — Your favour of the 25th inst., 

 with the National Intelligencer, containing 

 your Address to the Columbian Horticultu- 

 ral Society, is received, for which you will 

 please accept my thanks. 



In the management of my peach trees, I 

 use one part of saltpetre, to about four to 

 eight parts of common salt, and apply in its 

 solid state, about half a pound of this mix- 

 ture to a bearing tree upon the surface of 

 the ground, and in close connection with 

 the trunk of the tree. I never disturb the 

 earth about the tree — for a Idlig time I ap- 

 plied it three times in the course of the 

 year, though twice, I now think will an- 

 swer — I have heretofore applied it in April, 

 June, and first of September — now last of 

 April and first of September. 



Of 500 trees, 300 were treated with salt 

 and nitre, and 200 left without its use — 

 those around which the salt and saltpetre 

 were put, were and still continue entirely 

 exempt from worms — of those left without 

 the salt and saltpetre, not one escaped the 

 ravages of the peach worm. In your Ad- 

 dress you speak of the practice of taking 

 out the worm with a hooked wire. Allow 

 me to suggest the proper time for destroying 

 them, which is from the 15th to the 25th of 

 August with me, when they have enveloped 

 themselves in a cocoon, or otherwise are in 

 their chrysalis state. The envelope of the 

 aurelia, is made up of the tree, and resem- 

 bles the outer bark in colour, and will be 

 found lying under the gum, on the ground, 

 near the tree, or in connection with the 

 tree. I have taken in this way, as many as 

 39 of these worms from one tree, and have 

 sedulously watched them building their cells 

 for hours together. The greatest distance 

 I ever obtained one from the tree, was about 

 three and a half inches, and have often made 

 them build their chrysalis habitation under 

 the bark of the tree, near the outer opening 

 of their depredations. It is generally be- 

 lieved that this worm causes the yellows — 



