NEW E:Nai.AN» FARMEK. 



Published by John B. Russell, at JVi». 52 Mirth Market Slrtjf, (at the Agricultural Warrhnuse) Thomas G. Fessenden Editor. 



VOL. YIII. 



BOSTON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1829. 



No. 2:3. 



AGRICULTURE. 



FOB THE NEW ENGLiKD FARMER. 



THE CANKER WORM. 



Mr Fessendhn — Tlie spring before last, I dis- 

 vcred a few canker worms on my apple, quince, 

 erry, plum, and elm trees, and deterrfiined tol 

 svent their increase, by commencing to tar the 

 es early in the following spring ; but late in the 

 yl ernoon of the 17tli Novend)er, I discovered the 

 Her, or male insect, flying about my garden and 

 haril, and immediately had several apjjle trees 

 liijrronndcd by belts of tar, to ascertain whether 

 grubs or females, would i)ass up, during the 

 ht. In the morning many were found caught 

 the tar, and I was fearful that these little, but 

 tnictivc enemies, had stolen a march upon me, 

 rendered all attemi)ts to check their career in 

 spring, unavailing. 1 mentioned this unex- 

 ted movement to several old farmers, who sta- 

 that the insects which appeared in the au-i 

 nn, either did not deposit any eggs, or that theyj 

 e prevented from ever batching by the severe! 

 sts of winter; and that there was no injury to' 

 rap])rehen<led,, if the trees were thoroughly 

 red the next spring, to prevent the ascent of| 

 insects at that season. Tliis was faithfully' 

 e ; the work having been commenced the mo- 1 

 nt the ground began to thaw, and vast numbers' 

 e caught ; all, in fact, which attempted to pass' 

 and I concluded my triumph was complete, 

 after the trees had foliated not a canker 

 rm was to be seen ; when, suddenly, in May, 

 y appeared in vast numbers; on many trees, 

 ry leaf was occupied by several, and a large 

 tion of my orchard was nearly stripped of its 

 age. These, beyond all doubt, were the off- 

 ing of autumnal parents ; and it became evi- 

 it that the trees must be defendeil against their 

 vements, at that season, as well as the vernal, 

 I made arrangements for that purpose. On 

 27th of October, I commenced tarring, but no 

 ects were discovered, until the evening of the 

 As the tar became hard very soon, it was 

 ™ sessary to repeat the process often, and when 

 weather was warm, for several nights in suc- 

 sion, intermitting it only when the ground was 

 zen, or the nights so cold as to prevent the 

 vement of the insects. This was continued 

 il the 8th of December, after which none ap- 

 red. 



The greatest number were caught on the night 

 the 12th of November. The day and evening 

 e warm and misty, 'tiut during the night it 

 ared oflfcold, and the ground was frozen in the 

 •» rning, an inch deep; still, to my astonishment 

 oon as the sun rose, the insects, which had at- 

 ipted to ascend, and were on the bark below 

 tar, or on the ground round the trunks of the 

 s, became active, and the females commenced 

 )ositing their eggs. Some were found on the 

 1 of my apiary, which was csposed to the sun 

 ers an the fence, and on a chain that hung ovei 

 near on apple tree, were a number, which hac 

 -1 ler laid their eggs, or were in the act of doinc 

 This I brought in, and hung up, and after thi 



: grubs had died, there were founti, on the links, 

 I eleven deposits of eggs. 



I I counted 256 insects which were caught in the 

 ' irtr on the bark under it, and on the ground, 

 close to the trunk of an anple tree. Having col- 

 lected several dejjosits of eggs from the trees and 

 other situations, I examined them with a micro- 

 scope, and found they contained from 212 to 228 

 each, averaging at least 215. Among the 256 in- 

 sects above named, were 26 males, leaving 230 

 females, which would have produced 49,450 can- 

 ker worms on one tree, if they had all ascended, 

 and deposited their eggs. 



On the evening of the 10th of November, I 

 brought several males and females into my library, 

 and placed them on paper, under glasses. Uurin" 

 the forenoon of the 12th, one of them commenced 

 living the eggs, which were very symmetrically 

 arranged in parallel lines, of unequal lengths, form- 

 ing an irregular figure, whose area, like most of 

 those 1 have examined, was about the tenth of a 

 square inch, and contained 221 eggs. Perceiving 

 that the rows of eggs were rajiidly formed, I made 

 use of a lens to witness the process, and discov- 

 ered that six were deposited in two minutes. 

 They are in form of the inverted frustum of a cone, 

 or rather of a parabolic spindle, with scmispheri- 

 cal bottoms and slightly convex tops ; one fiftieth 

 of an inch lu diameter, and little less than two 

 fiftieths ill height. Being covered with a viscid 

 sibstancc, when first ejected, that suddenly har- 

 ('(>ns on exposure to the air, they are attached to 

 each other, and to ttie surfiice on which they are 

 placed, and so firmly, that I found several clusters 

 of eggs, on the twigs of apple trees, in November, 

 which must have been deposited last spring or the 

 preceding autumn, as the larva had escaped. I 

 se:Kl you several of the insects male and female, 

 aud various collections oftheeggson pieces of the 

 bark cut from the trunk of the tree, on twigs, on 

 the paper placed under those which I confined in 

 glasses, and the chain above alluded to. 



Nos. 1, 2, 3, males. 



4, ,.5 6, females, .which had not laid their 



eggs. 

 7, 8, 9, females which died after having 

 laid their eggs. 



You will observe that they are very much redu- 

 ced in size, and altered in form, so as not to re- 

 semble, but partially, the other females. They 

 lived only seven or eight days from the time they 

 came out of the ground. 



The insects, like many others, take no food 

 either in the winged or chrysalis state, but in the 

 larvai arc voracious. 



After the canker worms have grown to the full 

 size, they descend, by a very delicate fibre, like 

 that of the spider, and enter the earth, to the 

 depth of three or four inches, where they change 

 to the chrysalis state, and remain until the last of 

 October, or the following spring, when the jierfect 

 insects appear and commence the process of pro- 

 pagating their species. The females are apterous, 

 or wingless; but being furnished with six legs, 

 they ascend the trees with considerable facility, 

 and seek positions near the extremities of the small 

 branches for placing their eggs. The males, most 

 generally, are seen crawling up among the females, 



at the same time fluttering their wings to aid their 

 movements, and occasionally taking high and dis- 

 tant flights. 



It appeared to mc, that the jiroportion of males 

 to the females was less this autumn than last 

 spring. 



The wings of some of the males are white, and 

 of others a dark ash color, while a iiortion of the 

 larva; arc green, and others nearly black. Does 

 the color of the larvie designate the future sex, or 

 the dark aud light colored males ? 



As to the bast mode of |ireventing the ravages 

 of this most r'estructive insect, 1 am unable to de- 

 cide. Tarring the trees is certainjy effectual, if 

 thoroughly done, in the autumn and spring. 



J. Lowell, I'.sq. to whom we are indebted for 

 much useful information on all the branches of 

 rural economy, thinks lime a perfect remedy. His 

 mode of applying it, besides destroying the larva; 

 of the canker worm, is highly beneficial to the 

 trees. Extracts from Jiis excellent communica- 

 tion, first piiblisljed in the third volume of the Mas- 

 sachusetts Agricullural Journal, are to be found in 

 the 3d volume of the New England Parmer. 



Dr Spofford, in his letter to you, which was 

 published in the 4th volume of the New England 

 Farmer, page 378, represents the application of 

 the mercurial ointment, commonly called Uiiguen- 

 tum, as a complete barrier to the ascent of the 

 grubs, or females. It is spread ow strips of woollen 

 cloth, or list, which are bound round the trees. 



There rirc numerous other tiiodes which have 

 claimed .■.j''-.Jtiiiii ; but thf lust J- the most simple, 

 and if, from multiplied experiments, it should be 

 found to be effeclual, it will take precedence, as it 

 is not very expensive, can be easily applied, and 

 does not require to be renewed for the season. 



We have four most troublesome and destructive 

 enemies to encounter in our orchards: — the Borer, 

 which fells the trees ; the Canker worm, and Ca- 

 terpillar, which devour the leaves, and the Curcu- 

 lio, which preys upon the fruit. All are formida- 

 ble, but the last appears to bid defiance to the war- 

 fare of the cultivator ; still it is hojied, that some 

 method will yet be discovered to destroy them 

 that of Dr Tilton is deserving of attention, and, 

 if faithfully adhered to, will at least diminish the 

 immber, and may ultimately exterminate the race. 

 Very respectfally, 



your most odedient servant. 



Brinley Place, ) U. A. S. DEARBORN. 



Dee. 14, 1829. / 



POTATOES USED IN BREAD. 



Mr Fessenden — I liave often seen in your 

 most valuable paper, potatoes recommended as an 

 ingredient for bread, and in corroboration of the 

 same, I can assure your readers and the public 

 that while a resident for 10 years in one of the 

 West India Islands, I vifas in the constant habit of 

 using wheat bread, one third jiotatoes, (the same as 

 we raise in this country,) as the person, my next 

 door neighbor, assured me in confidence ; and so 

 much was it preferred, that it was taken at the 

 oven, as fast as it was finished, in prefercnco to 

 that furnished at the door by the regular bakers. 



There would certainly be a great saving in the 

 use of lliem, as a barrel of potatoes is not one 

 sixth that of flour in jirice, and they would not 



