23 1 



known lo be one ol" the giealcst, will lie ('iiirl.\ 

 tried. A I-ARMEK. 



Boston, Jan. IC, 1830. 



Remarks by Iht Editor. — Wo aro ever happy 

 to insert any arlicle wliicli may inipeacli or con- 

 tradiet onr own opinion.i, or detect any error into 

 wliicti we may have lallen, when iriitli and uliliiy 

 require ilie correctioii. AVe are, llicreforo, under 

 great ohligaiions to " A Farmer' for his sugges- 

 tions, whitli are given above. But wc apprehend 

 tliiil the Apple tree Uorer (saptrdu bivitata of Pro- 

 fessor Say*) does not make a hole in a tree large 

 enough to " get in a piece of camphor about as 

 largo as a kernel of Indian Corn," (which is the 

 process for destroying the insect recommended by 

 iMr Yoi/Ng) till it leaves the tree. We have al- 

 ways supposed that when we fmd a hole in an ap- 

 ple tree, about the size of a goosc-rpiill, it leads 

 to the deserted tenement of the borer or wood-tater, 

 is the avenue of his erit, not the path of his eii- 

 trancf ; and any application made lo a hole of that 

 size, visible on the outside of the tree, would, we 

 thoughl, be lifce " shutting the door after'the steed 

 is .stolen." 



It is stated in the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Uepository, vol. v. p.ngc 360, that a Committee 

 was a|(pninted to examine the subject of the de- 

 predations commitlcd by the borer, consisting of 

 Samuel G. 1'ebki.ns and Joh.n Prince, Esqrs. 

 who stated that " In apple and mountain ash 

 tree.", the existence of the animal in the tree may 



NEW ENGI.AND FAU.ML:K, 



er is one of the species of the genus Cerambyz. 

 This genus, according to Uees' Kncyclo|>cdia, 

 'comprehends an amazing immbcr of the larger 

 and innst beautiful of the releoplerous [wing- 

 cased] insects. In the larva state, they resemble 

 soft, oblong, clendcr worms, with a shelly head, 

 furnished with strong jaws, ami six feet on the an- 

 terior part. They live principally in trees, the in- 

 ner part of which lliey bore through, reducing 

 llie wood lo powder, and undergo their changes 

 fi-jui the larva to the pupu, and thence to the per- 

 fect state 111 the cavities uhich they bore." 



It should seem then that the borer isinlroduccd 

 into the tree while yet an egg, u:id <loes not come 

 out of it till it has gone through all the changes, 

 which arc necessary to its becoming a perfect in- 

 sect. So doubt its course, or the cavity it inake^ 

 is eidarged as the worm increases in size, but wliei 

 it makes an aveime leading out of the tree, ihi 

 exterior part of which is as large as a goose-quil, 

 or a kernel of corn, the mischief is completed, and 

 the depredator has escaped. 



While we are attending to this subject, it ma) 

 not be amiss to state some of the remedies, whici 

 have been proposed against this insect. 



The Massachusetts Agricultural Repository, vol 

 V. page 360, contains a paper on this insect, by 



Joiiiv Prince, Esq. in which that gentleman sta- "j''''^'' '""X ''« had at the Agi-irullnral Warehouse, 

 ted that these worms were » easily got rid of by '^'""l' Market-street, or the common paint brush 

 digging round the trees, and clearing away the ^iH answer. ICvery other year will answer as a 

 earth to the roots, and then with a sharp pointed remedy against the borer, although the horliciil 

 knife, a chisel or gouge, (and a small wire to probe' """'st will find himself richly rewarded by aiu<n. 



Hince writing the above, we have been favor.,! 

 with the Ajllowing communication from Mism- 

 F. & J. Wi.Nsiiip, Proprietors of the Bright., n 

 Nursery, near Boston. 



" Mr rE9SENDE.T — Conformably to vt.ur sug.t 

 g«|stioii, we herewith briefly give you ail accouulj 

 of our experience and proceedings with re-gar.l to» 

 preventing llii! future depredations and destri,, 

 (i\e effects of the A pplu tree Borer. Five vc;ii., 

 ago, we were exceeiliiigly troubled, having at thor 

 same time, several thousand trees iiifeMed wiihl 

 tiiein. We applied the wash, as recommi-ndeji 

 by B. WiiEEtEB, Es<i. of Framiiigham, vol. iv. |, 

 24S. of New England Farmer, and have cnniu.. 

 ucd it every seasop since, the first week in Jimp 

 in pleasant weather, on from five to ten ihousaniilk 

 trees, annually. The ailmirable eflecl has beea r 

 astonishing ; not only effectually |ireveiniii" ili« 

 «lestructive effects of the borer, but killing imme- 

 diately the moss, and destroying those other iiisertg, 

 usually found impeding the good liealih of the 

 tree ; also regiiscilaling and invigorating every j 

 kind of tree we have apjilied it to. We should 

 recommend as a general wash, one pound of pot- 

 ash to six ])ints of water. And for promptiiPH 

 of excciilion the nuiriner's long haiiillid lar brush. 



smalt, yet it is easily discoverable by an ay 

 jiearance of powdered wood, or fine saw dust, 

 which is thrown out by tho worm ; — here you 

 may introduce your chisel, aud follow his 

 track." 



We fully coincide in opinion with " A Farmer," 

 that camphor is a very efficient substance for the 

 deslriiclion of all kinds of iii.sects ; the only diffi- 

 culty in this case, is in its application. The egg of 

 the iiorer, according to Jesse Blei-, Esq. is depo- 

 sited beneath the surface of the soil.f The insect 

 is hatched in the wood or bark, becomes a larva 

 or worm, directs its course upwards as it feeds, 

 and issues, we believe, a perfect hug or beetle 

 some distance above the root. 



An :ible writer for the New England Farmer 

 asserts (vol. iv. page 313,) that " the insect, [the 

 borer] after its last transformation is a beetle of a 

 dark slate or brown color, some of the smaller 

 species have figurcil stripes on their wings; they 

 fly about in the boat of July, ipiick on the wing 

 and very shy. They aro little noticed, and depo- 

 sit then their seed in the hark of almost every kind 

 of trees; the oak bark is filled with it, that of the 

 yellow pine, hometimcs the maple. The forest 

 and the orclianl arc fully stocked ; and the borers 

 arc the meat on which depends tho whole tribe of 

 (bu woodpecker,-.." 



This writer is of opiiiioii that the apple tree bo- 



* Wo were wrniiir in supiiosing tho perfect jnoccl, 

 which i» the parent of the apple tree borer to be a fly, re- 

 senililiiig a wa^tp. On the ri)iilr.iry, it im a bug or beetle. 

 .We bail confouiidcil the apple tree borer with tho worm 

 which ilc^iroyn peach trees, and is styled, by I'rofcswr 

 Say, J'/'-fifia Exiliii$a. 



I Mciiioim of N. V. D6ard of .\griculturi;, vol. ill. page 

 479. 



observe that •' The seasons when this operatior; 

 is performed with most effect, are the spring and 

 fall ; and if in the spring, before the month of June, 

 as the perfect insects escape before that time. 



Dr Thachcr recommends the following me- 

 thods of preventing the successful attacks of the 

 insect upon the tree. 



" Early in the spring, let the sod from around 

 the trunk of the tree be removed, down to the 

 roots, and fill u|) the vacant place with some sub- 

 stance that would prove obnoxious to the fly or 

 worm, or that would infallibly resist its powers to 

 penetrate the bark, .\mong the substances which 

 appear most likely to prove successful, I will men- 

 tion flax rubbish and seaweed, spread about the 

 trunk. The next wIhcIi occur are ashes, lime, 

 sca-shells, sea-sand, mortar rubbish from old 

 buildings, clay, tanners' hark, fragments of leather 

 from the tanners' and shoe makers' shops, &:c." 



Professor Say, in n letter to Jesse BucI, Esq. 

 says " you state that it leaves the jnipa, ami be- 

 comes ))erfect in the latter part of .-Xpril, and that 

 the eggs are deposited beneath the surface of the 

 soil. These two circumstances ascertained, 1 

 would recommend the application early in May, 

 or the latter part of April, of common bricklayers' 

 mortar, around the base of the tree, so as to cover 

 completely the part, and its immediate vicinity, 

 where the deposit is made." — Mem. JV. 1'. Hoard 

 of .flgr. vol iii. page 479. 



This method has been tried by a gentleman in 

 the vicinity of Boston with success ; but it is at- 

 tended with consiih-rabic trouble and expense ; 

 and there is some ditliculty in making the inorlar 

 adhere to tho surface of the tree, in consequence 

 of its expo.suro to the vicissitudes of weather. 



d by ar 



acquaintance of mine, that he has a brother resi- 

 iling in i\cw Jersey, who has a long time been ii 

 the habit of grafting in the winter season ; im. 

 that he does it with great success, and but verv 

 seldom sets a graft but what lakes and growi 

 well. 



I have no particular knowledge about the tinii 

 of his cutting the grafts, or liis mode of setiin( 

 them. 



If any of your subscribers have any particula 

 knovvlcdge on this subject, I shoiihl be pleasecl> 

 10 hear their remarks. A SUBSCRIBER 



Leeds, .V. Y. Feb. 6, 1830. 



CULTIVATION OF EXOTIC PLANTS. 



[ Conrtudtd from pafe 'XK. ] 



BULBOis gkee.n house plasts. 



Autholyzn a-lhiopica. 3 May, June, orange. C. Good Hop*- it' 

 1759. 



These are humble plants with very beauiifu 

 flowers, pi'ciiliarly adapted fur pots and for chain 

 bcr decorations in spring. 



Cyclamen hcdcra-follum. ^. April, white. .Aiifitria. 15!N>. 



persicum. 4 ^'eb. April. criiiiHon. Cypres.*. 17:!I 

 Lacbenalia ansuslifolia. 1. .\pril, May. white. Cape. MM 

 Gladiolus watsuniu!.. 1. Feb. .\pril. cria.»on. Cape. ITHI. 



angii'ilu.s. 2. May, June, lisjbi yellow. Cjpc 

 1751. 



blandus. j. June. li(;hl flesh. Capo. 1774. 



byzantinus. 2. June, July. criuiM>a. Turkey 

 1629. 



campanulatuH. J. May. liitbt purple. Cape I7P4 



carncus. 2. May, Jviiie. llesh. Cape. 17!»(i. 



oaiiiaqnenM". J. May, June, orange. Cape. ISiHI 



versicolor. 1|. Miy. June, brown. Cape. ITi'l 



uiiilulatus. 1. Apiil, May. pink. Cape. 1760. 



eartlinalis. 2. July, .\ug. licb »earlel. Cape, n."*!* 

 Ixia auliea. 2 .April, May. pink. Cape. 1771. 

 flcxuosa. 2. April, May. pink. 1757. 



