INEW ENGLAND FAllMER. 



PUBI.lSmU) BY WILLIAM NICHOLS, KOGF.IJS' IJIMLIJIISGS, c:ONGllESS STllKET, (FOUllTU DOOU FROM STATK STREET. 



,V0L. II. 



BOSTON, SATURDAY, JUNE .0, 1824. 



No. 4: 



(torrcsponXtrntt. 



■:OLOGICAL AND AGRICULTURAL SURVEYS. 

 Hie Editor of Ike J\'ew England Farmer, 

 Sir, — hi some parts of the state of New- York, 

 ological and agricultural surveys have alre;i- 

 been taken, which promise mucli usefulness 

 the farmer, as well as to the naturalist. As 

 soils are formed by the disintegration of 

 ;ks, it seems necessary that the cultivator 

 )ul(l become acquainted, at least, with tlie 

 ks in his oivn neighborhood before he can 

 /e a competent knowledge of his own soil. 

 he rocks are such as form a meagre, unfriiit- 

 soil, some different kinds of earth should be 

 ght to render it more favorable to vegela- 

 1, by giving it those qualities best fitted to 

 ure to plants the virtues of common manures. 

 s said by some of our best writers on agri- 

 ure, that in some places, means for enrich- 

 the soil are to be found in the subsoil ; 

 le in others, the subsoil, on being mixed 

 1 the soil, operates unfavorably. Now it 

 US plain, that if the properties of the diiTer- 

 kinds of earth were well understood, and 

 necessary proportions to form the best soil, 

 it all circumstances, a more correct system 

 lanuring and improving lands, might t.ake 

 |)lace of the present practice which has nei- 

 system nor method about it. Let some en- 

 agement be offered to the aid of scientitic as 

 as practical agriculture, by our societies, 

 those who are destined to fultjl the dulic* 

 oj tie husbandman, will be induced to acquire 

 • knowledge of those sciences immediately 

 ■ ected with their profession, 

 it the farmer have some knowledge of na- 

 history, and he will make as good use of 

 a man in any other prol'ession : its applica- 

 comes directly to his every day labor. Let 

 principles of chemistry and geology be 

 jht to practical use, and we shall at once 

 eneficial results : — More judicious practices 

 t be adopted in making composts : differ- 

 inds of earth might be collected for the ma- 

 heap, and applied with success and profit; 

 x%i at present, their usefulness is entirely un- 

 n to the practical farmer: to him they 

 like a talent buried in the earth, though 

 may be common in his own neighborhood, 

 'n his own farm. As he cannot bring his 

 o the test, and thereby detect those partic- 

 qualities which have an unfavorable effect 

 egetation, he has therefore no means of 

 ing the ' belter way' to correct them, and 

 hem value. 



ricultural theories can never admit of de- 

 ration without the help of science. To 

 le to trace the effect to the cause, in com- 

 jccurrences, and to reason correctly on re- 

 is a grand desideratum in agriculture. We 

 not yet arrived at the summit, although it 

 dily granted that many improvements have, 

 , been made among the common farmers, 

 tfl the introduction ot agricultural societies 

 his state, many have studied the art of oeat- 

 n the management of their fields, and used 

 sr exertions in saving and increasing the 



manure of their stal)les and hog-sties : — but thou- 

 sands are yet imagining that nothing, save the 

 pro(Iuctio!i3 of their barn-yards, and animal and 

 vegetable substances in a stale of decomposition 

 can claim the appellation of manure. Much is 

 yet to be accomplished. Many rude customs, 

 and opinions founded on error, must be brought 

 to the dust ; — science must be called to assist us 

 in our fields, and among our manure heaps, ere 

 v.e can substitute in the place of husbandmen, the 

 more desirable name of agriculturists. JJ. 

 Hampshire County., May 20, 1821. 



LICE ON APPLE TREES. 

 To the Editor of the J^ew England Farmer, 



Sir, — In your paper of May 29, is a commu 

 nication respecti^ig lice on apple trees, but no 

 remedy prescribed. 



The subject is important — none more so with 

 the farmer, who calculates on an orchard — the 

 most prominent item in agriculture. 



It is not many years since these lice were no- 

 ticed, — since which time they have increased 

 beyond calculation ; — though the caterpillar,not 

 half so destructive to apple trees, has called our 

 attention from the first settlement of our coun 

 try — so that tarring the'trees and putting sods or 

 sea »veed in the crotches of the trees is as reg- 

 ularly attended to as ploughing the field in the 

 season thereof; the sods can do no injury to the 

 trees, but as to the tar, it is doubted whether the 

 remedy is not as bad as the disease. For years 

 past I have minutely examined those lice, and 

 remarked the progress they are making, with 

 all our care to suppress them. I have found 

 that each of those shells contain say about 40 

 or 50 nits, which about the first week in June 

 come cut and produce their kind, who move 

 about the limbs (the product of the year be- 

 fore mostly) for about 10 days, and finally pro- 

 duce, in the course of the year, other shells, 

 which we erroneously call lice. 



The most effectual mode that I have found, 

 by experience and attention, is the bathing or 

 washing of the tree for the first ten days in 

 June annually, with some liquid composition — 

 such as soap suds, or in water with some salt, 

 ashes, lime, urine, &c. &c. ETANIS. 



May 31, 1824. 



REMARKS. — Our ccrrespondent, perhaps, overlooked 

 our otrservatioDs on Mr. Carr's communication on the 

 the subject of lice on trees, published in our last pa- 

 per, page 350, or he would not have told us that " no 

 remedy is prescribed" for the disorder in question. — 

 Since writing that article, we have obtained further in- 

 formation on the subject, which we are happy to place 

 before our readers. The Massachusetts Agricultural 

 Repository, vol. 3, page 144, contains the following 

 letter from E. Perley, Esq. 



" This insect, called lice, is in form like half 

 a kernel of rye, (hut not more than one twen- 

 tieth part so large,) with the flat side sticking 

 to the smooth bark of the tree. They resemble 

 blisters; and are near the color of the bark of 

 the tree. These blisters contain from 10 to 30 nits 

 or eggs each, in form like a snake's egg ; (which, 

 in a common season, begin to hatch about the 

 25th of May, and finish about the 10th of June. 



These nits produce a white animalcule, resem- 

 bling a louse, so small they are hardly per- 

 ceptible by the naked eye; which, immediale- 

 ly after they are hatched, open the passage at 

 the ouy of the blister, and crawl out on tlie 

 bark of the tree ; and there remain, with hut 

 little motion about ten days; when they stick 

 themselves fast to the bark of the tree, and die. 

 From this little carcass arises a small speck ot 

 blue mc'ild, which \s most plain to be seen be- 

 tween the 10th and 20th of Jane, and contin- 

 ues about fifteen days ; and then gradually wears 

 off, until the old carcass appears, whichby this 

 time is formed into a new blister, and contains 

 the spawns or nits before mentioned. 



" These blisters prevent the circulation of 

 sap, ai.d prove as fatal to the tree as the can- 

 ker worm. 



"In order to remedy the difficulty, 1 have 

 made many experiments within a few years; — 

 but long to no good effect, not knowing then 

 the particular season when these animalcules 

 could be most easily destroyed. This, howev- 

 er, I have lately found to be between the time 

 they hatch, and that when the mould leaves 

 them.* The application that 1 have found most 

 effectual, is washing tlie trees with lie or brine. 

 Lime, also, mixed with lye, to the consistence 

 nf white wash, may be useful. And although 

 the small branches cannot be cleansed in this 

 manner without much dilliculty, still, if the bo- 

 dy of the free, and the branches near the body 

 are kent clean until there comes a rough bark, 

 I lhii;s the lice will not kill the tree. 



" Some people have recommended the ap- 

 plication of train oilio the tree, which, indeed, 

 is a powerful antidote against lice, but being of 

 a glutinous quality, is very detrimental to the 

 tree. Inoculation has been proposed ; which, 

 1 think, will have no effect at all on the lice ; 

 for I perceive they hatch in May, on branches 

 that were [pruned off the tree in March, and 

 the sap entirely extinguished. 



" These lice are natural in the uncultivated 

 forest, on what is called moose-wood, and other 

 bushes. 



" Much care should be taken on their first 

 appearing in an orchard or nursery ; as the 

 cutting down and destroying a few young trees 

 is of no importance, compared with the difficul- 

 ty of having an orchard overrun with them. 



" P. S. The brine or pickle, with which 

 the tree is to be washed, should not be such 

 as has had meat salted in it ; but let one quart 

 of common salt be dissolved in two gallons of 

 clean water. 



* " It appears from this account, by Mr. Perley, that 

 these appearances can, in general, only occur between 

 May 25, and July 5." 



The following communication was copied, and sent to 

 us by a friend, to whom we have heretofore been in- 

 debted, for similar favors. The remedy proposed is 

 simple, and comes recommended by high authority. 



ROT IN SHEEP. 

 Though there is some doubt among physiolo- 

 gists whether the pasciola or Jluke worm be the 

 cause or effect of this disease, all are agreed 

 that the malady never appears in a wholesome 



