31-i 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



grate to the so-called inexhaustible West ; which 

 at that time, meant Central or Western New 

 York. 



A few public spirited and patriotic men now 

 began to see the necessity of some such associated 

 efibrt as should excite the public mind to such ac- 

 tion as would lead to the development of the in- 

 dustrial resources of the State. — Report of Sec. of 

 Board of Agriculture . 



SLIMY SLUG. 



[SBLASDRIA CERASI.] 



Tiiis insect is extensively know© to pomologists 

 as an inveterate enemy to the pear tree. It fre- 

 quently makes its appearance all at once, and in 

 such numbers, as well nigh to baffle the most en- 

 'ergetic efforts to destroy or arrest them. They 

 commence depredations, generally, on the upper 

 surface of the leaves, eating out and entirely des- 

 troying the soft sapid substance forming the con- 

 nections between the ribs, leaving each leaf upon 

 which they locate and. prey, in appearance, like a 

 sieve bottom, or a piece of loosely fabricated gauze. 

 Their physiological appearance bears no similitude 

 to that of the canker-worm, being shaped nearly 

 like a tad- pole. Their color is dun, sometimes 

 quite dark, and their length is from an eighth to 

 half an inch, but rarely more. 



DowMXG speaks of this insect in his work on 

 the "Fruitsand Fruit Trees of America," page 328; 

 and it is also mentioned by Kexrick, in his "Or- 

 chardist," page 55. Both of these authors recom- 

 mend similar means for its destruction, and to 

 them, all who are interested are respectfully re- 

 ferred. 



A writer in an Eastern paper, remarking upon 

 the Selandria Cerasi, by which his pear trees had 

 been greatly injured, says : — "I bought, a month 

 since, a garden syringe ; also, a keg of whale oil 

 soap, for seventy-five cents, and with these two 

 articles of trifling cost, have destroyed thousands 

 of flies, slugs, and worms, which infest plum trees, 

 hop, melon and other vines. The soap will make 

 even a full grown caterpillar wink, and derange 

 his appetite effectually." 



Another cheap and effectual method of destroy- 

 ing the "slug," is given by the same writer as 

 follows : — "Take a piece of very coarse cotton 

 cloth, say twenty inches square, and tie uj) the 

 corners of it, enclosing one or two quarts of air- 

 slacked lime, or unleached ashes therein, and 

 make it secure to the end of a long, light pole. 

 In the morning, while the dew is on, elevate the 

 sack above the topmost branches of the tree, strik- 

 ing the end of the pole with a small mallet, occa- 

 sionally, and moving the pole or sack about till 

 every leaf is finely dusted over with the lime or 

 ashes. This operation need not bo repeated, if 

 once thoroughly performed. The time requisite 

 for a full grown tree is not over fiveminutes. Pear 

 trees should be scraped, both tops and trunks, in 



May or June, and washed with a mixture of soft 

 soap, lime and green cow manure, put on with a 

 brusli, as a very thick wash. Have a quart or 

 two of iron scales or cinders broken fine around 

 each tree. It keeps them healthy, and prevents 

 blight. Washing the trunks and larger branches 

 with strong soap suds, is another remedy highly 

 spoken of. ' ' 



The above recommendations are all well enough 

 in judicious hands ; but great care must be used in 

 5crfl^mo--^rubbing is a better term — and in the 

 use of lime. Old plaster from the walls of hous- 

 es, broken fine, and mixed with pulverized char- 

 coal, bone dust, guano and gypsum, sliould also 

 be placed around the roots, and incorporated 

 thoroughly with the soil. 



There are few departments of flirming which 

 more liberally remunerate the farmer, than fruit- 

 growing. Our markets are but imperfectly sup- 

 plied with many kinds of fruit, which are conse- 

 quently in great demand, and at high prices. 



There is a small "slug" which frequently 

 proves destructive or highly injurious to the clover 

 plant, in its earlier stages of development, and 

 which is easily destroyed by lime. A very slight 

 dressing is said to be sufficient. It is a fact. gen- 

 erally Avell known to agriculturists of intelligence, 

 that a very slight dressing of this mineral will, 

 on light soils, bring in clover, a grass that makes 

 a fine crop of valuable hay, with but very slight 

 impoverishment to the soil. It has also been as- 

 serted, that its alkaline properties are effectual in 

 destroying the fungus ov mosses which often gath- 

 er on the stems and branches of the trees. Look 

 after the slugs in season. 



For the New England Farmer. 



OENAMENTAL TEEES. 



In the Farmer for the present month you copy 

 an article from the Boston Journal on the Natur- 

 al Beauty of Ornamental Trees. Not agreeing 

 with the writer, "R. M. C," in the article re- 

 ferred to aljove, I beg leave to make a few remarks 

 on the same. First, the Avriter sets down those who 

 have the care of the forest and ornamental trees of 

 your city, as ignorant pretenders to the title of 

 gardeners, or foresters ; it may be that they are 

 ignorant of what is their duty, either as a garden- 

 er or forester, but does that take the name from 

 the man of j)ractice 1 I mean tlie man that has 

 studied to be a forester, as much as our friend 

 "R. M. C," has studied at college to become a 

 landscape and ornamental gardener? Why is it, 

 I ask, that some gentlemen in Scotland and Eng- 

 land employ six, eight, and in some cases, eighteen 

 or twenty foresters, from one end of the year to 

 the other, taking care of their forest and orna- 

 mental trees and shrubs? Surely, it cannot be to 

 lay a ruthless hand on the trees entrusted to their 

 care. No man worthy of the name, will cut a 

 limb unless needed,any more than he would scrape 

 the fair skin of his child, or the surface of an al- 

 abaster statue. In the choice of ornamental 

 trees, the writer holds up the American Elm as 



