340 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



July 



important quv-*;,,,,^ j^ -whose hands will it work, 

 and why not at all tuu^t 



Electrically, tlic race is clabB'ifi.>,l. Males arc 



Eositive ; females negative. This is navurf>, and 

 J this very general law of relation of the sexes, 

 much, that is now considered inexplicable hj 

 many, may be satisfactorily explained. 



Many males arc negatively electrified, and it is 

 found ))y exiieriment that such have this power or 

 flxeulty of perceiving subterranean springs: &c.,by 

 sensation, and that generally any one who is a 

 good biologic, mesmeric or "spirit-rapping" me- 

 dium, is a good Bletonist. 



Living (not deep) water, silver, iron and the 

 like, being relatively posilive electrically to such 

 persons, the rod in their hands, when immediately 

 over any of these substances, points in a direct 

 lino to it, and there1)y indicates its locality. 



In the hands of those who are positively elec- 

 trified the rod is repelled ; which is also in per- 

 fect accordance with the well-known electric law, 

 that likes repel each other. 



It has also been ascertained, that the physio- 

 lo.^ical changes that are constantly going on in 

 our bodies, change temporarily, if not sometimes 

 permamently, their electric state from negative to 

 positive and the opposite, and hence the well- 

 known fact that, not at all times, in the 

 same person's hands, will the rod operate ; a cir- 

 cumstance which, probably, more than any oth- 

 er, has led more to believe the whole thing to 

 bo a humbug, but which, if the above suggestion 

 has any tveight, must obviously be expected to 

 occur. 



The rule by which the depth of water is ascer- 

 t.iiaed,is to measure from the point where the rod 

 / 'i>i7is to bend toward, to where it points directly 

 / ' the water perpendicularly. This will give the 

 i\ pth, nearly, and it will be perceived that the 

 f^paere of attraction begins at about an angle of 

 4P. It seems hardly necessary to point out the 

 value of this science to the agriculturist and oth- 

 ers. By it much money and time may be saved, 

 and land otherwise comparatively worthless, ren- 

 dered immensely valuable. G. 



Barton, Vt. 



For the New England Farmer. 



CANKER WORMS. 



As a subscriber to your valued journal, from 

 its early commencement until the present time, 

 may I be permitted to avail myself of a small space 

 in your columns, oifering a few remarks in refer- 

 ence to that pest of the ruralist and the farmer, in 

 the "Span or Canker Worm ?" Another of their 

 annual devastations has just been completed, and 

 in many places the fair promises of spring have 

 l)een wholly destroyed by their ravenous besieg- 

 ings. Indeed, in some sections in our vicinity, 

 they appear to liave come forward in increased 

 numbers, and, like 



"Giants refreshetl with wine," 



have carried perfected destruction wheresoever 

 they have gathered and assailed. Many years 

 since, I believe tliesc depredators were not known 

 among us. And although many able treatises 

 have of late been written on the habits of this vo- 

 racious insect, accompanied with cautions as to 

 their increase ; and although various plans have 

 been suggested for their extirpation, yet, we be- 

 lieve nothing has as yet been effected, accomplish- 



ing fully the end desired. The process of tarring 

 we believe has performed all it promised to, when 

 faithfully continued. Yet, where there are many 

 trees, this process is peculiarly laborious, and dis- 

 grecalde. And accompanied as it is, with the 

 drying rapidity of the tar, (although thinned with 

 oil) and the injury it oft inflicts on trees, owa 

 would think it, by no means, the best resort that 

 the ingenuity of man can i-each to effect the ob- 

 ject desired. 



Girdles of oil cups, tufts of cotton and clipped 

 straw, with various other imbecilities, have been 

 used, and yet with no beneficial rcsidts, as the 

 numberless burned orchards in our vicinity, bear 

 ample testimony to. 



At a period when societies are formed, to en- 

 courage the production of fruits and flowers — when 

 premiums are liberally offered for tfio best exhibi- 

 tions of yVM;7, vegetable or grain, and horticultural 

 societies reward generously for the largest cherry 

 or pumpkin — one would think a little of their 

 munificent encouragement might, (profitalily to 

 mankind,) be diverted and appropriated to him 

 who could rescue whole orchards from destruction ; 

 instead of showering all their encouragements on 

 the one who could grow the biggest apple or to- 

 mato in the country. 



But really ^Messrs. Editors, — seriously and re- 

 ligiously, I think the subject is worthy of, and 

 demands better attention than has yet been 

 given to it. For, of a truth, the evil by no means 

 mitigates or diminishes ; on the contrary, is must 

 fearfully and disastrously increasing. Surely 

 the subject calls for the keenest investigation, 

 alike of the agriculturist, of agricultural societies, 

 of the farmer, the chemist, the practical or even 

 the unpractical man. For with the ravages of 

 this insect still annually being spread over our 

 beautiful orchards and groves, ought we to sit still, 

 indifferent to the regular augmentation of this af- 

 fliction, or at once endeavor to devise some means, 

 if possible, to stay and extirpate it where it is^ 

 Recently we have had shown us a glass belt, (made 

 in two segments, so as to encircle the tree, and thus 

 arrest the rising of the insects,) invented and pa- 

 tented by Mr. A. Everett, of Roxbury, Mass., 

 which we are told promises to be effectually use- 

 ful. The inventor informed us awhile since, that 

 its use had been adopted with great favor l)y Dr. 

 TiiADDEus Wm. Harris, our distinguished Ento- 

 mologist ; and we should be glad to hear from our 

 talented and indefatigable friend, the doctor, on 

 this point, or any other that might profitably be 

 availed of, as a curative for the increase and rav- 

 ages of this devastating insect. Dr. Harris, in 

 various articles contributed to your journal and 

 other agricultural periodicals, as also in his able 

 "Treatise on Insects," has given some valuable 

 suggestions, as to the destruction of the "Canker 

 Worm ;" but yet none Avhich we think wholly ef- 

 fectual, unless pursued at great cost of time and 

 patience. And this, too, with little beneficial re- 

 sult, should one happen (as is oft the case) to have 

 a "Lazy Bones" for his neighbor, Avho would 

 quietly sit for a coat of tar and feathers, ratlier 

 than bestir liimself, with the "love of his neigli- 

 bor as himself" in his heart, and lustily ^^tar 

 away ; ' ' and thus remove a past pei'nicious exam- 

 ple of laziness and indifference, for agoudly lesson 

 of industry, and "of doing as one would be done 

 unto." 



