270 



Peach Trees. — Sugar in the stalks of Maixe. Vol. VII. 



For the Farmers' Cabinet. 



Peach Trees. 



Messrs. Editors, — In corroboration of 

 the doctrine professed by your correspond- 

 ent, A. T. B., on the peach worm and the 

 disease called the yellows — see page 181, 

 Number for January — I would call the at- 

 tention of your readers to an interesting ar- 

 ticle on the same subject, by Mr. M. T. 

 Kirkbride, of Morrisville, Bucks county, at 

 page 347, second volume of the Cabinet, in 

 which, after describing the peach fly, and 

 marking very minutely the mode in which 

 it deposits its eggs, &c. ; the way in which 

 the worms commit their ravages, and point- 

 ing out an effectual mode of entirely pre- 

 venting all these evils, by applying slacked 

 lime to the surface of the ground, and rais- 

 ing it high enough around the body of the 

 tree, to prevent the rains from washing any 

 earth against the tree, as this would afford 

 a lodgement and protection for the eggs; 

 adding, that he has found a peck of lime 

 sufficient for trees two or three years old, 

 he concludes with this remarkable sentence: 



"Although I have kept the fly at bay and 

 preserved many trees from its ravages, 

 yet we have not now a peach tree on the 

 farm; that fatal disease, the yellows, cut 

 them all off a few years since, and invari 

 ably takes them now, at one or two years 

 old." Now I know not, if any thing can 

 be added to render more evident the fact, 

 that the worm is only the effect of disease, 

 and that without its aid, the tree would be 

 as effectually destroyed as it now is by it, 

 according to the general belief. 



Mr. Kirkbride has it in his power to in- 

 terest your readers on another subject of 

 very great importance, namely, an experi- 

 ment which he has been conducting for se- 

 veral years, on a cherry tree standing near 

 his house. If I understood aright, this tree 

 had never borne fruit, although the blossom- 

 ing was regular and particularly healthy: 

 when, I think, three years ago, he took the 

 opportunity of scattering over the blossoms, 

 while the dew was on them, a quantity of 

 pulverized plaster, standing on a ladder 

 above the tree; the result was, a plentiful 

 crop of fruit. The next year the e 

 ment was omitted, when not a single fruit 

 set. The last year was to decide the ques- 

 tion by another application of plaster, but 

 whether that took place, I know not — would 

 Mr. Kirkbride be pleased to inform us, and 

 favour us with his opinion of the matter! 

 Also, say whether he considers the effect to 

 rdm tin! chemical or mechanical action 

 of the plaster 1 Possibly from the latter, 

 screening the blossoms from the effects of a 



piercing atmosphere, by covering them with 

 a coat of plaster. At all events, an article 

 on the subject from such an enlightened 

 friend of agriculture, would be highly es- 

 teemed by every reader of the Cabinet, es- 

 pecially by one who has the honour of his 

 Acquaintance. 



March loth, 1843. 



Sugar in the Stalks op Maize. — Dr. 



Pallas, principal physician of the military 

 hospital of St. Omers, addressed to the 

 French Academy of Science, during the 

 past summer, a memoir, in which he at- 

 tempts to establish the following proposi- 

 tions, — viz : 1st, that the stems of Indian 

 corn contain little or no sugar, before flow- 

 ering: 2nd, that just at the epoch of flower- 

 ing, only a mere trace of sugar can be ex- 

 tracted from them: 3d, that the same stems, 

 from 20 to 25 days after flowering, while 

 the grain is yet milky, contain one per cent, 

 of crystallizable sugar: 4th, that still later, 

 when the grain is perfectly ripe, the stems 

 yield two per cent, of coarse sugar, besides 

 four per cent, of rich molasses. The com- 

 mission to whom this memoir was referred, 

 (M. Biot, reporter,) however, very properly 

 discredits these results, so contradictory not 

 only to our theoretical views, but also to all 

 former observations; as, for example, those 

 of Prof. Burger, who affirms that the sugar 

 is most abundant in the juice of the stem of 

 maize, immediately aft^r the expansion of 

 the flowers, and that it diminishes as the 

 grain is matured. The commission states 

 that the experiments of Dr. Pallas on this 

 subject, were so loosely conducted as to af- 

 ford no results worthy of confidence. — Silli- 

 mail's Journal, for Jan. 1843. 



An Aphorism. — A Tradesman may incur 

 indebtedness in the way of his business; for 

 to enable a man to give credit, it is reason- 

 able that he receive it. A farmer is justified 

 in debiting his farm for what are justly termed 

 lasting improvements — such as the purchase 

 of manures, draining, extra cultivation, and 

 the erection of necessary buildings; but no 

 person is justified in going into debt for ex- 

 pensive food or clothing, in such times as 

 the presenl ; much more reprehensible would 

 it be for him to indulge in expensive amuse- 

 ment of any kind whatever. Z. 



Every man has in his own life follies 

 enough — in his own mind troubles enough — 

 in the performance of his duties, deficiencies 

 enough — in his fortune, evils enough — w ith- 

 out being curious about the affairs of others. 



