{PRACTICAL FARMER 



39 



having it, tliey have been observed to walk delib- 

 erately to it the whole length of a field without 

 tasting a part tliat was grown without it, though a 

 tolerably good crop; and in his opinion it not on- 

 ly increases the vigor and the verdure of the plant, 

 but also perceptibly increases the richness of its 

 juices. 



The soils to which it is most congenial, are the 

 light, dry, sandy, and gravelly, to heavy loams, 

 strong clays, and to wet land it seems to yield no 

 benefit unless the former happens to have been 

 well limed. 



The crops to which it is most appropriate, are 

 the artificial grasses, though it has been also known 

 rnatsrialiy to improve the sward of moss bound 

 pasture. In never appears to produce better ef- 

 fects than when it has been laid on red clover, 

 already so far grown as that the leaves nearly cov- 

 er the soil ; for there seems no doubt, that it acts 

 with the greatest force when it adheres to them, 

 and the longer it remains upon them the better. 

 It should therefore bea[)plied as a top dressing. In 

 order to spread it, with the intention of covering 

 the leaves, a calm day should be chosen ; and it 

 should be spread in by hand, or rather through a 

 sieve, either early iu the morning in which the 

 dew has fallen heavily, or late at night, or after a 

 gentle shower, that thus the moisture may occa- 

 sion it to stick to them. 



With respect to the permanency of gypsum as 

 a manure for artificial grasses, it has been stat- 

 ed in those cases in which its beneficial' effects 

 have been proved, that sainfoin dressed with it 

 did not materially decline until the fourth crop 

 and on sowing again it recovei-ed, and became as 

 productive as before, yielding on a thin soil about 

 a load and a half; whilst another patch dressed 

 partly with soot, became so weak as to be scarce- 

 ly worth mowing. Its durability when applied to 

 lucerne, has been found to produce very fine crops 

 for five years. As an instance, both of its effect 

 and the prejudice which many people entertain 

 against it as a manure, an anecdote has been relat- 

 ed of a gentleman, who, having recommended its 

 use, ordered his servant to spread a small quantity 

 of it secretly upon an adjoining piece of sanfoin, 

 belonging to an old farmei-, who vehemently de- 

 cried it. The crop, proved surprisingly abun- 

 dant on that spot to which the gypsum had been 

 applied, but upon discovering its occasion, the old 

 man, instead of profiting by the circumstance, 

 grew peevish, and wondered why his neighbor 

 should have taken the liberty of spreading this 

 new-fangled manure over his sainfoin, which, for 

 aught he knew, might do more harm than good. 

 The laugh, however, going against him, he deter- 

 mined to get rid of it by breaking up the sainfoin 

 and sowing peas, when, behold ! they also rose in 

 judgment against him, so evidently on the gypsum- 



ed part, that he was constrained, though reluctant- 

 ly, to acknowledge, that " it seemed good stuff"; " 

 yet he was never known afterwards to lay a bush- 

 el of it on his farm — Bost. Cour. 



Gentlemen : 



Please to give the following remarks and ob- 

 servations, a place in your instructive Long Island 

 Star, and it may lead to greater advantage to the 

 Farmers, and comfort to the lovers of fruit. I 

 have discovered, beyond a doubt, an antidote for 

 the insects that destroy Fruit Trees at the roots, 

 which is cheap and simple, and can be attended to 

 by every Farmer, and Gardner, in the country, 

 viz: make a recess around the trees, of suflScient 

 depth to contain from a peck to a half bushel of 

 wood ashes, such as are used to make soap, then 

 fill the jdace with soft water, and when it is nearly 

 subsided haul on the loose earth, that was remov- 

 ed to give place to, the ashes. This should be 

 done between the 8th of May, and 15th of Sept. 

 in the several States north of the Potomac, and 

 those States south of that line, ^between the 5th of 

 April, and 12th of Oct. and must be repeated 

 every year, until there is not a trace of an insect 

 left. The ashes so deposited will hold their vir- 

 tue during the growing season, and every rain will 

 produce a fresh supply of liquid, which is certain 

 death to the bug or worm, that falls in contact 

 with it, and at the same time will be of great ben- 

 efit to the health and growth of the tree. 

 With great respect &c. 



T. H. D. 



Bees. — The Vermont Farmer recommends 

 the following method for securing bees when 

 swarming" : 



Procure one or two hemlock bushes, four or 

 five feet high, and fasten them in the ground as 

 you do bean poles, so as to stand firm, with all 

 the'.r boughs on, within a rod or two of the bee- 

 house, and nearly in front of it. When they 

 swarm, your bees will almost invariably alight on 

 these, where they can be managed without the 

 least trouble, and the whole business finished in a 

 very few minutes. Very often by rubbing upon 

 it a little low balm, you can make the swarm at- 

 tach itself to just what limb you please. We 

 have ourselves tried this, year after year with per- 

 fect success. 



Large Strawberries. — We were, a few days 

 since, presented with several mammoth strawber- 

 ries, from the garden of Mr. N. G. Carnes, of this 

 village, the largest of which measured three and 

 three-quarter inches in circumference. They 

 were perfectly ripe, and of a flavor as delicious as 

 any we have ever tasted. — Poughheepsie Jour. 



