NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



267 



POST SPOONS. 



These are very convenient implements for dig- 

 ging post-holes. They save a great deal of labor, 

 as in nsing them it is necessary to make but a small 

 hole compaied with the one which must be made 

 with common implements. As "time is money" 

 with the farmer, he should economize it by using 

 labor-saving implements and machines, especially 

 when they can be obtained at a very low or mod- 

 erate price, and make a great saving of labor. 



INSECT OPERATIONS. 



Scarcely had the ink dried from our pen used in 

 sketching an obituary notice of Mr. Flanders' blach 

 bug, when an innumerable company of others ar- 

 rayed in green were brought to view, by Mr. 

 Whipple, a neighbor of Mr. Flanders, both of 

 them residents of a region of boundless production 

 on the banks of the Merrimac. Mr. Whipple 

 tbinks the insects he has now found are the great 

 destroyers of the potato.* He gives this informa- 

 tion freely, without hope of reward — other than 

 what is to be found by doing good to his fellow- 

 men. It will be remembered that Mr. W., at the 

 meeting of farmers in the State House in March 

 last, announced that he had discovered the true 

 cause of the decay of the potato — that it was a bug 

 — but whether he then had in mind a black or green 



bug, we are not aware that lie gave any informa- 

 tion. 



That the potato, as well as many other plants, 

 is oftentimes destroyed by insects, no observing 

 man can for a moment doubt. Within our view, 

 from the window where we sit at this moment, 

 there is a consideiable patch of potatoes, giving un- 

 mistakeable indications of having faded, and fallen 

 by tlie ravages of insects upon the leaves, punc- 

 tured with innumerable small holes — have here and 

 there a speck of black in many places, eaten as it 

 were thread-bare — the leaves have turned yellow, 

 and withered; and the probability is that the pro- 

 duce of these potatoes will be few and small. No 

 one can doubt that insects have caused this condi- 

 ti(in. It has been gradually coming on for weeks. 

 So much has been said, that we have watched 

 them with interest. But we do not feel warranted 

 in drawing a general inference of the operations of 

 the potato disease, from this example. We pre- 

 sume like instances of decay have often been no- 

 ticed. 



If Mr. W. had given a specific name to his in- 

 sect, or a description that would apply to that — and 

 that only, — then there would hnve been the means 

 of determining whether we had witnessed the 

 operations of the same insect that he did. But 

 when he describee it as "a green insect or fly, very 

 small, and very numerous, found upon almost all 

 kinds of tender plants, fastening upon the under 

 side of the leaf, and at almost every season of the 

 year," — we presume there are scores of insects 

 that have many, if not all these characteristics. 

 In Dr. Harris' treatise, p. 187, one is mentioned 

 which Reaumur is said to have proved to be the 

 progenitor of six thousand millions of descend- 

 :mts, in five generations, in one season. Let each 

 of these have the multiplying powers of their pro- 

 genitor, and what is there that will not be cov- 

 ered, aye, destroyed, by their operations, be they 

 ever so diminutive in size? Hence the imperative 

 necessity of understanding the 7ia)ne and true char- 

 acter of an insect, before we undertake to draw any 

 conclusions as to its operations. * 



Juli/26, 1851. 



* See Salem Observer of this date, for a highly interesting 

 li Iter froMi this distinguished practical fanner. 



ACKNOWLEDGMENT. 



A New and Valuable Ciieruy. — We received 

 of James Hyde & Son, nurserymen, Newton Cen- 

 tre, a Id of fine cherries on the first day of August, 

 which from its lateness and superior quality, we 

 think will be a valuable acquisition. It originated 

 in that neighborhood. The fruit is medial size; 

 obtuse heart shaped; dark red and mottled, light 

 amber in the shade; stem rather short and slim; 

 flesh soft, tender, very juicy, sweet, licli, and de- 

 licious; stone small; ripe the first day of August. 



