Vdl. 1.— No. 29. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL. 



227 



(*r points to which you have been pleased to 

 call the attention of the Board. 



Having given to this important subject 

 that attention to which its intrinsic merits 

 entitle it, and which a strong solicitude to 

 contribute to the improvement of every 

 source of national independence could not 

 fail to excite, the Commissioners, with great 

 Reference submit the result. 

 I have the honor lo be, with great respect, 

 Sir, your most ob't servant, 



JOHN RODGERS. 

 lion. S. L. Southard, Sec'y'ofthc Navg. 

 [Documents to be continued.] 



INSECTS ON HOUSE PLANTS. 



It often happens at this season of the year, that 

 plants which have been kept in pots in the house, 

 become infested with small insects of different 

 Rinds, some of which are very troublesome and 

 often destroy the plants, unless pains are taken to 

 destroy them. For this purpose different process 

 *es are resorted to, such as washing the plants with 

 s*ap suds, decoctions of different kinds, &c. One 

 of the most effectual remedies is to fumigate them 

 with tobacco smoke. When green houses become 

 -jifested with them, nurserymen often put a quan- 

 tity of refuse tobacco into the green house and set 

 ft on fire and close the room tight, which soon be- 

 comes filled with smoke. The room is kept clos- 

 ed until the smoke has disappeared ; when if the 

 ■operation has been well conducted it is found that 

 ill the small insects upon the plants, and elsewhere 

 n the room, are dead. 



Thoseladies or gentlemen who have only a few 

 plants, and who find them infested, can place them 

 ijnder an inverted barrel which has but one head, 

 or if the plants are short, a common wash tub will 

 answer, when a small quantity of tobacco may be 

 riurned under the vessel, which will destroy any 

 insect upon the plants Fine apples are some- 

 times attacked by small insects which are destroy- 

 ed by raising the temperature of the room where 

 ttiey are kept, by the introduction of steam to that 

 degree which will destroy the insects, and which 

 may be done without injuring the plants. Where 

 decoctions are used, that from tobacco will be found 

 most effectual. 



CUTTING HAY. 

 There is a very mistaken idea which prevails 

 among farmers with regard to the time at which 

 different grasses should be cut in order to afford 

 the greatest quantity of vegetable nutritive mat- 

 ter; and perhaps in regard to Red top (Ag> ost/s 

 vulgaris) the mistake is'as great as any. This 

 is one of our most profitable grasses for low land 

 meadows, but should never be sown upon upland 

 is the, roots are very troublesome in cultivated 

 lields, being very tenacious of life, somewhat re- 

 sembling the florin grass (Agrostis stuloni fera) the 

 roots of which will sprout after having been dried. 

 The properties of the red top very much resem- 

 yte those of the rough meadow grass of England, 

 which were shown by a set of experiments, con- 

 ducted by some of the most scientific men of that 

 country, to be much increased by allowing the 

 grass to ripen its seed instead of cutting it when 

 in blossom. They found that the nutritive prop- 

 erties contained in a given quantity of grass that 

 •Jlati ripened its seed, was, to that which was cut 

 when in blossom, ss 11 to 8, or a gain of nearly 

 irre third. 



Now this is a matter of some consequence to a 

 farmer, notwithstanding the general opinion that 

 a load of hay is a load of hay, cut it when you 

 will. There is a very great convenience to the 

 farmer in having some part of his mowing ground 

 stocked with red top, as this should not be cut until 

 after harvest which will enable him to do his work 

 with a less number of hands. Not only is the 

 nutritive matter increased in a given quantity of 

 this grass, when allowed to stand to ripen its seed, 

 bul the quantity is also very much increased on a 

 given quantity of land, and we think it would be 

 a fair deduction to make that the real value of one 

 acre of this grass, cut when the seed is ripe, is 

 equal to that from two acres cut when in flower. 



HORTICULTURAL. 



There was exhibited yesterday at the Arcade a 

 basket of fine pears fully ripe. They were of the 

 kind called Sugar top, were of good size, and de- 

 licious flavor. 



They were from the garden of the Hon. E. B. 

 Strong, than whom few gentlemen have done 

 more towards introducing foreign varieties of 

 choice fruits. As this ripens nearly the same time 

 with the Primitive, Little Musk and Supreme 

 pears, and is much larger, and equally as fine in 

 flavor, we should recommend it for cultivation in 

 preference to either of those varieties. 



There was also exhibited at the same time a 

 fine collection of Carnations from the garden of 

 Mr. Lancassell. 



FLORAL CALENDAR. 



July 22. — Balsam weed or touch-me-not (Jm 

 patiens balsamina) in the gardens, and water 

 plantain, about our ponds and marshes, in flower. 



The farmers are very busy about their wheat 

 harvest and the crop is about half cut in this neigh- 

 borhood. The weather thus far has been unfa- 

 vorable for gathering hay and grain, having been 

 a continuation of shine and showers. 



S5r We have received a communication from a 

 gentleman in Washington county, respecting an 

 insect which has lately made its appearance in 

 that and the adjoining counties, which is doin 

 much damage to the wheat crops. We shall be 

 happy to receive further information from that sec- 

 tion respecting this new enemy to our industry, 

 and due attention will be given to the subject as 

 soon as the necessary facts can be obtained, for 

 which we must be indebted to those who have 

 witnessed their operation in the infested disirict. 



THE SEASON. 



Since the 26th of June, or in 24 days, 

 (now July 20) rain has fallen to the depth of 

 six inches, as may be seen by the Meteoro- 

 logical tables up to this date. On the 27th 

 there fell 1 3-10 inches. July 5th, 1 S-10 

 do. and to day 20th, 1 5«I0 inches rain. — 

 Out of the 24 days 10 have been rainy, and 

 but 14 fair. The Genesee is uncommonly 

 swollen, and the falls, instead of waning till 

 they become fordable above the sheet by ev- 

 ery foot pad, have this season, thus far, pre- 

 served all their grandeur. 



Forebodings with regard to the wheat crop 

 have scarcely diminished up to this hour 

 though many are harvesting; some talk of 



ravages by the hessian fly, others of rust, 

 and at present all arc anxiously waiting for 

 a clear sky to secure the crop and know the 

 worst. 



The growth has been uncommonly luxu- 

 riant, and abating contingences, promised 

 the fairest and most abundant the country 

 ever produced. Some fields in consequencr 

 of the great rains have fallen down, and are 

 already much injured by sprouting and will 

 be entirely ruined unless the season becomes 

 immediately more propitious for harvesting. 

 As is usual at this season there is a great 

 demand in the country for laborers, wage" 1 

 are high, and mechanics and builders would 

 do well to abate a little of their fervor inthif 

 village for about two weeks, and allow some 

 of the great class of working men to lend 

 their aid to the neighboring farmers in se- 

 curing what a kind Providence has bestow- 

 ed in plenteousness. 



SALT ON HAY. 

 Farmers should not forget that a little salt 

 sprinkled upon their hay, as they pack it away 

 in the stock or mow, not only enables them topul 

 up their hay sooner with safety, but contributes 

 to keep their stock in better health when fed with 

 it. It also does away the necessity of salting 

 stock during winter, which is not always conve- 

 nient. 



NEW VARIETY OF OATS. 



The avenacea farina, or true skinless oats, 

 is the most valuable crop perhaps ever pro- 

 duced in this empire. It was grown in the 

 season of 1830, for the first time it was ever 

 produced in Great Britain, by T. Derenzy, 

 Esq. of Cobleman Hall, who obtained a. 

 seed through a friend of his at Rotterdam, 

 whether it was imported from Siniang, a re- 

 mote district in China; and was quite un- 

 known to the Europeans till within these 

 three years. The advantages which this ex- 

 traordinary and valuable grain possesses o- 

 ver all other kinds of oats are numerous, viz. 

 When thrashed from the sheaf it is exactly 

 like oatmeal, and is fit for immediate use for 

 culinary purposes, and every other for w hich 

 oatmeal is consumed, the grain being quite 

 free from any particle of rind or husk. The 

 flavor is delicious, and it contains much 

 more farinaceous matter. There is, of 

 course, a considerable saving of oats, and 

 expense of kiln-drying, grinding, sifting. 

 Etc. and one peck of it contains more nu- 

 tricious food for a horse than three pecks of 

 the common oats. The produce is most as- 

 tonishing, the average being twenty-six bar- 

 rels of fourteen stone to the Irish acre — the 

 exact quantity grown by Mr. Derenzy on 

 one acre. It was not sown till the 4th of 

 May, 1830, and was reaped early in August 

 the same year. It is remarkably hardy, and 

 well adapted for this climate. 



Flies upon Pictures. — The following sim- 

 ple way of preventing flies from sitting on 

 pictures, or any other furniture, is well ex- 

 perienced, and if generally used, prevent 

 trouble and damage ; let a large bunch of 

 leaks soak four or five days in a pail full of 

 water, and wash the picture, or any other 

 piece of furniture with it — the flies will nev- 

 er come near any thing so washed. 



