292 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



June 



warm season of the year, abounds with beautiful 

 birds. The fondness of many birds for our glori- 

 ous old Commonwealth, doubtless arises from its 

 variegated surface, diversified as it is by hills and 

 dales, streams of water, beautiful ponds and lakes, 

 saline marshes and grassy meadows, open bays 

 and sandy shores, its forests and sylvan groves, 

 extensive orchards, cultivated fields and beautiful 

 gardens. !Most birds, except the rapacious ones, 

 avoid deserts and solitudes, and are seldom found 

 in those parts of our country covered with dense 

 forests. It has been remarked by all ornitholo- 

 gists of observation, that birds are soon attracted 

 to the habitations of men, and when a clearing is 

 made in the forest, or a fur post is opened on the 

 shores of the rivers, or the lakes in the West, 

 the birds [excepting the carnivorous ones] always 

 increase about them. This arises from their de- 

 sire to flee from birds and beasts of prey, always 

 to be found in the woods, and from there being 

 usually a greater supply of food, to be found in 

 the cultivated fields and gardens, and to seek shel- 

 ter and protection from men. It is a fact which 

 evei'y observing man must have noticed who cul- 

 tivates the soil, that insects and weeds constantly 

 follow his footsteps. And that the higher the 

 state of his cultivation, the more various his pro- 

 ductions, and the larger the number of trees, 

 shrubs or plants he has under culture, the greater 

 in numbers and varieties will these pests be found 

 to exist. 



In view of these facts, let us look around for 

 means to assist us in extirpating or keeping in 

 check our noxious insects. And where can we 

 find better allies to help us in performing this 

 great work than insectivorous birds 1 And what 

 cultivator, when he considers all the benefits, and 

 the pleasures to be derived from the presence of 

 these beautiful creatures, would wish to deprive 

 them of the occasional gratification of eating a 

 few of our fruits that we can so well spare. The 

 shooting of our small birds by thoughtless boys. 

 we have for many years considered a great evil. 

 We always admired the limitation given to bird 

 shooters by our old and respected friend, many 

 years since principal of the Bradford Academy in 

 the County of Essex. When requested by his 

 scholars to give them pei'mission to go a gunning 

 "Election Day", he always cheerfully granted their 

 request, but with this wise and safe proviso, to- 

 wit : — They might go and shoot all the Eagles 

 they could find, but if they killed any other kind 

 of birds he would ^o^ them. Verily, Master G. 

 should be honored as much for his wisdom and hu- 

 manity, as he is for his attainments in mathemat- 

 ics. But perhaps some will say, give us the evi- 

 dence that birds are useful in the destruction of 

 insects, and they shall receive our protection. 

 Well my friends, that is the very thing we intend 

 to do in our next communication. 



Danversport, Feb. 1, 1853. s. p. F. 



Stir the Soil Thoroughlt. — Plowing and har- 

 rowing and stirring the soil, is the order of the 

 day for the most of tliis month. This stirring of 

 the soil, old Jethro TuU used to teach us, was the 

 first and the last essential of "goode husbandrie." 

 Indeed, he was of opinion that better crops could 

 be raised by very finely pulverizing the soil and 

 putting on no manure, than could be raised by 

 manuring highly and pulverizing the soil but little. 



By the improved implements of the present day, 

 we can pulverize very thoroughly at comparative- 

 ly much less labor and cost than they could in 

 Tull's day. Why not adopt his theory of thor- 

 ough pulverization and the modern theory of high 

 manuring. Combine them together. At any rate, 

 if you plow at all, plow well and make the soil as 

 mellow as possible. — Maine Farmer. 



THE BLACK KNOT ON THE PLUM. 



liY WM. MERVINE, UTICA. 



Many causes have been assigned for the disease 

 in question, none of which, so far as my informa- 

 tion extends, are satisfactory. Some have sup- 

 posed it to be occasioned by diseased sap, or vege- 

 table ulcer; some, that it is the work of the cur- 

 culio ; others, with more plausibility, assert that 

 it is the result of poison infused by the minute 

 sting of an insect. But none of those entertain- 

 ing the latter opinion have described the kind of 

 insect, or its characteristics; and it is therefore 

 fair to assume that their belief rests upon conjec- 

 ture alone. The latter opinion, however, with 

 the exception of the minuteness of the sting, is 

 correct. It will be permitted me to say, that I 

 believe myself to be first in determining the fact, 

 and in ascertaining, certainly, the habits and char- 

 acter of the insect. I will, therefore, proceed as 

 briefly as may be, and without regard to possible' 

 charges of egotism, for asserting in opposition to 

 many scientific men on the subject, what I know 

 beyond a doubt to be the origin of the excres- 

 cence, or tumor, and to describe the insect which 

 causes it, its habits, and the best method of guard- 

 ing against its attacks and increase. 



The insect here referred to belongs, I believe, 

 to the Hymenoptera class, and is about an inch in 

 length; color, pale yellow ; has four wings, and 

 hind legs resembling those of the grasshopper, 

 which seem designed for similar use ; and, al- 

 though furnished with wings, it uses them only, 

 so far as I have discovered, for calling its mates. 

 This it effects by shrill notes through the medium 

 of vibrations, created by a rapid motion of them, 

 and which affords the means of tracing it. Tlie 

 abdomen of the female is much larger than that 

 of the male, in the extremity of which is con- 

 cealed a sting of about a quarter of an inch in 

 length, with which it pierces any shrub or limb 

 selected as a receptacle for its eggs — often num- 

 bering a dozen or more, which are deposited with 

 some acid poison in separate cells, longitudinal- 

 ly. From these eggs the larvoe are hatched — 

 changed to the pupre, or chrysalis state, and 

 emerge during the ensuing June. 



The excrescence does not appear until after the 

 escape of the insects, the swelling of which is 

 caused by the circulation of the sap being arrested 

 in its natural course by the poison infused, which 

 flows round the punctured parts, extravasates, 

 and gradually forms the tumor. On dissecting 

 one of these tumors, a grub may be sometimes 

 found, but it does not cause the excrescence. 

 Any one may satisfy himself of the truth of the 

 foregoing remarks by observing the appearance of 

 the insect during the months of August and Sep- 

 tember, especially the latter, that being the sea- 

 son of coition, when it may be found making its 

 deposits ; these, on being completed, arc varnished 

 over with a water-proof substance, presenting a 



