1853. 



NEW ENGLAND l-ARMERT 



353 



For the New England Farmer. 

 ROSE BUGS. 



This pest of our gardens is, as usual, makino; 

 his attacks directly upon the blossoms of our 

 grape vine^. Truly "destruction wasteth at noon- 

 day." The following contrivance may bfe found 

 useful. Take a coiuinon tunnel ; insert a handle 

 from two to three feet long into tlie spout ; then 

 having a slender pointed stick of tlie same length 

 in your right hand, hold the mouth of the tunnel 

 under the cluster of blossoms upon which the 

 bugs have lit ; "stir them up" witli your short 

 stick and they will drop into the tunnel. Its 

 steep smooth sides prevent iheir getting up again. 

 They become entangled with each other, and at 

 convenient intervals you can turn them into a 

 basin of water. The thing is worth trying. 



UNION IS STRENGTH. 



Mr. Editor — I am a decided convert to the doc- 

 trine that farmers, and especially fruit-growers, 

 may accomplish a great deal if they will only 

 unite in a general warfare against their common 

 enemy, the "insects injurious to vegetation." 

 For nearly ten~years, I had in my gardens, plum 

 trees of the choicest varieties, but I never was 

 blest with a single ripe specimen of the fruit. 

 Within the last three years I have had specimens 

 upon all my trees ; and, I am ashamed to confess, 

 not through any plans or efforts of my own. 1 

 think I am reaping the results of the labors of 

 others. All around me I see my neighbors using 

 various means to "desti'oy the bugs." Cotton 

 around the plum trees, and no doubt other con- 

 trivances less visible, must have done something 

 to tliin out the destroyers. Let me quote a line 

 or two from Dr. Harris's recent work on "Insects 

 injurious to Vegetation: "Eighty-six of the spoil- 

 ers (rose-bugs) Wf re known to infest a single rose 

 bud, and were crashed with one grasp of the 

 hand. Suppose, as was probably the case, that 

 one half of them were females, by this destruc- 

 tion eight hundred eggs at least were prevented 

 from becoming matured." 



Three days ago my grape vines were almost 

 covered with rose bugs. Twelve hours would 

 have sufficed for the destruction of every cluster 

 of blossoms. By using the instrument described 

 above, (which is far more convenient than a basin 

 of water hot or cold) I have cleared my vines al- 

 most entirely. The number of victims is growing 

 less and less and my grapes look finely. "Union 

 is strength." Let each fruit grower guard hi.>- 

 own post, and the victory is ours. 



Pepperell. | 



Remarks. — Caj)ital advice — hope it will not be 

 in vain. "Unite" with us again, friend B. 



The Wheel Hoe. — One of the most accurate ob- 

 servers of men and things, and one of the most in- 

 telligent of our correspondents, in speaking of this 

 implement, says : — "I think a man will complete 

 three times the work with one of these machines, 

 in the same time, that he can with any other I 

 have seen. They not only thoroughly cut up the 

 weeds but they leave ther surface in fine condition 

 for the growth of the plant." 



APPLICATION OF WIND AS A POWER 

 FOR RAISING WATER. 



To-pump from a well the requisite supplies of 

 water, was a work of no small labor. It led to 

 the investigation of a method of working a pump 

 by means of the wind. The practicability of the 

 plan I am about to suggest, does not remain to be 

 tested by experiaient. During former years, a 

 small wind-mill was in successful operatiim upon 

 the farm of Mr. Anderson, five miles west of Ash- 

 land, Ohio, on the road leading to Mansfield. It 

 worked a pump that amply furnished a large stock 

 of cattle, which otherwise could obtain no water. 

 Two days only did it cease to perform .its duties 

 during more than two years, and that interrup- 

 tion was occasioned by the meddling of mischiev- 

 ous boys. It is still in operation for aught I know. 

 The cost of this simple machine, including pump, 

 did not exceed fifteen dollars. 



By reference to Plate, the principles upon which 

 it was constructed will be at once comprehended. 

 The direct application of the power, without the 

 intervention of any gearing ormachinery, obviates 

 much friction, hence a small amount only of pow- 

 er is required. The diameter of the wheel should 

 not exceed four feet, a few inches less is preferable. 

 It is firmly fixed by its hub on an iron axle formed 

 of a square inch bar. The sails or buckets are se- 

 cured at their outer ends to a wooden rim, like 

 that of a large spinning wheel. An inch and a 

 half crank is raised on the axle at C, whicli , at that 

 point, is cylindrical, and upon which is adjusted 

 the upper ends of the piston rod of the pump B. 

 This, when in motion, of course commands a plaj 

 of three inches. 



