THE GENESEE FARMER. 



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gard to this point, "Lindley's Theory of Horticul- 

 ture" savs : " It may be as well, however, to add, 

 that there are some well attested facts relating to 

 the preference of particular varieties for one kind of 

 stock rather than another, which we cannot explain, 

 but which are so important in practice as to deserve 

 to be studied carefully." We know very well that 

 some varieties of pear grow better and bear larger 

 and iincr flavored fruit, on the quince than on the 

 pear stock, and some will not grow on it at all. 



Some apples do much bettor on the Paradise stock 

 than others. We are obliped for the fact communi- 

 cated by Mr, Watts, ana we solicit cultivators to 

 give the matter attention, and favor us with any facts 

 on this head they may deem worth communicating. 



REMEDY FOR THE OtJRCULIO. 



Mr. Editor ; — In the May number of the Farmer 

 is a comminiication from me on the culture of the 

 plum. Had it been published in the April number, 

 as intended, your correspondent, Wm, Wylde, o( 

 Erie co., Ohio, would have had better success in ex- 

 tirpating the curculio from his trees. I am rather 

 surprised at the emphatic manner in which you state 

 your want of faith in it as a remedy. Another 

 year's experience has not diminished my faith in the 

 least. To show you that it is no vain theory of my 

 own, I send the enclosed scrap, which I cut from a 

 stray paper that came into my hands, I think from 

 Philadelphia, but am not positive. I think, if you 

 will publish it, and will do so in the April number, 

 it would prove beneficial to horticulturists, your 

 faith to the contrary notwithstanding. 



Wo nre happy tu be able lo publish Ivvu direct experiments 

 in support of the fici and discovery. 



Fii-st, \\v hured nnd plugged with sulphur, in the usual 

 way, a plum tree which commonly dropped, every year, all 

 the plums before becoming ripe, the curcul/os lodging eggs 

 in their germs. This was done when the tree was in blos- 

 som. On that year liardly any fruit fell, and the tree pro- 

 duced quite well. 



Second, \Vc find m the Genesee Former of January 28, 

 1832, that a youns willow, nearly killed by aphis or lice, 

 and nnls feeding on their honey, was quite revived in three 

 days, nnd all the line and nnls driven oil", by hormg the tree 

 with an auger live feet from the ground and ihrce-foiirths 

 through the dirimcter, filling with brimstone and plugging 

 tight. The tree has thrived ever since. 



The modus operandi of this singular process is very easy 

 to exphdn. The vital energy of the tree and sup dissolves 

 the sulphur, c.irries it into circulation, nnd evolves it in sul- 

 phuric gas, evaporating through al! the pores of the bnmchea, 

 leaves nnd fruiis. This gas is a deadly poison to insects and 

 all animnls, it suffocates them or drives them away as soon 

 as they begin to smell it ■ but no injury whatever results to 

 the tree. 



We have never heard of :iny direct experiment on peach 

 trees ; but we are sure it will answer quite as well, if the 

 sulphuric emanation could not reach quick enough the roots 

 of the tn'Cs which are commonly attacked, the plugging 

 must be done near the root, or at the lime of the descending 

 sap, when it will .'*ooner reach the roots. Lt-t it be tried nnd 

 the results made known. 



I will give you another fact, as to the efficacy 

 of sulphur in the destruction of the locust borer. 

 Six years ago this spring, I found that the beautiful 

 locust trees which border my yard, were infested 

 with the borer, I supposed they would soon be in 

 the condition of some I had just seen in Onondaga 

 county. I bor^d two or three holes, two thirds 

 through the trees, and filled the holes with sulphur. 

 The effect was perfectly satisfactory. The trees all 

 lived and are now in a healthy condition. The suc- 

 ceeding summer I found large numbers in the bark, 



many of them dead. Whether sulphuric gas killed 

 them, or whether they died a natural death, I do not 

 pretend to decide, J, H, W. — JYew-Havett, JV. F., 

 March. 7, 1850. See Genesee Farmer, 1849, p. 209, 



ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Bark Lice. — (L. H. Amdrews. Plymouth, Ind.) Prof. 

 Harris, in his "Treatise on Insects," says : "The best 

 application for the destruction of these insects, is a wash 

 made of two parts ofsoft soap and eight of water, with which 

 is to be mixed lime enough lo bring it to the consistence of 

 thick white wash. This is to be put upon all parts of the 

 tree, where the insects aro, with a brush, so as to cover the 

 whole surface and fill all the cracks in the bark. June, 

 when the insects are young and tender, is the best time to 

 do it." They are frequently got rid of by wa.ihing the trees 

 with strong lye, and scrubbing with a hard brush, in the 

 spring. 



Grafting, and thk Propagation ok Fruit Trees. — 

 (E. S., jr., Fort Covington.) These subjects are fully 

 treated upon in Downing's, Thomas', Cole's, and othei 

 works on Fruit Trees ; but if you will state any special 

 points on which you wish more precise information, we will 

 endeavor to explain. 



Retarding the blossoming of Peach Trees, by 

 treading the snow firmi.t around them. — (G. W. R., 

 Webster.) Your communication on this subject was re- 

 ceived too late for March, and is now out of season. 



Preparation of New Land for-Fruit Trees. — (A. G. 

 H., Waukesha, Wis.) It will answer very well to prepare 

 large holes, say four feet in diameter, for the trees as soon as 

 the timber is cut. The greatest objection is, tliat it renders 

 the breaking rip afterwards more difficult. In such soil as 

 yours we would use the sub-soil plow by all means, if pos- 

 sible ; though it is not absolutely necessary. 



Hatuhest and best Peaches and Grapes. — (Charles 

 Hanfoid. Alabama. Gen. Co., N. Y.) Peaches — Knrly Til- 

 lolson, Early York (serrate,) Early York large. Cole's Early 

 Red, Cooledge's Favorite, Crawfotd's Early, Haines' Early, 

 Barnard's or Yellow Alberge, Red Rare Ripe, Jacques' Rare 

 Ripe, Snow Peach, Morris White, Lemon Cling, Large 

 White Cling, and Oldmixen Free. Grapes — Isabella, 

 Cutawba, and Clinton. 



Apples.— (Gardner Goold, West Carlton, N. Y,) We 

 think your apple is the Vaiu/everc — a good variety. 



The Wm.hei MiNA Pear. — ("A Subscriber," Le Roy.) 

 We Jiave not seen the fruit of this variety, hut liave imported 

 it from France as a winter pear. It is possible you have the 

 Hartlett, though our trees, from the same importation ns 

 yours, are quite different, as we know by the tree. Our 

 specimen tree bore last season , but llie fruit was picked 

 before we saw it. Will you send, us a piece of a last year's 

 shoot, for examination? 



Me33Hs. F-ditobs ;— Will you do us the favor to inform ua what 

 we must do to our cedar trees to keep them in a green state. We 

 havi: them planted in different kiuUa of soil, some on sandy soil 

 with gravel and stone sub-soil ; some in clay soil ; and with being 

 triuimed or sheared, many of them will turn brown and the lower 

 limbs die. What Bub^tance is wautwu to apply to the roots to keep 

 them healthy? T. F.—Fatlston, Beaver Co., Pa. 



We wish you had stated wliat sort of cedar you cultivate. 

 We presume, however, you mean the arbor vita:, which is 

 called •' White Cedar," as the Rod Cedar is seldom afTect- 

 cd as you describe. Last full we saw lliese trees quite 

 brown in many phices along the banks of the Hudson. 

 They appeared to be almost in a dying state, and we were 

 told that it was from the cflects of a protracted drought. 

 We have not seen them so a flee ted here. Your trees may 

 tie sutVering from an unsuitable soil. The natural situa- 

 tion of this tree is, we know, in wet swamps and on the 

 steep rocky banks of streams and rivers. There are many 

 swamps filled with ihem through the country, so wet that 

 in the dryest weather in summer a man will sink to the 

 knees, and again we Hnd them flourishing on such rocky 

 places as Queenston Heights, where there are only a few 

 inches of earth. In dry open situations, the trees assume 

 a more dense and pyramidal form ; so as almost to appear 

 a dififerent species from tlie mnrsli trees. We would infer 

 from these natural localities, that a light vegetable mold is 

 their appropriate element, and hence it is very probable 

 that yonr trees would be benefitted with a liberal dressing 

 of leaf-mold from the woods, or swamp muck. 



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