152 



RAVAGES OF THE BARK LOUSE. 



arranged that the hoe shall do most of your weeding, 

 "We have found it a great couvenience in sowing 

 seeds to take a piece of board from four to six inciiet 

 wide, and about three feet in length, and bevel one 

 edge to the shape of the letter V. Nail a handle of 

 convenient length on the ceatre of the other edge, 

 and then standing erect, you can mark out your rows 

 in perfectly straight lines, by simply pressing the in- 

 strument into the earth ; then sowing your seed, a 

 light raking of the soil covers them effectually. 



If you have not an asparagus bed, let not the pres- 

 ent season pass without sowing seed ; or, better still, 

 transplanting roots two years from the seed into a 

 suitable bed. 



Onion seed should be sown as early as possible; a 

 few days' delay may materially affect the size of the 

 bulbs. Why it is we know not, but early sown seed 

 is more apt to make good bottoms than seed sown at 

 the usual time of sowing. 



Select a warm spot, sheltered from north and east 

 winds, and sow your early peas and lettuce. 



Last fall, about the 15th of October, we sowed 

 some lettuce seed, designing to have it just in leaf as 

 cold weather should come on. As soon as sharp 

 frosts came, we threw over the bed our pea-brush, 

 and over the brush, old tomato, squash and cucumber 

 vines. As soon as the snow disappeared the present 

 spring, the lettuce was ready to grow; and the frost 

 seemed to have had no effect upon its vitality. 



But while we recommend early sowing of hardy 

 vegetables, many of our common vegetables and 

 flower seeds will come oa much more rapidly if not 

 sown until the ground is thoroughly warmed, which in 

 this vicinity is from the '20th of May to 1st of June. 



We quote from W. M. Plant & Go's Descriptive 

 Catalogue the following remarks on manures : 



"There are many kinds of manui'es, and different 

 modes of applying them. The manure from cows, 

 and all animals that chew the cud, is considered cold, 

 and suited to a light soil ; that of horses, hogs and 

 poultry is hot, and best suited to a cold, heavy soil. 

 All new and fresh manure engenders heat during fer- 

 mentation, and has a tendency to lighten the soil ; 

 while old, rotten manure is thought to render it more 

 compact and firm. A thick coat of hog-pen or barn- 

 yard dung, spread on a garden and turned in every 

 spring, will enrich, warm and lighten the ground more 

 and better than any application of any other manure. 



" Salt, at the rate of six bushels to the acre, sowed 

 on in the spring, away from the salt water spray, near 

 the sea-shore, not only promotes fertility, but is very 

 useful in destroying worms and slugs. 



" Wood ashes, leached or unleached, may be used as 

 a top dressing with decided benefit to most growing 

 vegetables, especially onions and turnips. 



" Plaster of Paris, sown upon the growing crop, is 



good for turnips, beans, cucumbers, and all broad- 

 leaved plants. 



" Lime facilitates the decay of vegetable substances, 

 and is best suited to a sour, heavy soil. It ought 

 never to be mixed with animal manure, as the one 

 wiU destroy the efficacy of the other. 



" Guano is too powerful to be used alone with safety, 

 and must not be allowed to come directly in contact 

 with seeds or plants. It may be mixed with ten 

 parts loam, or coal dust, and scattered very thinly 

 around growing vegetables, and dug in just before a 

 rain; or it may be steeped in the proportion of one 

 pound to ten gallons of water, and the liquid applied 

 once a week; but it should be remembered that it is 

 almost sure destruction to anything newly trans- 

 planted. Its effects are most favorable in moist sea- 

 sons. 



" Poudrette is a very active manure to start early 

 crops, but is not lasting. It is necessary to apply it 

 the second time, and it should always be placed under 

 the surface. 



" Liquid manure from the yard, or the drainage of 

 the dung-hill, should be diluted with water before it 

 is applied to growing plants, otherwise it will be apt 

 to burn them. 



" Compost is a mixture of earths and animal man- 

 ures, ashes, soot, charcoal dust, lime, salt, plaster, 

 urine, straw, weeds, and various other fertilizing sub- 

 stances in different combinations, thrown into a heap 

 to remain till decomposed. It forms a very excellent 

 manure for many kinds of garden vegetables. Cora- 

 post heaps and all other manures ought to be kept 

 under cover." 



RAVAGES OF THE BAEK LOUSE. 



Mk. Editor : — Being to some extent interested ii 

 the nursery business, I have looked with anxiety foi 

 some comments on that pest to our apple trees, tht 

 bark louse. Its depredations are not confined to th( 

 apple tree alone, for pear and ornamental trees, an( 

 also currant bushes are affected. All efforts to de 

 stroy them (and I beUeve that nearly every remedy 

 suggested by writers on this subject has been tried 

 have failed. Three years ago I planted two tree: 

 that were affected by themselves, for the purpose o 

 experimenting upon them, but to no effect. Las 

 year a few tx'ees were killed by them, and this year ] 

 think many more will be also. I have a fine younj 

 orchard of 250 apple trees, most of them in bearing 

 which I fully expect no human aid will be able t( 

 keep alive, if the bark louse continues to increase ai 

 fast as they have done for five years past. P. S. 



Half Day, Lake Co., 111. 



[P. S. need not fear the publication of the above 

 for it is very important to know of some means o 

 dislodging such a formidable foe from our orchards 

 In a recent number we have given the remedy bi 

 Prof. Hakeis, our highest authority at present, viz 

 solution of whale oil soap. — Ed.] 



