THE GENESEE FARMER. 



185 



THE CTTREANT OK GOOSEBEREY WOEM. 



The Gooseberry Worm {Nematus trimaculatus^) 

 has already (May 10th,) made its appearance here 

 and commenced its work of destruction. In most 

 gardens it is allowed to take its course, to the total 

 destruction of both fruit and bushes ; while others, 

 with commendable zeal, are combatting it with all 

 the .methods ingenuity can suggest, but we are sor- 

 ry to say that in most cases the little armies are 

 the triumphant victors. 



"The most usual methods employed to destroy 

 these worms, are, first, hand-picking the bushes; 

 and this is the most effectual, as it is also the most 

 laborious and expensive. It involves the necessity 

 of looking over every leaf, picking off the worms 

 and afterwitrd destroying them ; this operation 

 must be performed as often as any worms show 

 themselves — sometimes every day, and again in 

 two or three days. And this must be followed up 

 until late in summer; a day's neglect, or even a 

 few hours, sometimes, will liazard great loss. 



Dusting the leaves with lime is often resorted to, 

 but as it is impossible that it should be scattered 

 on all the leaves, and especially on the under sides, 

 where the worms genei-ally are, it is really of but 

 little use. 



It has been suggested to us that a weak solution 

 of turpentine and water, thrown on the bushes 

 with a syringe, might prove efficacious; but we 

 have never heard of a trial having been made with 

 this, and of course cannot give an opinion as to 

 results. If any should try this experiment, it will 

 be necessary to use the turpentine very weak, or it 

 will injure the foliage. The strength necessary 'to 

 desti'oy the worms can be tested by using it on a 

 few worm at first, and on one plant, before making 

 a general trial. 



On the whole, we aan offer littlQ encouragement 

 for saving our useful currants and gooseberries, but 

 still hope that among all the expedients resorted to 

 for the destruction of this pest, that some efi"ectual 

 means will be discovered. 



Last year we had a number of currant bushes 

 that were entirely denuded of leaves in June 

 by the caterpillars. We removed them while in 

 this state to another part of the garden, think- 

 ing that they might escape the second brood of 

 caterpillars. The bushes all lived and did well, 

 putting out new leaves, and escaped ' the caterpil- 

 lars. They are now, however, nearly as much 

 infected as those not removed. We examine the 

 bushes every morning, removing all tlie caterpil- 

 lars as soon as they are hatched ; and the leaves 

 are healthy, and we anticipate a good crop of cur- 

 rants. Some of the bushes not transplanted last 

 June were so much affected by the second brood 

 of caterpillars that they have since died. We be- 

 lieve that by transplanting the bushes immediately 

 after the crop is gathered, and then spading the 

 ground where the bushes grew two feet deep, put- 

 ting the surface containing the caterpillars and their 

 cocoons, at the bottem of the trench, we shall des- 

 troy the great portion ; and then by a little atten- 

 ti«n the next year we can still raise currants and 

 gooseberries. 



This insect, though comparatively new here, is a 

 very old enemy in England, where, however, by 

 care and attention, it has been so far destroyed that 

 it now does but little injury. Such will, we hope 

 and believe, be the case in this countiy. 



THE STANWICK NECTARINE, 



We extract the following from a letter dated 

 May 6, from one of our subscribers in Columbia, . 

 Tenn., in reference to the Stanwiclc Nectarine, 

 which has been generally considered an unusually 

 tender variety: 



"I planted out, on the Cth day of January, 1S5S, 

 a small Stanwiclc Nectarine. Last year it grew 

 about three feet, and this spring it had five blooms 

 and has set four nectarines; the largest is now 2 

 inches from stem to eye or point, 3 2-12 inches in 

 circumference, and 4 inches in circumference length- 

 wise. 



" This has stood out all the winter without pro- 

 tection, while forty odd peach trees, of five supe- 

 rior kinds, propagated by budding and grafting, 

 had the fruit either killed in the bud or after bloom- 

 ing ; and this nectarine and the Boston^ Elriige and 

 Downton^ and the seedling peaches of this latitude, 

 alone have escaped the spring frosts, which have 

 killed cherry and apricot trees that measured from 

 6 to 12 inches in circumference down to the ground. 



"These varieties of nectarines, and all of these 

 peaches, were budded upon an old peach tree, (a 



