326 THE COMPLETE FARMER 



salt is very offensive or pernicious to them. Lime and ashes, 

 in some measure, prevent their doing mischief; but sea- 

 water, salt, or brine, would be more effectual antidotes. 

 The most effectual, and not a laborious remedy, even in field- 

 culture, is to go round ev^ery morning, and open the earth 

 at the foot of the plant, and you will never fail to find the 

 worm at the root within four inches. Kill him, and you 

 will save not only the other plants of your field, but, pro- 

 bably, many thousands in future years.' 



There is some danger, in making use of sak, brine, or 

 sea-water, of injuring the plants in attempting to destroy 

 insects ; and we should, therefore, generally prefer decoc- 

 tions of elder, walnut leaves, or tobacco. Mr. Preston, of 

 Stockport, Pennsylvania, preserved his cabbage-plants from 

 cut-worms by wrapping a hickory-leaf round the stem, be- 

 tween the roots and leaves. — New England Farmer, vol. iii. 

 p. 369. The Hon. Mr. Fiske, of Worcester, Massachusetts, 

 in speaking of this insect, says, ' To search out the spoiler, 

 and kill him, is the very best course ; but as his existence is 

 not known except by his ravages, I make a fortress for my 

 plants with paper, winding it conically and firmly above the 

 root, and securing it by a low embankment of earth,' — New 

 England Farmer, vol. iv. p. 362. 



Jjice on Apple-trees. There is a species of insect infesting 

 apple-trees which may be styled the hark louse, to distin- 

 guish it from the plant louse, or aphis. It is, in form, like 

 half a kernel of rye, but much smaller, with the flat side 

 sticking to the bark of the tree. Jesse Buel, Esq., of Alba- 

 ny, gives the following statement of his mode of destroying 

 them : ' In June last, I observed directions in the New Eng- 

 land Fanner for destroying the parasitic enemy ; and, that 

 being the particular time to make the application, I imme- 

 diatel}^ set about it. For this purpose, I took eight parts of 

 water and two of soft soap, and mixed with these lime 

 enough to make a thick whitewash. With a whitewash 

 and paint brush I put this upon the trunks and limbs of 

 trees, as high as was practicable, filling the cracks in the 

 bark, and covering the whole surface. The effect has been 

 not only to destroy most of the lice, but to give the trees an 

 improved and v'gorous appearance. The outer bark, which, 

 from a stinted growth, had become rough and hard, has, in a 

 measure, fallen off in flakes, and disclosed a soft, smooth 

 bark, the sure indication of health.' 



Apple-tree Borer. {Saperda bivitata.) The scientific de- 



