62 Peach-CiUture. 



the under side of the body is occasionally quite dusky. The wliole body is 

 minutely punctured and closely covered with short, fine hairs, invisible to 

 the naked eye : its length is one-third and its breadth one-fourth of an 

 inch. 



This beetle was first described by Thunberg, under the name of Coccinella 

 borealis, but is now placed in the genus Epilachna. Being of so large a 

 size, and affording such evident indications of its presence, this insect can 

 be most readily destroyed by hand-picking. There can be no excuse for 

 those who complain of its ravages if they fail to make use of this simple, 

 rapid, and effectual expedient ; the more rapid and effectual, the earlier it 

 is put into practice. Samuel H. Scudder. 



PEACH -CULTURE. 



Though the peach-tree is a native of the far-distant East, where the cli- 

 mate is quite different from that of many parts of this country, yet it has 

 flourished, or still flourishes, in nearly every section of the United States. 

 There is, probably, no country on the face of the earth where so many and 

 so fine peaches are raised as in our own. Our bright sun and clear atmos- 

 phere enable us to ripen this fruit perfectly without the aid of brick walls 

 or other artificial protection. It is true that the peach-tree does not thrive 

 in some portions of the States as it did before the forests were stripped off j 

 but this fruit has not been affected much more than some other fruits have 

 been. Within twenty years, the peach-crop was nearly as sure in the New- 

 England States as the apple crop, and regarded as a much more profitable one 

 than the pear. New Jersey was, years ago, famous for peaches ; but when 

 the disease known as the yellows swept over that State, as it did over many 

 others, the trees were destroyed in immense numbers, and the culture of 

 this fruit waned. The States of Delaware and Maryland have been, and 

 still are, quite noted for their extensive peach-orchards. The Middle and 

 Western States have all engaged, with more or less success, in the growing 

 of this delicious fruit. In years gone by, peaches sold for quite low prices 

 as compared with those that have beer obtained for the last six years ; while 



