98 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[July 



TREES KILLED BY SALT. 



"The fine maple trees in front of Alderman Am- 

 weg's residence, South Duke, have been in a lan- 

 guishing condition all sprini^, and so have the ma- 

 ples a short distance below them. The large tree in 

 front of Mrs. Hawthorne's residence appcare to be 

 in a dying condition. Alderman Amweg has had 

 his cut down, and in exposing portions of the roots 

 to the suu, there is a mineral substance very much 

 like salt crystalized on tlie surface. Mr. Amweg be- 

 lieves that his trees have been killed by the salt 

 water thrown into the gutter from a neighboring ice 

 cream saloon. What say the scientists about it ?" 



In reference to the maple trees alluded to 

 in the above paragraph from a late number of 

 the Daily Intellifjencer, we would say that we 

 visited tiiem on several occasions before their 

 "downfall, " and even from very early in the 

 season they exhibited evidences of an infec- 

 tion of some kind; and at the same time we 

 felt pretty certain that whatever the original 

 cause of their enfeebled condition may have 

 been, it was not due to the presence of insects, 

 80 far as concerned that portion of the tree 

 above groinid. They appeared to be inter- 

 nally or constitutionally affected liy some un- 

 friendly element al.iscjrbed from the soil, or the 

 absence or neutralization of some element 

 necessary to their healthy growth, that was 

 very local in its operation, for other trees of 

 the same species in near proximity to them 

 were as thriving as usual. It cannot always 

 be even conjectured what the real causes of 

 such phenomena are; because it would in- 

 volve a thorough and careful analysis of the 

 soil, an operation that could only be satisfac- 

 torily performed by a chemical expert, even 

 if a laboratory and implements were accessible. 



But when no stich laboratory exists, except 

 in a few of the most simple and obvious ca.ses, 

 all must be left, more or less, to mere con- 

 jecture. Such a laboratory, with a cpmpetent 

 person to manipulate it, ought to be the object 

 of every County Agricultural organization in 

 the State. The condition of Agriculture, em- 

 bracing Horticulture, Floriculture and Sylvi- 

 culture, is becoming such in our country, 

 through the increase of its population and the 

 dratights made upon the land — and hence its 

 depletion— that farming, fruit growing and 

 forestry will have to be pursued more scientifi- 

 cally than it has been in times past and gone, 

 when the soil was virgin and the population 

 sparse. Salt is a very essential ingredient to 

 the soil, if applied "when and where" 

 it is needed, and in the requisite quantity. 

 Like every otiier ingredient, however, wherever 

 it happens to exist in excess, it is essentially 

 hintfid; and, from external ai^pearances, 

 the damage to Alderman Amweg's trees, is 

 the ellectof too much .'iaft,wiihout much doubt, 

 and this is rendered doubly probable, from 

 the fact of its being the discharge of an ice 

 cream freezer, as it is likely to have liecn con- 

 tinned in its application, and hence the trees, 

 witli all their previous vigor of growth, were 

 eventually compelled to succumb — illustrating 

 tliat a given quantity may be "meat" to a 

 tree or plant, but in excess of that it is "poi- 

 son." On one occasion we emptied the con- 

 tents of a pork barrel, containing strong brine, 

 and perliaps a quart or two of salt at the 

 bottom, on a small grass plot; soon after 

 which a snow fell upon it, and after the snow 

 had melted away in the spring, the salt had 

 disappeared. The following summer no grass 

 came up where the brine and salt had been 

 emptied, and for one or two years thereafter 

 the spot was conspicuously visible by the ab- 

 sence or feeble growth of the grass, but it sub- 

 sequently recovered and grew as vigorously, 

 if not moreso, than it liad grown before. This 

 effect is also evinced on spots where the car- 

 casses of dead animals are decomjiosed, and 

 is caused by an excess of elements that in 

 proper quantities would be beneficial to the 

 soil. In some localities the soil is recuperated 

 by fish-manure, but if the fishes were all per- 

 mitted to decompose on one spot, the vegeta- 

 tion on that spot would be, for a time, entire- 

 ly destroyed. These effects of excess, have, 

 without a doubt, been often witnessed, and 

 we have only alluded to them here, because 

 they all seem to belong to the same category 



of causes, and illustrate the essentiality of 

 some analytical and chemical knowledge in 

 manipulating the soil, in the successful cul- 

 ture of trees, shrubs and plants, and how lit- 

 tle ought to be left to the mere operations of 



chance. 



-^ 



THE ELM TREE BEETLE. 



This insect is present agaip this season on 

 some of the elm trees in Lancaster city, in 

 increased numbers, and the larrce have been 

 coming down from the trees for the past week, 

 and are pupating in the fissures of the bark 

 and in tlie crevices l)etween the paving bricks 

 about tlie bases of the trees. 



Those who value the foliage of their trees 

 should busy themselves in sweeping them 

 down with a stiff, long-handled brush, and 

 also sweeping up those on the ground, and 

 crushing them or scalding them ; otherwise 

 there will be a second brood more numerous 

 and destructive than the first. The present 

 brood has been propagated by the compara- 

 tively few that have hibernated and survived 

 the wii»ter, and as they had already commen- 

 ced pupating about the middle of the present 

 month, there is little doubt we shall have 

 another brood about the latter part of July. 



This is a foreign insect, and was introduced 

 into this country about tliirty-five years ago ; 

 and on one occasion, in the city of Baltimore, 

 the authorities ordered the cutting down of 

 all the elm trees in the city in order to cir- 

 cumvent it. 



An application of a strong solution of whale 

 oil soap, or common lye, may also prove use- 

 ful, for although there may be little hope of 

 destroying all of them, yet the number may 

 be so far diminished as to greatly lesson their 

 power for evil. Insects of all kinds might be 

 kept in check or entirely destroyed if people 

 would use the same energy, perseverance and 

 forethought that they do in the acquisition of 

 dollars and cents. 



This is the Oalenicha xantJwmcdcBna, and 

 belongs to the same family as the "striped 

 cucumber beetle," but differs from that species 

 in that it feeds on the leaves of the elm, both 

 in its larvre and in its adult states, and also 

 that it is larger in size, and becomes more 

 numerous than the latter has ever been known 

 to be. In that respect it approaches the habits 

 of the "Colorado potato beetle," to which it 

 is somewhat allied liy systematic classification. 

 It would be a poor commentary on the vigil- 

 ance and industry of property owners, if these 

 insects were permitted to increase to such an 

 extent as to defoliate all our beautiful elm 

 trees in Lancaster city. 



Since writing the foregoing, which was pub- 

 lished in the New Era, near the end of Juuc, 

 we have frequently visited the elm trees in the 

 city of Lancaster, which we foimd in many 

 places still very seriously infested, and especi- 

 ally the trees along East Orange street, oppo- 

 site the buryingground of St. James' Episcopal 

 church. The yellow j;Mjj<;e were lying by thou- 

 sands on the pavement about the bases of the 

 trees, on the 5th and 6th of July, and could 

 easily have been killed, but it seems to be 

 "nobody's business." In Kan.sas they have 

 a law, making it compulsory upon ' ' all able- 

 bodied males, between the ages of 12 and 60 

 years," in districts that are infested with the 

 " liateful grassliopper," to destroy the eggs, 

 the young, and the adult of that pest, and 

 such a law might not be amiss here, if people 

 will not be " a law unto themselves." 



REMINDER FOR JULY. 



This is not only a great transplanting 

 mouth, but also one in whicli some planting 

 and sowing may be done. Cabliages, cardoons, 

 celery, endive, leeks, peppers, &c., for autumn 

 crops, may be planted up to i the ^Oth of the 

 month. Bush-beans, pole-beans and cucum- 

 bers, for pickling, may be planted. Endive, 

 kohl-rabi, sinnmer radishes, and ruta-baga 

 may be sown, and after the 20th also turnips. 

 If late itotatoes have been neglected,, they 

 may be planted up to the loth. There seems 

 to be^ some virtue in late potatoes, and there- 



fore gardeners ought to experiment, in order 

 to discover exactly how late a crop of any 

 kind may be planted, transplanted or sown. 

 The idea that only one crop of any kind can 

 be raised in a season, in this latitude, is be- 

 coming obsolete. We have been surprised to 

 find in the New York markets, late in Oc- 

 tober, garden vegetation that we are accus- 

 tomed to see here only in the months of June 

 and July. Why can we not have green peas, 

 beans, &c., all through the months of July, 

 August and September, in a market so large 

 as that of Lancaster city ? Green corn is not 

 an uncommon tiling in the New York, Phila- 

 delphia and Baltimore markets, in October. 

 Sweet herbs should be cut, dried, and stored 

 away, during this month. There are many 

 other things which practical experience may 

 suggest that ought to be done in this month, 

 and some of them may be safely done after 

 midsummer. 



— • ^ 



UNITED STATES COMMISSIONER OF 

 AGRICULTURE. 



General Wm. Le Due, of Minnesota, has 

 been appointed to this unfortunate position. 

 He is a graduate of Kenyon College, Ohio, 

 and served in various official capacities during 

 the wars of the rebellion, in the Federal army. 

 He is said to be a man of "great scientific 

 attainments," but with all that, the position 

 is an unfortunate ene, in that almost every 

 incumbent is damaged, more or less, in repu- 

 tation before he leaves it, mainly, perhaps, 

 from the fact that it is morally impossible to 

 please everybody. ^M 



Of course. General Le Due will be approv- ^| 

 ingly spoken of by some ; some, perhaps, will 

 "damn him with faint praise;" some will 

 speak of him disappi'ovingly ; some will be 

 indifferent, or " possess their souls in pa- 

 tience," and be content to wait before they 

 express an opinion at all. This, no doubt, 

 will be accordingly as they speak from know- 

 ledge, from ignorance, from envy, or from in- 

 difference. In any event, the office has been 

 so kicked about by the Agricultural press of 

 the country, and by members of C!ongress, that 

 it has become an unfortunate one. And yet 

 we cannot see clearly why this should be so. 

 The Agricultural interests of the country needs 

 such a Bureau, and needs much more encour- 

 agement than lias ever yet been vouchsafed to 

 it by the government or the people. 



MEETING OF THE AMERICAN POMO- 

 LOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The 15th annual session of this great Na- 

 tional Institution, commencing on the 15th 

 day of September, 1877, will be held in the 

 city of Baltimore, Md. A large, interesting 

 and useful assemblage of the fruit growers of 

 the entire country is expected ; for, in addi- ^H 

 tion to its own membership, it invites dele- ^| 

 gates from all the horticultural and fruit 

 growing societies in the United States and 

 the British Provinces, to be present and par- 

 ticipate in the proceedings. In conjunction 

 with this session, the annual exhibition of the 

 "Maryland Horticultural Society" will be 

 held ; and, on the whole, a "high old pomo- 

 logical time" will be afforded. Will our local 

 society appoint a delegation ? 



^ 



EXPLANATION.' 



Some matter intended for our June number 

 only came to hand after our form was "locked 

 up" and on the press, and therefore too late 

 for insertion therein. If we have not said it 

 before, on several occasions, we would re- 

 sjiectfully beg leave to say it now, namely : 

 that all matter intended for The Farmer, 

 whether essays, contributions, correspondence, 

 communications or advertisements, should be 

 in our hands not later than the 5th of the 

 month, and it would be still more acceptable 

 if we could have them by the 1st of the month. 

 Our delays heretofore in the issue of our 

 journal, have been mainly caused by the late 

 arrival of current matter. We hope all inte- . 

 rested will bear this in mind, as it is a matter ,* 

 of as much importance to them as it is to us. ^ 



I 



