THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



23 



mentioned in tlio above communication, wc 

 liave no kiii)\vledj?o of tho efficacy of any of 

 them, except that of the toads, and that is 

 only [;oail so far as it goes. Toads ate very 

 effeclivt' insiMi dcstiwers and live almost ex- 

 clusivily upnii tlifin, but they are sucli pei-^ie- 

 cutod auinials. anil they are so repulsive to 

 many people, that it would be dillicult to {^ot 

 a sufficienl imniber tofjetlior to lu.ike their in- 

 Quence fell in a large '"eabbage patch." We 

 have heard of '-bran" lieiuR used to destroy 

 the "cut-worm," but our tobacco-growers 

 seem to have no conddeuee iu it ; cut-worma 

 are as abundant now in I<ancaster comity as 

 ever they were. We have no conlideuce in 

 the "flax" remedy. Some of our farmers, at 

 first, ])lanted hemp in their potato fields to 

 scare oir tlie ••Colorado jiotato beetles," but 

 thev would not jeaic "Wortl] a cent:" 



fhcRreen e:ib1>aue worm iiuisl be fouglit 

 through all ils siages of development iu order 

 to effect its total destvuel ion.. This insect is 

 not a native of our country — it is a "foreign 

 importation," but it is UKu-e destructive, and 

 also more numerous nere than in Europe whence 

 it came. The predominating color of thetly is 

 white, and in size it is about as large as the 

 common yillow bntterlly, so well known from 

 our youth upwards. Tliis fly appears early in 

 the spring and deposits its eggsbn cruciferous 

 plants generally, but is partial to the cabbage. 

 If they are then captured with a hand-net 

 the destruction of each female will prevent 

 the deposition of from one to perhaps three 

 hundred eggs ; and this would certainly be a 

 very eflective mean? of prevention. But if 

 this has not been done, or only partially done, 

 (except searching for, and destroying the eggs 

 on the plants) the next step must be a warfare 

 against the Zdcfce, or "green worms." This 

 will require the application of White Helle- 

 bore, Paris Green, London Purple, or Pyre- 

 tkrum, either as a dry i)owder or liquid in- 

 fusion. Both the Paris Green and J.ondon 

 Purple require a dilution of 15 or ^20 per 

 cent., according to its quality. Ifthe.se ap- 

 plications do not destroy all the worms, and 

 some of them should consequently transform 

 to the cliry.salis, or pupa state, then, by 

 placing strips of rough board about three 

 inches wide, and cross-pieces about six inches 

 higher — iu the form of low benches — between 

 the rows of cabbage plants, the worms will 

 use the lower sides of these benches as con- 

 venient places to pupate, when they may be 

 gathered and destroyed. These insects pro- 

 duce at least two broods during the summer 

 season in this locality, and tlie second brood 

 is always more numerous and more destruc- 

 tive tlian the first ; it therefore behooves the 

 gardener to exercise vigilance until he secures 

 his crop in the fall. The most hopeful cour 

 tingeney, however, is that; this insect Ivas a 

 parasitic enemy tliat destroys multitudes, and 

 in localities where this enemy abounds the 

 cabbage worm has become nearly extermi- 

 nated. A farmer in Fraukliu county. Pa., 

 sent us twenty chrysalids about a year ago, 

 and out of the number seventeen were 

 destroyed by these parasites. Of course the 

 remedy of hand-picking is always available, 

 and although it may be repulsive to some 

 people, still it is not more so than destroying 

 the tobacco worm by hand, a custom that has 

 been very conuuon i'or many years in tobacco- 

 growing distriets, and especially in the South. 



In conihisiou, jjerhaps it may be necessary 

 to atlmonisli the novice tliiit Paria Green and 

 London Purpk are both virulent mineral 

 poisons, and sliouid be manipulated with 

 caution. On this account many persons are 

 prejudiced against the use of them'; .some, 

 - also, fearing that they might become poi.soned 

 in eating tlie cabbage. But there is no ground 

 for such fears, unless it is prepared by a cook 

 too careless to be tolerated among civilized 

 pe»)i)le. Mrs. P. E. Gjbbons, one of the most 

 intelligent authorities in the County of Lan- 

 caster, iissures us that there is no danger 

 whatever .with proper care, as she has used 

 Pans Gm II as a remedy, "oier and over," 

 with no bad results. When Paris Green was 

 tirst recommended as a remedy against the 



"Colorado potato beetle," raanyof our farm- 

 ers revolted against it, on the same ground, 

 but they soon overcame their prejudices, and 

 now it is ahumt the only remedy used, and 

 the potato is as certain a crop as any raised 

 in llie county. 



Ihlhbore and Piircthrum are vegetable 

 poisons, the latter of wliieii has only recently 

 come into use, and is said to be a safer and 

 more effectivo than any remedy now in use, 

 but the supply is still limited. Decoctions of 

 tobacco or sumac flowers are said to destroy 

 the worms when they arc quite young. In 

 tlie application of dry powders, it should 

 be early in the morning while the jilants are 

 covered with dew, and if no dew has fallen 

 they should be .sprayed with water. Finally, 

 if we desire to preserve our •'saur kraui" 

 hitaet we must be •'up and doing." 



.Since writing tlie foregoing we have re- 

 ceived a bulletin from Prof. Riley, from which 

 we make the following extract ; 



'■' Experiments wUli Ptirelkrnm—Safe Reme- 

 dies for Cabbage Worms and Potato Bett'es.— 

 The following experiments with Vyretkrum 

 were made, at our recpiest, by Prof. A. .J. 

 Cook, of the Michigan Agricultural College, 

 at Lansing. They are interesting as cfjnlirm- 

 ing all that we have hitherto said in recom- 

 mendation of this pojvder for the imported 

 cabbage worm, no safe and satisfactory 

 remedy for which had been discovered before 

 we recommended this powder and showed 

 that it could be economically used, when 

 simply mixed with water. Its' value, used in 

 this way for the "Colorado potato beetle," 

 as a substitute for the niore dangerous arseni- 

 cal compounds, willatimcebe appreciated."— 

 a V. li. 



Sept. 27, 1880.— I placed ten cabbage cater- 

 pillars (Pieris rapne) in two small wooden 

 boxes, which were covered with wire gauze. 

 In one box I dusted the least possible amount 

 of Pryrethrum mixed with flour in the pro- 

 portion of one pait of Pyrethrum to twenty 

 parts of flour. I sprayed tliose in the other 

 box with a liquid mixture, using one table- 

 spoonful of Pyrethrum to twenty gallons of 

 \yater. In five minutes all the larvee were on 

 their backs, nor did any of them recover. A 

 large number of caterpillars on the cabbage 

 plants were sprinkled or dusted with the 

 Pyrethrum, the proportion being the same as 

 above. In one hour the plants were ex- 

 amined and in evei-y case the caterpillars 

 were dead. 



Pyrethrum isa flowering plant that be- 

 longs to the order CoiirosiTvE, and generi- 

 cally allied to the Chi/santliemums, if it is not 

 identical with C. Siense. It is said to be of 

 very ea.sy culture in any common soil, and 

 may be propagated by cuttings, by suckers 

 and by seeds. It is a perennial. 



Contributions, 



SHELTER-BELTS. 



The subject of shelter-belts was discussed 

 at the January meeting of the Agricultural 

 and Horticultural Society, when friend Hiller 

 read an essay adveree to them in his neigh- 

 borhood, or in Lancaster county. I would 

 respectfully differ with him, but would not 

 confine myself to this county — I would take 

 a wider range. Oijr county has many natural 

 shelter-belts through that diversity ot nature's 

 face, as it is presented on the surface of our 

 terrestial abode— in valleys, hills and ridges. 

 I know many instances where buildings were 

 providentially so located that they were shel- 

 tered on all sides . from the cold and bleak 

 winds of winter. Some may be so situated 

 as to be protected only from the northwest or 

 the east winds, but under ordinary circum- 

 stances that is all sutliitent. How pleasant 

 to be protected from tlii' chilling winds— often 

 so (Uimaging to fruit-culture, by liills, trees, 

 a;id high iidges. Sometimes we leave our 

 homes without particularly feeling the dis- 

 comforts of the chilling winds, until we get 

 away some distance from the house. People 



in by-gone days in this county used to occupy 

 ' mansions in places surrounded by the majestic 

 I oaks of the forest. Some were protected only 

 I on one side, and many are shidtered by belts 

 I of forest trees, and enjoy a comfort unknown 

 ; to those who live in exposed places. Why 

 ' not then go to work and plant shelter-belts 

 iu open or exposed places, and follow artifi- 

 cially the suggestions of nature's laws. It 

 would become a pecuniary "beneftt, as well as 

 a comfort to men and beasts. It would also 

 i encourage and multiply our insectivorous 

 I birds, and diminish the number of noxious 

 I in.sects. I think it a mistake to suppose that 

 I the only efiiecl of shelter belts is to hasten 

 vegetation and render it more liable to injury 

 from early or late spring frosts. Prematurely 

 advanced vegetation is more the effect of the 

 heat of the sun and the earth, independent of 

 protective belts of trees. As the spring ad- 

 vances the rays of the sun become more verti- 

 cal and penetrate the earth more thoroughly, 

 which gives vegetation an earlier start than 

 otherwise. These belts are of great advan- 

 tage even in late si)ring,when apples, peaches, 

 cherries and grapes are in bloom, protecting 

 them from the rough bliists of wind and hail, 

 so fatal to fruit trees about tho fertilizing 

 period. 



Our shelter-belts should be of mixed timber, 

 with plenty of evergreens. These would then 

 furnish evergreens sufficient for decorating 

 purposes from the trimmings alone. It was 

 the design of Providence to furnish beautiful 

 parks and forests for the subjects of his crea- 

 tion, as a means of making them happy and 

 contented. I have seen in my travels some 

 of the most exquisite natural parks, but these 

 are now being shamefuU^^ invaded, and few 

 of them remain intact, even in this county. 

 On a few of out water-courses we often find 

 what would be beautiful natural parks of 

 evergreens. But these are annually mutilated 

 or decapitated to furnish Christmas and other 

 decorations. Among the people generally 

 the propensity of destruction is greater than 

 that of construction. Through all the West- 

 ern States the very first improvement made, 

 after the building of a habitation, is the plant- 

 ing of shelter-belts; and no place is deemed 

 desirable without them. They plant ever- 

 greens, mixed with other varieties of timber. 

 Walnut is one of the leading timbers for 

 value. It is esteemed a great luxury in the 

 West to possess a house sheltered from the 

 cold winter winds. It is a great enjoyment 

 to "man and beast" to be so protected. That 

 no benefit is derived in any shape from a tim- 

 ber grove (except the value of the timber) is 

 a question that should be no longer debated ; 

 or, that the thermometer varies from 1 to 5 

 ilegrecs higher in localities surrounded by 

 trees. I knew an orchard in 1833 that was 

 protected, both by a ridge of high ground 

 and by a forest, which wa.s the only orchard 

 in the county that bore a crop of apples that 

 year. There is no doubt whatever that fruit 

 trees will do much better in sheltered places 

 than elsewhere. In the olden times farmers 

 were more particular in locating orchards 

 than they are now. When I was a boy I was 

 fond of rambling through some of the timber 

 parks along some of our larger streiims, and in 

 them I found growing abundantly the com- 

 mon wild red-plum, in what seemed to me 

 their perfection, and when well ripened they 

 were delicious. 



This was undoubtedly owing to their shel- 

 tered situations as they grew in those groves. 

 Years afterwards t planted one of these wild 

 plum trees in my yard, which was almost 

 treeless then, but it would not bear fruit until 

 I had a thick growth of trees as a shelter 

 arounil it, when it connnenced to bear. I 

 never doubted that these trees attracted the 

 birds, and that the birds destroyed many ot 

 the eurcuHos. I am sorry that my friend 

 from Conestoga hiis taken a stand so dis- 

 couraging to tree-planting, and especially to 

 shelter-l)elts, and at a time, too, when so 

 large a portion of our country is looking 

 hopefully in that direction, and when we 

 .should encourage our people to increase our 



