158 



THE WESTERN POMOLOGIST. 



1871 



mt mtstttn §0m0lojgist. 



FrogN Spitted on Tliorns— Criticism. 



Ed. Pomologist ; — I have been too busy to write 

 you further upon the above subject. On page 24, 

 current volume, I gave, at your request, my expla- 

 nation of the curious facts illustrated. You chose 

 to differ from me, and have been supported by Mr. 

 Jacob Stautfer, of Lancaster, Pa., which is all well 

 enough. But do you know that you have by no 

 means convinced me that I was wrong and you 

 right in our respective explanations. Had you 

 witnessed, as I have done, the manner in which 

 beetles and other more delicate insects are some- 

 times impaled by these butcher birds, you would no 

 longer wonder how a frog could " be so nicely and 

 thoroughly impaled upon the thorns of the trees by 

 the beak of any bird, with no other signs of mutila- 

 tion than shown by the perforation of the thorns 

 upon which they were lodged." Now, as a matter 

 of scientific interest, I am curious to know, as near 

 as we can ascertain with absolute certainty whether 

 these frogs were really spitted by birds or showered 

 down from above. Please give us the facts there- 

 for. If your position be the correct one it may be 

 easily demonstrated. Firstly, if the frogs were 

 showered down, the chances of their being spitted 

 on thorns would be extremely slight unless they 

 were mry numerous. How many frogs did you 

 find ? Secondly ; as these frogs, when found, were 

 quite fresh, you must have had a rain storm the 

 very day previous to their being found. Was there 

 any such storm ? Thirdly, as the two specimens in 

 my possession are spitted on thorns, — growing 

 much nearer the horizontal than the perpendicular 

 i ncllnation, and as In one of them the thorn is 

 broken and has a dull and blunt point, the storm 

 must have been a very furious one. Did any such 

 furious storm occur ? 



Mr. Stautfer's argument, if it proves anything 

 only goes to show that animals as large as these 

 frogs may sometime be showered down from above? 

 a fact which I have by no means denied. The 

 question is not, however, what has been or may be 

 but what -was in this particular instance. Whenever a 

 simple, tangible and demonstrable explanation can 

 be given of any phenomenon, it is not wise to dis 

 card it for one which is more vague and less tanga- 

 ble ; unless very good reasons can be given. In 

 the true spirit of candid inquiry, I ask for all the 

 facts which you are able to give. If you can bring 

 forward accumulative evidence that the frogs were 

 rained down, you record a most singular and unu- 

 sual phenomenon, and I shall be very willing to 

 change my verdict. Until you do so, I must adhere 

 to the more common explanation. 

 St. Louis, Mo. C. V. RiLKY. 



Remarks. — We " cave " on the frog question. 

 From observations made the past spring among our 

 nursery and orchaad trees, we no longer doubt its 

 being the work of the Butcher Bird, for we find 

 beetles, (one ca.se of a snake) and other things hung 

 up in like manner, and with no more mutilation. 

 However, we still think, that .showers of frogs do 

 occur. The frogs were not "quite fresh" when dis- 

 covered, but perfectly dry and stiff. 



" Stop and Tliluk." 



Ed. PojroLOGisT : You will see that I have 

 changed my locality. I find this a fine fruit and 

 blue grass coi.ntry. Peaches, apples and cherries 

 are pretty sure crops here, and the country healthy, 

 with timber and coal in great abundance. All 

 that is lacking to a full development of our re- 

 sources is northern enterprise. 



In your September No. D. W. Adams says — ■ 

 " Stop and Think." He draws a comparison be- 

 tween the health, longevity and fruitfulness of for- 

 est and fruit trees now and in times of old, and won- 

 ders if we are not overdoing — forcing our horti- 

 cultural operations beyond measure. Well may we 

 " stop and think." But after all, forest trees are 

 not wholly exempt from the calamities that befall 

 our domesticated fruit trees, plants, etc. The wild 

 cherrj- in many places is injured by what is called 

 the black knot, which by some is supposed to be 

 caused by an insect. In Pennsylvania after the 

 wild cherry mostly disappeared, in clearing up por- 

 tions of the forest, the morello cherry trees were 

 attacked and their usefulness destroyed by the same 

 enemy. The canker worm and the tent caterpillar 

 prey upon forest trees. The borers destroy the lo- 

 cust, and often the jack oak. 



Now, my conclusions, based on fifty years experi- 

 ence, are that we do not always give orchard trees 

 the requisite amount and right kind of nourish- 

 ment. Take a lesson from nature — she stimulates 

 a growth both by mulch and manure in the leaves 

 that annually fall from the trees, undergrowth of 

 wild plants, decaying wood, etc. The healthiest 

 apple tree within my knowledge stood for many 

 year.-i in the midst of a rotting chip pile, which had 

 been accumulating for years. The tree grew, was 

 very fruitful, and no insect meddled with it. Tak- 

 ing a hint, I commenced applying similar material 

 mixed with leached ashes to my trees, and with as- 

 tonishing success. 



Jesse HiaBEE. 



Qit£en City, Scuyler Co., Mo. 



The Onion Grub. The Rural New Yorker says 

 the most efficient remedy for the imion grub is ir- 

 rigation. If it is practicable to flood the garden 

 affected by the grubs, it will almost totally annihi- 

 late them. After a copious shower of rain they 

 disappear. 



