NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



11» 



the earth pi-rlect cock-chaflVr Hits; which has made i most lavoritu I'ood. Inlands infi«ted with the grul>, 

 many persons think that these insects live from one I gardeners sometimes make use of this as a halt to dc- 

 year to another, and pass the winter in the earth to ] stroy them. They plant a row of lettuce plants l)c- 

 protect them from the cold. 



These worms, though they are always white, yet are 

 sometimes found varying, more or less, wholly, or in 

 part, into a bluish tint, produced by the internal parts, 

 seen through the transparent skin. 



These scarabei are seen during the whole summer, 

 especially towards the end of May, and in June, eying 

 in the evening towards sun-set, particularly whire 

 thi-re are trees. They seem to be a heedless kind of 



1 animal, that fly briskly without regarding much where 

 they go, and therefore become extremely troublesome 

 to persons who walk in places that they frequent, by 

 their darting frequently, and with force, upon the face 

 and other parts of the body, whicli, when naked, prove 

 very teasing. They eat the leaves of most species of 

 forest trees, as well as fruit trees. 



In the United Provinces of the Low Countries, the 

 children amuse themselves by attaching a long thread 

 to one of the hinder feet, and leave them thus to fly 

 without suffe-ring them to escape ; they fly then com- 

 monly round, describing a circle in the air ; from which 

 some tliink they have obtained the name oCmolinacirs, 

 <hat is to say, millers ; the probability is, however, 

 that they have obtained that name from the greyish 

 hairs, resembling powder on a slight look, or tlie whit- 

 ish dust with which their l)odics are covered. 



The Society of Arts in London has for many years 

 past held forth a premium for the best account of this 

 insect, and the means of checking its ravages, but 

 without having produced one successful claimant. 



In order to destroy these insects, some English 

 writers recommend to cherish and protect rooks, 

 imagpies and jays, whose sole employment, for some 

 months, is to search for insects of this sort for food. — 

 "A cautious observer, says Dr. Anderson, having found 

 a nest of five young jays, remarked, that each of these 

 birds, while yet very young, consumed fifteen at least 

 3I these full-sized grubs in a day, and of course would 

 require many more of a small size ; say that on an ave- 

 rage of sizes, they consumed twenty a piece ; this for 

 the five makes one hundred. Each of the parents con- 

 sumes, say fifty ; so that this pair and family consume 

 two hundred every day. This in three months amounts 

 to twenty thousand in one season ; but as the grub 

 continues in that state four seasons, this single pair, 

 with their own family alone, without reckoning their 

 descendants, after the fu-st year, would destroy eighty 

 thousand grubs. Let us suppose that the half, viz. 

 forty thousand, are females, and as it is known that 

 they usually lay about two hundred eggs each, it will 

 appear that no less than eight millions have been de- 

 stroyed, or prevented from being hatched by the labors 

 of this single family of jays. 



These insects afford a most acceptable food to ducks, 

 turkies, and the other inhabitants of the poultry yard, 

 which are remarked to lay a greater number of eggs 

 when thus fed, than at any other time. Swine like- 

 wise devour them greedily, if they be first bruised and 

 mixed with their other food. 



The ravages of the grub are sometimes not experi- 

 enced for many years together. At other times they 

 appear in Immense numbers, without our being able to 

 assign any reason for it. This is thought to be owing 

 ^l'4ltothe long period that this insect lives in its grub state, 

 \'i jduring all which time it cannot multiply, and must be 

 ■:-j Isubject to a variety of accidents that may destroy it, 

 i>T I without ever allowing it to come within the reach of 

 T'l iour cognizance. 



Cabbages, cauliflowers, and strawberries, are all 

 much relished by the grub, hut lettuce seems to be its 



it would probably spoil thiir appetites, and lime water 

 would, moreover, in many instances, be useful as a 

 manure. 



tween the rows of strawberries. In that case the grub 

 attacks the lettuce. The gardener, aware of this, ex- 

 amines his plants with care each day, going along the 

 rows with a trowel in his hand, and wherever he sees 

 the leaves falling, he knows that the enemy is there, 

 and immediately digs up, and destroys the grub. 



It is thought that the whole race of grubs are some- 

 times destroyid by winter rains ; and wherever irriga- 

 tion takes place, the destruction of the grub must be 

 effected. Ifa stream of water could be spread over 

 the surface of a grass field only for a few days, during 

 any of the winter or spring months, it is supposed that 

 the grubs might thus be drowned in their holes. Dr. 

 Anderson recommends this mode of destroying grubs, 

 in grass lauds which are inftsted with them, especially 

 when it is intended to turn them up to corn, (wheat, 

 rye, &c.) for the mischief grubs do in these circum- 

 stances to the first corn crop is often very great. It 

 might, says Dr. Anderson, even with safety be applied 

 to orchards and wood-Lands ; for these would sustain 

 no damage were not the water continued longer than 

 is necessary for the destruction of the worm.* 



Dr. Darwin says in Phytologia, sec. xiv, 3, in speak- 

 ing of the Scarabffius Solstitialis, or fern chaffer, " when 

 the Hy is seen to come out in abundance in the summer 

 evenings on grass lands and fallows, it is probable that 

 rolling the ground in the evening might prevent the 

 return into the earth, both of these and of the may- 

 chaffers, to deposit their eggs and thus prevent their 

 future progeny ; or during their grub state, when they 

 exist at the roots of wheat above, or just beneath the 

 siu-face of the soil, perhaps slacked lime might be sprin- 

 kled over the crop in powder, or sea-salt in powder, 

 which might be washed down the stems of corn in a 

 wet day, and destroy the insect, without injuring the 

 vegetable ; or lastly tar water ; all which might bi 

 first tried on a small part of the field ; for as lime is 

 not all of equal purity, it is not all of equal strength or 

 causticity." The same author, in speaking of the 

 white slug in gardens, says, " It has lately been as- 

 set ted, that watering the ground with tar water will 

 destroy them, which may be made by adding a few 

 pounds of tar to a hogshead of water, and well stirring 

 it, without perceptible injury to the tar." I'hytologia, 

 sec. xiv. 3, 5. 



There is no doubt but common turpentine might an- 

 swer as good a purpose as tar, if made use of in the 

 same way. Infusions of elder are likewise, it is believ- 

 ed, fatal to all sorts of insects. Lime water would be 

 a cheap application, and a quart of quick lime would 

 more than saturate a hogshead of water, for lime can- 

 not be taken up or held in solution in less than about 

 700 times its weight of water. Any of these liquid 

 substances may be applied to a soil infested with 

 worms, either by a common gardener's watering pot, 

 or by letting the liquid out of a barrel or hogshead, by 

 a pipe communicating with a tube 10 or 12 feet in 

 length, with its ends closed, and bored full of small 

 holes five or six inches apart, and placed either before 

 or behind the wheels of a cart, across, or fastened un- 

 der the body, in such a manner that the liquid may 

 issue through holes and wet the ground equally, as the 

 cart is drawn over it. Or in other words, wet your 

 grounds with lime water, Sec. when the grubs are near 

 the surface, by an apparatus similar to that v/hich is 

 used for wetting the streets of cities in hot and dry 

 weather. If such applications should not kill the worms 



LATEST FROM EUROPE. 



An arrival at New York brings intelligence from 

 London to the 22d and Liverpool to the 24th of Sept. 

 The Greeks are proceeding w ith rapid and victorious 

 strides to the achievement of complete independence. 

 They attacked the Turks before Argos on the 23d July, 

 and defeated them, after a furious contest. On the 

 24th and 25th the Turks were harassed on their retreat 

 by the Grecian sharp-shooters. An obstinate battle at 

 length took place, near Corinth, in which more than 

 1500 Turks perished. On Hie 6th and 7th of August, 

 likewise, the Turks were defeated with great carnage, 

 3000 remaining dead on the spot. The number of 

 wounded and prisoners is not known, but two thousand 

 Turkish horses, all their baggage and munitions, to- 

 gether with their military chest were among the fruits 

 of the conquest. Up to the 18th of August, the date 

 of the last accounts, the Greeks were triumphant, and 

 news was every moment expected of the complete de- 

 struction of the Turkish army. 



In Spain the Constitutional party are successful, and 

 their enemies are submitting or retiring from the scene 

 of action. 



The Congress of Sovereigns were assembling at Ve- 

 rono, at the date of the last accounts. Nothing favor- 

 able to Greece, it is said, is expected to result from 

 the deliberations of this body. 



* This account is principalli/ abridged from a paper 

 in the 3d rolumt of Anderson'' s Recreations. 



I 



On IMonday last, the election of Representatives to 

 the next Congress, took place in this Slate. In Sxif- 

 folk District, Mr. Webster is elected — in Essit, A'orlh., 

 Air. Nelson — in Middlesex., Mr. Fuller— in A'orfotk, Dr. 

 F.ustis — in Bristol^ Mr. Baylies — in Plipnonlh., Mr. Ho- 

 liart. — In Flampstnre S. Mr. Lathrop is probably elect- 

 ed, and Mr. Allen in Unm/tsltire J^. It is supposed 

 no choice has been made in Essex S. and Worcester J^, 

 and a. Districts. The other Districts in the State not 

 healed from. 



Rapid Grovth. — The following singular instance of 

 (he rapid growth of an engrafted scion, is worthy of 

 notice, and will be interesting to virtuosos. 



A Mr. Foster, of Scituate, grafted in his orchard, in 

 May last, an apple tree, which in four months from the 

 time the scion was set, bore an apple which girtetj 

 6 3-4 inches in circumference. — GazeHe. 



Mr. Coke, the rich and hospitable English Common- 

 er, has discontinued his Annual Agricultural Festivals, 

 where for so many years he had entertained many hun- 

 dreds of the most distinguished friends of Agriculture, 

 and Practical Farmers of England and of Europe. In 

 a letter to one of his friends in America, he says, he 

 has been compelled to reduce his rents thirty-three and 

 a third per cent, and his tenants are known to be better 

 able, than any others in England, to support the exist- 

 ing burdens on that class of British population. — ibid. 



Premium offered. — The Emperor of Germany has 

 lately offered a lliousand gold ducats, equal to $2000, 

 to the author, whether native or foreigner, for the best 

 treatise on the construction of water mills. 



A Velocipede, with two wheels, has been constructed 

 in England, by which a person, with considerable ease, 

 may travel six miles an hour. 



NATHANIEL DEA¥iBORN. ..EjXGRAVEK, 



HAS removed to Market Street, No. 33, over Mr. 

 Bailey's Store, West corner building of the stone 

 steps passage way. 



ty^ Orders for Engraving and Printing Address or 

 Visiting Cards ; and engraving;3 on Wood, Brass, or 

 other metals solicited. Door Plates of any style and 

 price, of Brass, Silver or Silver-pbted. Nov. 2.. 



