48 



XEW ENGLAXD FAiniER. 



Jan. 



VATTDrKTE'S SEEDLING PLUM. 



Downing says "that the soil and climate of 

 the Middle States are admirablj' suited to this 

 fruit is sufficiently proved by the almost sponta- 

 neous production of such varieties as the Wash- 

 ington, Jefferson, Lawrence's Favorite, &c.; sorts 

 ■which equal or surpass in beauty or flavor the 

 most celebrated plums of France or England." 

 For several years past the cultivator of the plum 

 has been discouraged by the destruction occa- 

 sioned by the curculio, and what is still worse, the 

 black knot, caused either by this insect or by some 

 widely-spread disease among the trees. No suf- 

 ficient remedy has yet been found for either of 

 these pests. The ravages of the curculio may be 

 prevented by a frequent jarring off of the insects 

 upon cloths and killing them, but the labor must 

 be a protracted and tedious one. The plum, how- 

 ever, is a delicious dessert fruit, is excellent for 

 sauces and preserves, and is worthy of considera- 

 ble effort to bring it to perfection. 



The cluster of plums which is so beautifully fig- 

 ured above, was presented to us by Mr. Henry 

 Vandine, of Cambridgeport, Mass., and had a fla- 

 vor as excellent as the cluster was beautiful. A 



few days since he sent us the following note in re- 

 lation to it : 



Cambridgeport, Dec. 20, 18G1. 

 Messrs. Nourse, Eaton & Tolman: — Dear 

 Sirs, — I have received your letter requesting a de- 

 scription of the Vandine Seedling Plum. It orig- 

 inated on my place several years ago. It is about 

 the size of the Diamond Plum, of a black color, 

 with a heavy blue bloom. It ripens about the last 

 of August, and is of an excellent quality when fully 

 ripe. Yours, respectfully, 



Henry Vandine. 



Rats Afraid of Powder. — H. H. Ballard, 

 Owen Co., Ky., writes to the American Agricul- 

 turist that with one-quarter of a pound of gun- 

 powder he can keep every rat from his premises 

 for a year. "The powder is not used to drive a 

 bullet or shot through the animal, but is simply 

 burned in small quantities, say a teaspoonful in a 

 place, along their usual paths, and at the holes 

 where they come out, with the i:)roper precaution 

 to prevent accidents from fire." He says he has 

 proved its efficacy by re]5eated trials. The rat 

 has a keen sense of smell, and if he has sense 

 enough to know that he is not wanted, when he 

 perceives the odor of the burnt powder, the reme- 

 dy wiU be of great value. 



