NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Oct. 



any other place where bigotry rules, and they may 

 consider themselves fortunate if their characters 

 do not suffer as much as their pecuniary interests 

 do. Silas IBrown. 



North Wilmington, June, 1862. 



Remarks. — We have taken the liberty to omit 

 a portion of the article sent by our esteemed cor- 

 respondent, not because we do not believe every 

 word he says, but because it might introduce a 

 discussion entirely inconsistent with our purposes 

 and plans in the Farmer. 



Fur the New England Farmer. 



THE ONLY "LADY-BIRD'* INJURIOUS TO 

 VEGETATION. 



The habits, food and transformations of insects 

 are so uniform and constant as to have given the 

 foundation for their division into orders, families, 

 genera and species, some feeding entirely upon 

 other insects, others upon decaying vegetable or 

 animal matter, and others still upon living vegeta- 

 bles. But as in every other subject there is no 

 rule without an exception, so it is 

 here. The "lady-birds," as they are 

 commonly called, or Coccindlidce, are 

 a very extensive family, numbering 

 several hundred specie 3 in the world, 

 of which between twenty and thirty 

 have been found in Massachusetts. All of them 

 that have been studied, and their habits ascer- 

 tained, are found to be carnivorous, or innoxious 

 to vegetation, with the single exception of the 

 large and handsome species, a cut of which graces 

 this article. It is known as the Goccindla borca- 

 lis, or northern "lady-bird," and is found to I)e 

 very injurious to the squash and other cucurbita- 

 ceous plants ; laying its eggs upon the under side 

 of the leaves, a small yellow grub or larva with six 

 feet, and of a rounded form is hatched from them, 

 and proceeds at once to devour the parenchyma or 

 ])ulpy substance of the leaf; it is a delicate feed- 

 er, rejecting the veins and tough nerves of the 

 leaf, so that it presents a net-like ajipearance, 

 somewhat like coarse lace, and can readily be dis- 

 tinguished from the ravages produced by the oth- 

 er enemies of the plant. The perfect insect in its 

 beetle form is also believed to injure the leaves in 

 the same manner. Sprinkling the plants thickly 

 with ashes or fine gritty dust, such as accumulates 

 in the grindstone box, or even common road dust, 

 is said to be an excellent remedy, if applied when 

 the dew is on. F. G. Sanborn. 



Andover, 1862. 



had no power in themselves, they have wrought 

 a good work in preventing the horrid and tortur- 

 ing prescriptions which were so common forty 

 years ago. Thanks for so much. And if the poor 

 horse could speak, we should find an eloquent 

 gratitude surpassing that of human tongue. 



We hope this book will have a wide circulation. 

 By using it, Ave have no doubt horse-owners will 

 find there are remedies for the diseases of the no- 

 ble animal beside gin, spirits of turpentine, red- 

 hot irons and the seton. Beside their inherent 

 power, these medicines have another recommen- 

 dation in the ease with which they may be admin- 

 istered. 



New Hampshire Fruit Crop.— The crop of 

 apples and pears is exceedingly large this year, and 

 the price so low that there will be plenty of cider 

 and dried apples made. Along the road, almost 

 anywhere, you will see many trees propped up, and 

 some limbs broken down. — Manchester American. 



LADIES' DEPARTMENT. 



NE-W PUBLICATIONS. 



New Manual of Homceopathic Veteuinart Mkdicixe ; or the 

 Homoeopathic Treatment of the Horse, the Ox, the Sheep, the 

 Dog anil other nomestic Animals. By F. A. Odntiieti. Bos- 

 ton: Puhlisheilby 0ns Clapi', 3 Beacon Street, Boston. 



The introduction of Homoeopathic medicines 

 has greatly modified the Allopathic treatment of 

 both men and animals. Many of our best veteri- 

 nary surge^ons have long availed themselves of 

 the agreeable and efficacious homoeopathic reme- 

 dies, and have used them in their practice and 

 recommended them in their books. Even if thev 



WORDS FOR •VSTIVES. 



I believe the influence of a wife to be always, 

 for good or for bad, very decided. There is not a 

 woman living, unless she have forfeited all claim 

 to her husband's respect, but is making her mark 

 day by day upon his character. We men are fool- 

 ishly proud, and do not like to let the women see 

 how they influence us, but we know that, outside 

 of our business, and sometimes even in it, — all our 

 doings are more or less controlled by our wives, 

 and he is a knave who will not honesily own it. 

 Is it a disgrace to a man that he is kept at home, 

 away from bad com[)any, away from doubtful 

 pleasures and foolish expen'^e, through his wife's 

 influence ? Some poor, cowardly souls think so, 

 and utter senseless cries against her who, as a 

 guardian angel, stands between these and their 

 victim. 1 think the wife was given to man to sup- 

 ply him with certain things wanting in his own na- 

 ture, and in yielding to her judgment, her opinion, 

 her desire, — where these are on the side of ti'uth 

 and justice,— he only follows out the leading of a 

 Divine will. But though the husband hide it or 

 deny it, let the good wife be of good cheer. One 

 thing, however, let her understand, — worrying, 

 fretVng, fault-finding, direct and frequent har- 

 rangues, ill-tempered slurs, anything that looks 

 like passion, suspicion, or jealousy, will do no 

 good. These are things a man cannot bear, and 

 have driven many into the things they were in- 

 tended to prevent. She lacks judgment and pru- 

 dence who shall ever indulge in these. Let her 

 know tliat the strongest influences are those which 

 are silent and indirect, that it is impossible for her 

 to be in the right, gently, patiently, consistently, 

 without its being felt. It may not be acknowl- 

 edged to-day, or to-morrow, or ever ; it may not 

 do all that she hoped it would do. Counteracting 

 influences may be too strong for that, but it is felt 

 among the deepest and last things of life, even 

 when he jeers, and scofi's and strikes. — Monthly 

 lieligious Magazine. 



