18G7. 



NEW ENGLAND FAR]\TER. 



203 



NEW PUBLICATIOTTS. 



The American Naturalist, a Popular Illustrated 

 Magazine of Natural History. Vol. I. — March, 1S07, 

 — No. 1. SaU'in, Mass., Essex Institute. Monthly. 

 Pages 66. Piacc $3.00. Alpheus S. Packard, Edward 

 8. Morse, Alpheus Hyatt and Frederick W. Putnam, 

 Editors. 



Farmers lose many hard days' work by the 

 depredations of insects. We ought to know 

 more about them than we do. Those of us 

 who are too old to go to college to study their 

 habits, and learn their classical names, must 

 employ the next best means, and read books 

 and papers. Instead of cloistering up their 

 wisdom as of old, the scientific men of our 

 day are disposed to let their light shine for the 

 benefit of all. Indeed they are yery glad to 

 exchange their knowledge of the "Lepidop- 

 tera," "Diptera," «fec., &c., for our "Chenan- 

 goes," "Ruta bagas," and the like. Will not 

 the exchange be mutually beneficial ? 



The first number of this new work has arti- 

 cles on the Land Snails of New England ; The 

 Volcano of Kilauea, Hawaiian Islands ; The 

 Fossil Reptiles of New Jersey ; The Ameri- 

 can Silk Worm ; Winter Notes of an Ornithol- 

 ogist ; Reviews ; Natural History Miscellany ; 

 Correspondence ; Natural History Calendar ; 

 Proceeding of Scientific Societies ; Glossary, 

 &c. Paper, printing and cuts, all in best 

 style. 



BEET SI7QAK. 

 In the April number, we published some ac- 

 count of the factory established at Chatsworth, 

 111., for the manufacture of beet sugar, in 

 which it was stated that the company had roots 

 enough on hand to produce 400,000 lbs. of 

 sugar. The Prairie Farmer says that ninety- 

 one barrels of sugar were sent to Springfield 

 from this factory on the 26th of February. 

 The same paper contains an article upon the 

 subject from a correspondent in the city of 

 New York, who says : 



A company is about to be organized here 

 with a very large capital for the purpose of 

 establishing beet sugar works near La Salle. 

 The leaders in the movement have visited beet 

 growing districts in France and Germany and 

 are fiuniliar with best methods and latest im- 

 provements. 



For my part, I see no reason why sugar can- 

 not be made in this country from beets, as cer- 

 tainly as bread can be made from wheat. 

 When we do it, as I believe we shall, and save 

 the 80 millions in gold which we annually send 

 abroad for sugar, Ave not only give employ- 

 ment to multitudes of our people, but we solve 

 the question whether we soon pay the national 



debt. After supplying our own wants, the 

 next step will be to export to foreign countries. 

 Some here are so sanguine as to predict that 

 within 15 years we will send sugar abroad. I 

 have seen too many things slip up in my 

 life to believe everytlijng, but I Avill venture to 

 say that Illinois corn is about to become a crop 

 of third rate importance, and that a day of 

 brilliant prosperity immediately is before the 

 grand old Prairie State. n. c. m. 



Wooden Boxes for the Canker Worm. 

 — It appears, by the recently published Trans- 

 actions of the Massachusetts Horticultural So- 

 ciety, that, next to Hovey & Co., the largest 

 amount of premiums was awarded by this so- 

 ciety to F. & L. Clapp, of Dorchester, whose 

 fine orchard is surrounded by canker worms. 

 These gentlemen, it is stated by Mr. Hyde, 

 the chairman of the Fruit Committee, have 

 effectually protected their trees by the use of 

 the wooden boxes which have been frequently 

 recommended by correspondents of the Farm- 

 er, and of which a brief description will be 

 found on another page. Although the com- 

 mittee say that the "apple crop proved the 

 past season, in the vicinity of Boston, a great- 

 er failure than ever," they speak of the large 

 quantities of fine Gravenstein, Williams, Bald- 

 win and other varieties which were exhibited 

 by these gentlemen, during the past year. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 REMEDY FOB THE CANKEE WOKM. 



While on my way to Boston last summer, I 

 saw several orchards that had the appearance 

 of having been visited by that pest the canker 

 worm, and I determined then to communicate 

 through your valuable paper, in season to give 

 those that wish an opportunity to thwart their 

 depredations the coming year, the following 

 cheap and efficient protection : — 



Put one or more bushels of clean common 

 mill sawdust, (according to the size of the 

 tree and shape of the earth) about the trunk 

 in a symmetrical mound, piling it carefully and 

 lightly as high as it will stand, and no creep- 

 ing insect can mount it. It should be looked 

 to every evening during the spring, or time of 

 their running up the trees, and carefully 

 trimmed up or replied. I tried this remedy 

 several years ago in an orchard that the can- 

 ker worms had most shamefully abused the 

 year before, and It proved efliclent, no worms 

 that year, nor has there been any since. But 

 I don't attribute their long absence to one ap- 

 plication of sawdust. I expect they will visit 

 this locality some time, but when they do they 

 will be likely to find a plenty of the dust. 



Perhaps 1 ought to say that I know this will 



