1870. 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



17 



upward march towards the ends of the shoots, 

 never making a retrogriide movement unless in 

 case of storms, when they face right about and 

 seek the cover of the old scales. Their ability to 

 move continues only for a few days, when they 

 lose their legs and tails, assume the scale like 

 form, and become a fixture on the shoot. 



During the last week of May, 1868, the young 

 brood began to move, and in greater numbers than 

 in previous years, so numerous that the shoots ap- 

 peared to the naked eye as if sprinkled with fine 

 particles of corn meal. Anxious to try the fish 

 brine cure, we syringed a large tree with two pails 

 full ; it took two minutes by the watch. Result — 

 — every louse was killed, and so was every leaf 

 and every green shoot and apple on the tree. 



The second mixture tried was half a pint of 

 common salt to a pail of water. Result — the in- 

 sect lived, Ijut leaves and shoots were destroyed. 



The third and last mixture was a quarter of a 

 pound of whale oil soap, dissolved in the same 

 quantity of water. Time expended in syringing, 

 two minutes. Result — death to the insect, health 

 and vigor to the tree, and a handsome and abun- 

 dant crop of apples. 



Before closing, we will mention a fact which we 

 noticed last year, which perhaps will be interest- 

 ing to entomologists, and certainly of value to 

 fruit-grov,'ers. While looking at the movements 

 of the young lice through a powerful magnifying 

 glass, we discovered a round shaped, black lady 

 bug, with four distinct white spots on the back, 

 feeding upon the young lice, completely cleaning 

 the shoot as it went along. Farmers, spare every 

 one of them, for they are our best friends. 



DEATH Off B. D. WALSH, ESQ,. 



The Western papers announce the death of this 

 gentleman at his residence in Rock Island, 111., 

 November 18, aged 62 years. At the time of his 

 death he was senior editor of the American Efito- 

 mologist, and held the position of State Entomolo- 

 gist of Illinois. He was born in England, and 

 was a graduate of Oxford. He emigrated to this 

 country in early life and settled on a farm in Illi- 

 nois, and was subsequently engaged in the lumber 

 business. From his boyhood his favorite study 

 has been natural history, especially that branch of 

 it known as entomology, and by his writings upon 

 this subject his name has become familiar to the 

 readers of the agricultural papers of the country, 

 and especially to those of the American Entomolo- 

 gist. He possessed the rare faculty of writing on 

 the subject of insects in a manner to interest both 

 the scientific and the unlearned reader. His story 

 of a bug had all the interest of a romance, and all 

 the precision of a jaw-breaking technologist. For 

 several years past he has devoted himself almost 

 exclusively to his favorite science, and at the time 

 of his death had the most extensive private collec- 

 tion of specimens in entomology in the country. 

 His death was occasioned by injuries received 

 from an engine while walking on a railroad track. 

 The Prairie Farmer says, "of his family in Eng- 

 land, wo only know of one member, a brother, the 

 present editor of the London Field, and the well- 

 known author of the best work on the horse, in 

 the language, written under ih^ nom de plume oi 

 'Stonehenge.' 



CHOKED ANIMA-LS. 



Every autumn animals are choked by turnips, 

 potatoes and apples. They are often relieved by 

 thrusting a fork handle, a broomstick or whip stock 

 down the gullet. This operation is not 

 without danger, and it sometimes fails. A 

 case occurred in our neighborhood, a few 

 days ago, in which the stick was pushed 

 through the side of the gullet of a fine 

 heifer, and the operator supposed the ob- 

 struction was removed ; but the animal died 

 in two hours. On opening her, the fact was 

 revealed that there were two holes made in 

 the gullet, while the turnip remained im- 

 pacted in the passage. 



The following simple apparatus should 

 be kept on hand by every farmer, and will 

 generally be found eflFectual. Take a piece 

 of smooth wood, about ten or twelve inches 

 long, and nearly as large round as a man's 

 wrist, to hold open the animal's jaws. 

 Bore a hole near each end, large enough 

 to receive a strong cord. Then bore a hole 

 in the middle large enough to receive a 

 common broom handle. Put into one of 

 the end holes a cord a yard or more in 

 length, tying it with a firm knot, and the 

 gag is complete. Get a smooth broom han- 

 dle or other wooden rod, and after fasten- 

 ing very firmly upon the end a small ball 

 or covering of cloth, as represented by the cut at 

 a, but not so large as not to slip readily through 

 the middle hole in the gag, and lay them up to- 

 gether, where they can be readily found. To pre- 

 vent their being separated, it may be well to tie 

 them together, when put away. 



When an animal is choked, take the gag and put 

 it into the mouth above the tongue, and bring the 

 cord over the head behind the horns, and tie it 

 firmly into the hole at the other end, and you have 

 a perfect gag which the animal cannot shake out 

 of her mouth. Then pass the broom stick through 

 the middle hole, and push it gently into the gullet 

 until the obstruction is reached, then tap it gently 

 and repeatedly until the obstruction gives way. 

 Never use violence in any case. This apparatus 

 in careful hands will seldom fail. It may be pre- 

 pared by almost any one, is easily used, and should 

 always be kept ready. 



Sales of Improved Stock.— James S. Mon- 

 roe, Lexington, Mass., has sold a half Dutch cow 

 that gave on Thanksgiving Day,— nine weeks af- 

 ter dropping her calf, — twenty quarts of milk on a 

 common feed of hay and one pint of oil meal. 



Winthrop W. Chenery, Highland Stock Farm, 

 Belmont, Mass., has recently sold to S. B. Emer- 

 son, Mountain View, Santa Clara County, Califor- 

 nia, one Lincoln ram, four rams and sixteen ewes 

 of the Texcl or Mouton Flandrin breed of sheep ; 

 two bulls and one heifer of the Dutch or Ilolstein 

 cattle. These animals went overland by rail, and 



