No. 8. 



AND GARDENER'S JOURNAL 



111) 



I'oncli Irt'c, and ninny other pinnts. The BlacU Fly, 

 n very Iroubltsoniu nail dcstrnclive insert, llmt iiilVtit 

 tlio young slioots of the Clierry und the Snow linll 

 lie 1 Imve never known any positive euie for ibo 

 111' CIS of tins intreet nntil this time. Two vorieties 

 ul inse'-is iliat are desti uetive to, nnil very nineh die- 

 ligtire Evergreens, tlie Halsani or Dniin of Gilead Fir 

 in pniiieidar, one an Aphis, the otiicr very niiieh 

 like the lOjeslug. The Acaras, or red epider, that 

 W( Ii kn'H\'n pest to tiardeners. 



Thr Duccisi: Mitilac (.n tlie G'>nscberry, Peneh, 

 G.upe Vine, &c., &u., is checked and entirely de- 

 etrOj ed by a wenk dreteiiijj: of tlie solution. 



Tile abjvc iiisecta are geneially all destroyed by 

 one application, if properly applied to all pni is of the 

 foihige. The Oii^s of tnobt insects coMtinue lo hatch 

 in r'H'ition, dining their etaeen. To keep the plants 

 perf.rtiy elcin, it vi-ill be nec-ssary to dress them two 

 or three times. 



'I'/ic CaiJicr Worm. As the trees on this place 

 are not troubled with this worm, 1 have not but) an 

 opportunuy of trying experiments by dreesiiig the 

 treee, but have collected the worms, which nro killed 

 by bi-.iig touched » ith the liquid. The expen.se ol 

 Labor ami engines for dressing l.irge trees, to be iftect- 

 uai, nity be more than the application of it Wjll war- 

 rant; but 1 think by saturating the ground under the 

 trees w.th the liquid, about the time the insect changes 

 froMi thoohfysaii'J state and a-cends the trees, will de- 

 Buoy iliciii; or, wlien the modi is on the tree, before 

 laying its egg??, iliey may be destroyed without much 

 labor; in cither case, the mi.xture may be applied 

 much stronger than when it conies in contact with 

 the foilnge. Laying it on the trunk and branches of 

 the tree, at the consistency of thick paint, destroys 

 the brown, ecaly insect on the bark, and gives the 

 tree a smooth, glossy, and healthy appearance. — N. 

 p. Farwcr. DiviD Hagefstoji. 



WatertotDii, June Idth, 1841. 



From the American Farmer, 

 TheRose-Biig. 



This little insect wherever it is known at all, is 

 known to be e.vtremely destructive to some other 

 flowers as well as the rose, and is sometimes ao nu- 

 merous as to desiro}' all the early cherries, the haut- 

 boys, the grapes, and sometimes the more delicate 

 varieiifs of the peach. Many years ago I have often 

 lost §11 these fruits except some of the varieties ol the 

 peach by these insects. Of late years they have 

 done me little or no injury, and they are nearly extir- 

 pated from my premises — they are only to be seen at 

 the places of their destruction — these arc Linilrn trees 

 whtn inhlnssom. When these trees first begin to 

 blossom about my yard and garden, at one of them 

 0* t a hard naked wall, I was surpiised to find the 

 r'Bi-iug, which had been vastly numerous and de- 

 Btructive for many years before, dead in great quan- 

 tities under it — as many as a pint or quart might be 

 swept up under it at a ume dciid. My first impres- 

 fiion was, that the bugs died about the linden tree al- 

 ter depositing their eggs and terminating their natural 

 career, but such is not the fact, and I now speak with 

 confidence after several years observation and expe- 

 rience when I say, the hlossom ol'this tree destroyt 

 them, and will extirpate, or nearly so, the race from its 

 immediate vicinity, 'Ui the farm on vliich they grow. 

 This fact seems to be out of the ordinary course of 

 nature, for we are tnughl to believe that all animals 

 in a natural state are ltd by the wise instinct of na- 

 ture to avoid that which will poi.jnn or destroy them. 

 In rushing into the enjoyment of the delicious fra- 

 grance and honey of this Hower, they precipitate them- 

 eelves on their own destruction. 



I state this fmt, tor the information of (loiisis and 

 fruiters, and hope that those better skilled in phi- 

 losophy and natural history, may solve the seeming 

 heterodoxy. T. E. 



No End to Iniprovementa 



He that believes ngrioulture is perfect, and that we 

 have nothing to do but pursue the old and beaten track, 

 asblind animals move round the tread mill, deserves 

 our compassion. Nature proclaims that neither agri 

 Cttltu-e, nor any other branch of natural science, can 

 •ver become perfect. The mind of man is capable of 

 indefinite improvement, so are all the productions of 

 nature. For examples, look at the valuable plants 

 in the condition in which they were first found in 

 their native woods. The various kinds of corn, po- 

 tatoes, cabbaire^, fruits, &c., were all, before they 

 were touched by the finger of culture, as unlike what 

 they now arc. as diffMent species are unlike. Thi-y 

 «re all aus-'optiblo of continual improvement, all ever 

 ranni/ig into new variet'ies. It is not long ago, that 



the potato was a uscleis, unhealthy vegetable in the 

 woods of South America, where it was first found, 

 but it has been so changed by the hand of care and iw 

 dtistty, OS to become large and healthy, and now sup- 

 plies food for nioie human beings throughout the 

 earth, than any plant, save corn and nco, and is no 

 doubt destined tons much future improvement ae it 

 has received in '.he past. Compare the maize or In- 

 dian corn, as first seen in the feeble stalk and sh nder 

 toasting ear around the wigwam, with its hundred 

 varieties in its present maturity, yielding in value its 

 countless thotieamis to national w^nltli. And we are 

 just now beginning to see the inipiovcnient of which 

 this valuable plant is still snsccptiblo. 



The succession of the seasons — the calm — the storm 

 — the course of the winds — the revolution of the hea- 

 venly bodies — the nature of the earth — the food of 

 plaiitE — the infiuencc of water, light, heat and air on 

 the growth of vegetation — the proper composition ot 

 the various soils to furnish the greatest amount of 

 production, will ever be subjects too broad for the full 

 grasp of the most profound philosopheis, and in the 

 untathomable proiimdities of which, new discoveries 

 will be made as long as thia frame of nature shall en- 

 dure.— .3/0. Farmer. 



Humbugs* 



Almost every year gives birth to some ncir word, 

 or some new and peculiar meaning ivi the old word, 

 in the English, or rather American, language, — to 

 that there will be a need of dictionary makers and 

 new lexicons as long as the Anglo Saxon race exists. 

 In the political vocabulary, the introduction and per- 

 manent use of new terms, has become rciT/ common. 

 Take, for instance, the word "gerrymander" — an 

 entirely original one, which was invented in the days 

 of Gov. Gerry, or the words "twaddler," " loco- 

 foco," and the like, which have obtained a political 

 significnney, that until lately, were unknown in the 

 English langtiage; are not such terms evidence of the 

 lexicographical genius of our political fellow citizens? 

 The word "humbug," is another term which, of 

 late years, has assumed a new eignificancy; and fur 

 the harmless insect that hums its merry music in the 

 nocturnal atmosphere, has come, rather, to signify 

 whatever in politics, religion, science, agriculture or 

 the arts, deceives the people by promising much and 

 performing little. And so now, whatever does not 

 come fully up to what was promised, or rather what 

 was expected by a misconstruction of the pretension, 

 is familiarly stigmatized as a humbug. There is dan- 

 ger that we may go too far in this unceremonioudy 

 bestowing opprobrious terms upon every thing that 

 does not meet our expectations. By such a prema- 

 ture course, we may often do real injustice to men 

 who are engaged in great improvements. Their in- 

 ventions and improvements may at first not fulfil all 

 the expectations which were raised; still they may be 

 of some value and ultimately prove of great service 

 when the full design ia completed; at least their mo- 

 tives and intentions are good, and should receive tho 

 charity, rather than tho unmeasured censure of the 

 public. 



Take, for instance, the experiments that are made 

 and the suggestions which are offered, relating to 

 Agriculture. No improvements can be had without 

 experimente. It is not to be expected that all should 

 succeed. But what then? shall more be made? 

 Some may be partially successful — leaving room for 

 still further improvement; others may be perfeot at 

 once If now a person who thinks he has made, and 

 actually has made some improvement, publishes the 

 results of his experiments, under the influence of that 

 partiality which ia always bestowed on one's own 

 offspring, and an expectation is therefore raiced, in 

 less partiiil minds which is not fully sustained — 

 though there may be improvement — is it lair or gen- 

 erous, to denounce the whole as a " humbug," and 

 its author as n base man and deceiver 7 We think 

 not. Some how or other, whatever gets in print, 

 some renders are apt to look upon as having a conse- 

 quence — that authorizes higher expectations than if 

 the same thing had come to ihem in precisely the 

 same words, from the li|is of n neighbor. Exorbi- 

 tant expectations, in this case, are the fault of the 

 reader, rather than the writer; and if disappointment 

 folf'ws, the blame is not altogether on one side. 



We make these remarks now in relation to two ar- 

 ticles in agriculture, which we notice many persons 

 are disposed, olf hand, to denounce as " humbugs," 

 because expectations hftvc been raised, either through 

 the faults of readers, who ascribe an undue impor- 

 tance to what appears in print, or to the writers who 

 under the influence of a parental partiality have de- 

 scribed them. \Vc allude to the Roh!>n potatoce and 

 the China Tree Corn. 



For ourselves, individually, there was always 

 something from the first and earliest descriptions 

 which we saw, that led 118 to doubt whether the Uo- 

 haiiG were much better potatoes or greater yielders 

 than the long reds; and so we never rcconiniciidcd 

 or said much about them — not choosing to make any 

 experiments, or to give the results of them to the 

 public. But thete arc called a " humbug." Where- 

 loie? Do they not yield largely? They do. Very 

 largely? They do. So much then is gained. Are 

 ibey not better than ninny other potatoes for cooking? 

 It was never pretended that they were. On the con- 

 tiaiy, it was always said, they were not very good 

 for culinary uses, and were more approiniatc for 

 stock. In this, then, there was no deception. Call 

 them " humbug" if you will; neverihelee.s they are 

 crcat yielders; and if it so happened that we in 

 Maine have another sort, not thus made conspicuous 

 before the public by accounts of them, which yield r.s 

 much — the good hick is ours — no one is injured by 

 the Rohans. Why then should such terrible judg- 

 ments he decreed Bgninst the New Yorkers who pro- 

 duced and complimented a new kird that > ields so 

 well in that state. People hcru were anxious to try 

 them. The seed stores were called upon to procure 

 them. They did so to oblige cnstooicis. Purciio.»rB 

 bought one or two each and tried them. If they did 

 iiotfind them the beat | ota'-o. s n Maine, and tie 

 greatest yiciders ever si en, why should the seed 

 stores be blamed for enabling them to try the experi- 

 ment? 



And now of the China Tree Corn. We can speak 

 more experimentally of this. We tried the experi- 

 ment on a liberal scale, not f.w our own, but for the 

 public benefit, and gave the result of our operations 

 to the world — just as they were. So that oiheisbnd 

 the knowlege at our cost. We never said that the 

 China Tree Corn was adapted to our latitude. Tliat 

 was a point to be ascertained. We found out that it 

 is not, and we told the public so. 



It should be recollected that Thorburn from whom 

 the seed was obtained, resides in the city of New 

 York. His crop was raised on Long Island. His 

 descriptions of its capacities related to tlial latitude. 

 He never said it would flourish and ripen in Maine: 

 and if we choose to try the experiment here we must 

 do it at our risk, and if it failed, not blame the corn 

 for what it could do in the Middle States, but could 

 not do in Maine or in Canada. We have no doubt 

 that it ija very ear/ycorn {or tliat hititiide; and that 

 what Thorburn said of it is mainly true, so far as 

 relates to the reaion where he raised it, which was the 

 place ef his descriptions. He never said that it grew 

 like trees bearing ears on branches. This was an 

 emendation made by the conjecture of some secular 

 editor, for whose description Thorburn was not re- 

 sponsible. The truth is, it ;> a tremendous great corn. 

 It grows like a forest, and will yield, in climotes suit- 

 ed to it, beyond any corn we ever saw. This we pro- 

 ved by actual experiment. The year we planted it, 

 as we'did en a large scale, the season was dark, cold 

 and wet. It did not have a fair chance with us. But 

 still fearful us the odds were against us, — the seed 

 having been raised three or four hundred miles south 

 of us,°the most of it did ripen. Last year, we plant- 

 ed some from our own seed, and ihot was fully ripe 

 long and long before any frosts. We are not sure 

 yet, tiiat it may not be occlimated and become a fine 

 corn for us in Maine— bating its exhausting proper, 

 ties— for ilKiil exhaust the land at a great rate, as is 

 natural where a great crop is yielded. 



People may call it n "humbug," if they choose, 

 but it is no humbug in Nev/ York and Pennsylvania, 

 I'orwe very frequently see accounts in the agriculiti- 

 ra! journals of those stales, setting forlh examples in 

 various places of its successful culture, and ol its enor- 

 mous yield. Wo ought not, in Mume, to expect a 

 corn to flourish here, which is adapted to the Middle 



Slates. , . ■ . , . m 



People brought il here from curiosity, to plant, io 

 gratify this curiosity our seed stores obtained seme of 

 it on sole Cut who woe really injured by it? Not 

 one in an hundred bought even a single ear, which 

 cost the capital sum of twenty five cents; and most 

 procured bul a few kernels at a price of a glass ot rum. 

 This expense, therefore, could not have been a great 

 ininry to ony one, and certainly not much land was 

 lost by its occupancy with the plants. People had 

 the opportunity 10 try ihe experiment, and this they 

 did wiihout injury to themselves. If they were sat- 

 ficd— well: if they were not, let_ them not^ scold as 



if they had been imposed upon and robbed of a whole 

 sumnier's work, and their farm to boot. It is well to 

 try cxperimenis, tlioufih ihoy fail someumcs,— .4/oths 

 CiiUiralOT. 



