;o. 8. 



AND gaiu)en1':r's journal 



121 



Slugs ou Fruit Trees. 



' <. I'niTons — 



■ ii: ilic first of July (hcrp npurarcri on Ihe lenvcs of 



ilii'r.ir uees in this va-inity, n small dark lirown tvnrni or 



rt . from one iinartcr of nn inch to an inch in length, with 



.;a-;ul much larger than uny other part of the 1-oiI.r. and in 



■ 1 nuiulicrs AS to tUrea'en the trees with immediate dca- 



• tflimi. Half a dozen of Ihcni niighl of:cn be seen feeding 



OR single leaf, eatingoutthc tender part like young silk 



n lii-i. Thry intreaseJ in nuniliers for about two weeks, 



A \ ten, le 1 their ravages to the cherry trees, hnt 1 Ir- 



- ^i> other kinds were injured by tlicni. After eonlinu- 



-ir woik of destruction for about three weeks, and 



p many tree-s entirely of their foilnge, they began to 



: Iiave now mostly disappc;ired. Now as 1 am en- 



niirant of the name, origiji and history of these in- 



■•. rite this c niunicntion in hopes that you or some 



'urrespoodents will throw sotiic light on the sub- 

 A. 1). C. 

 ■■icti,Jtilyi<ilh, IMl. 



'~Ks — These slugs, as they are commonly called, have 



ie loo well known in this vi.inily for three or four 



■.-I. We are not sure that their operations arc con- 



'.\'cs'.crn \cw York, although we do not recollect 



^cen or heard of them in other parts. Itisevidcnt, 



'^ that lliey arc every year extending the field of 



■rations, and they will probably continue to do so 



- n.aural calamity destroys, or enemy devours them ; 



v.ver sijnple may be the artifici.tl means for their 



d',ui tiun, it seems that people arc generally too i,Ile or 



■ ligcntlo put them in requisition. We last year pul>- 



t. c I icvcr.ll articles on the subject, and sugges'.ed some 



puis for their destruction (Vol. 1.) 



'lil-s insect apijcars to be a ttondestri^ : or ftt any rate wc 

 I c Iren unable to find out its true name, or any account 

 c;'.5 tiivtory. We have discovered, however, that in its 

 ( iVlX state it is a fly. atjout as kngand half as large as the 

 c minii ji'iuscfly, but of slower motion. It deposits its eggs 

 C iiig ilie month of June, which appear like small glutinous 

 i^ur e.-.tles on tlie upper surface of the leaves. Tliese 

 s n 'ir.tcli and produce the slugs, which feed for about 

 : T w ccks — then curl up and appear to die and fall to the 

 f uiui liut instead of dying as most people suppose, they 

 c n^f into the chrysalis stale and escape into the ground, 

 1 ere they remain till the next summer, and then issue 

 f ii .■\t:ain in the form of files — multiply their species, and 

 , -r. llicir Uiisdiief. 



...ost common and simple mode of destroying them 



r^'. has bcen'lo throw dry ashes or lime over thi 



r several successive mornings It adheres to thei 



s ;, C'^at »nd kills them. If any of our readers have disco. 



^ • i Riiy more easy or e/Tcctual method we should be pleas 



< o publish it.— Eds. 



' Downing's Lautlscape Gardening and 

 Itiiral Architecture." 



The appearance of tbia work nt the present time, 

 I '.irs, iin the part of the Piib'is'iere, groat contideiici- 

 r be intelligence and good taste of oitr countrymen. 

 1 nbiiin; a region but recently made euhject to tlie 

 1 lis of civi'ization, it is a matter of course that our 

 I e «n-.l thoughts ehinild be chiefly occupied with 

 1 nt lertains to the necessaries rather than the ele- 

 icics of life. We were, onscqiicntly, not without 

 fears, that our ni.t mr had niisiaken his own zeal 

 I high estimate of rural improvement, for a some- 

 at corresponding feeling in the community, and 

 refore, like msn/ o:her writers of merit, his la- 

 '6 would remain unappreciated, until a more re- 

 sd public sentiment should do them justice. 

 But we are miatnken; and if the plea of ignorance 

 OS more cedit to our honesty than informntion, all 

 ! can soy is, that it is very gratifying to find the 

 evailing taste in advance of our anticipations. 

 We knew indeed that huge piles of brick and stone 

 d been erected in the vicinity of our cities and large 

 wns, with some pretensions at least, to care and la 

 W in planting about them; but we were not aware 

 iw much had been done remote from these, far 

 om the bu5y haunts of commercial life, to catch the 

 spiration of Nature, and make her beauties sub- 

 ;rvient to our comfjrt and elevated enjoyment. 

 We had often feasted upon the works of foreign 

 ithors as fiicy dessribed (he masfnificcm cOuntr)- 



seats of the old world; but we knew not that the no- 

 ble Hudson reflected from its silvery waters the light 

 aiul graceful tracery, the pointed arch and the lotty 

 pinuncle of the Gothic style; or that the warm and 

 neb Italian, transported from its sunny home, bad 

 found nn appropriate resting place on the quiet banks 

 ol the Delawaio. But what lias given us im-rc saiiE- 

 faction than all, and for which wc think our author 

 deserves much credit, is, his attempt to bring this 

 species of enjoyment within the reach of every land- 

 holder, however humble. Rcpubbeaiis, as we are 

 by feeling and education, wo hupc never to eee the 

 day when loidly caftles, extensive park.i, snatched 

 from cuttivaLion, and highly artificial and costly gar- 

 dene, shall take the place of iho elegant, but unosten- 

 tatious villa, the well kept farm house, or the neat 

 and comfortable cottage. The former how beautiful 

 soever in appearance, constantly force the rcflcciinn 

 upon us, that toll and privalitm are wrung from the 

 many, for the gratificntion of iho few. It is partly on 

 thid aecounl, that an inipreesion seem* to prevail, un- 

 favornble to ornBinentnl planting, as being attended 

 with heavy e.xpcnee: heitco also, when a wenlihy in- 

 dividual, wishes 10 improve his grounds, he thinks 

 bis object secured by the application of large sums of 

 money; he changes a gentle elope into huge terraces, 

 lays out bis appioach road in a regular curve, racks 

 his invention to produce a fence of the most showy 

 description; and if, behind these, rises a naked, star- 

 ing front of composite columns, his success is com. 

 plele. After all this he looks for enjoyment, and 

 wonders why it does not come; never reflecting that 

 the mind derives its chief sitisfalion from ihe con- 

 templation of Nature in her varied, ever-changing 

 forms. Let him then who seeks enjoyment in this 

 particular, keep his purse strings undrawn, except to 

 the calls of the poor and the needy; but let him with 

 his own hands stnaoth and enrich the verdant turf; 

 let him in this low corner, plant the bending willow; 

 on that kno'l, the graceftil, towering elm; lead the 

 circuitous path through this close planted grove, 

 the dark maple and the shelving beech invite 



us by their refreshing coolness; here, open to view 

 the distant prospect; there, thut out by thick under- 

 growth an unsightly object; here, in an irregular plal, 

 suited perhaps to the bend of the walk, plant a few 

 choice (lowers; and near by if posoible divcii the 

 neighboring rivulet to gladden and complete tho 

 whole: Then our word for it, there will be no com- 

 plaint of sameness. This would bo a world within 

 .tscif which would afl-ord more of variety than all the 

 archttecturni display of the city. But some of our 

 readers are ready to my, perhaps, "all ibis j, yery 

 well for the wealthy, but when shall we find time to 

 accomplish a work so extensive? We reply, in the 

 first place, we should be glad if there was a Utile 

 more attention given to thi^ comforts i,{ Utc, and not 

 quite so much exclusive thought, in relation to get- 

 ting rich. And in the second place, let every man 

 strictly conform to his circumstancea, and if his front 

 and back yards occupy but a few rods of ground, why 

 let him improve them in the best mannncr. Is it ab- 

 solutely necessary that the lawn gate opens precisely 

 in front of the principal door? May we n.>t hitve some 

 reference to convenience? and must the straight walk 

 be bordered with flowers in a straight line, and the 

 whole area occupied with parallel rows of trees? In 

 fact it is eonimon to find places arranged in this man- 

 ner which have required quite as much labor, as to 

 have laid out the grounds in a simple and eflectivo 

 form. 



We copy below as illustrating our meaning in 

 part, an engraving, representing a plantation of the 

 simplest description: Ie! our readers observe the close 

 planting near the house, the wide spread lawn and 

 the graceful curve of ih* approach road, then let them 

 in imagination cover the whole with straight rows of 

 fruit trees, shut out the best prospects, il aecident de- 

 cide, and lead the approach in a direct lino to the 

 house, and then mark the diffi^rence. 



We hope in future numbers to give our readers a 

 synopsis of the work, as we conceiva the information 

 contained therein to be intimately connected with the 

 real happiness of the community. g^ 



ITEMSl 



COSIIENJKD FROM EXCHANOI PiPKRS, &.C. 



New Pasture for Cows — Morus Malticaulis. — 

 The American Farmer sas's "In a recent conversa- 

 tion with a friend from Virginia, he informed us 

 that he had tried the experiment of turning his cows 

 into the field where his mulberries were growing, 

 and found that they ate the leaves with great relish, 

 and that the increase in the quantity and quality of 

 the milk was perceptible in a day or two." Should 

 like to know how many cows an acre would pasture. 

 Silk Culture. — Edmund Morris of Burlington, N. 

 J. announces the entire success ofhis experiments 

 the present season in the culture of silk, by means of 

 his newly invented silk frames. Hie experiments 

 were performed in the presence of crowds of visitors, 

 and several testimonials are given of the complete 

 success of hia frames in other places. Those wish- 

 ing further information may have it by rending hia 

 " Silk Record," a small monthly, sent to all without 

 charge, who arc poreonally int«rctted in the lilk fan- 

 siness. 



Hen's Eggs. — A correo|iondent of the Cultivator 

 says he obtains fresh eggs the year through, by regu- 

 larly feeding his fowls as much Indian corn as they 

 will eat. 



A Bir'cskire Hog in the possession of E. Marks, 

 Onondaga county, gained, while fattening, ihrea 

 pounds five ounces daily. 



Working soil, according to Skinner of the Ameri- 

 can Farmer, is "the sovereignest thing" to prevent 

 plants burning from drought. 



Tioo Rules of Jeflerson are very applicable to iha 

 times: — " Never spend your money before you get 

 it;" and "Never buy what you do not want hecausi 

 it is cheap." 



Large Yearlings. — S. Hccoi of Lyons, writes, in 

 the Cultivator, that he has two bull calves, raited 

 from Thomas Weddle's stock of Durhame, the one 

 a three-quarter blood , which weighed nt one year old 

 1015 lbs., the other a half-blood, which at thesani; 

 age weighed 915 lbs. Their feed during the past 

 winter utis hoy and roots onlj^. ' 



