PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERS* CLUB. C3 



kiiiiw if I may not do it this fall, at the saiiu' (iiiic thai 1 fill up llic exca- 

 vatiuiis thi'y are set in, aiul lliiis save a j^ood deal ol iaijor.'' 



Mr. Suhni llobiiison. — Tlic answer tu this qnt'stion is in the atlinual ive. 

 The vinos can ho hiyerod in autnnm as woll as spring; iiuh'cd tiny arc 

 ufton covored for the pnrjjoso of winter protection. 



Apple Trees — Varieties Adapted to the Climate of Iowa. 



^Ir. James II. Mason, Marion, Iowa, gives liis experience since 1852: lie 

 says: " Tlie winter of 1856-7 was the most severe in tliis State, tlie tlier- 

 nioinotor sinking to 32° F., below 0. Tiie varieties tliat withstood that win- 

 ti'r in this vicinity are the YoHow Belltlower, White Winter Poarmain, 

 Hononi, l\ed and Sweet Komanite, Ked and Sweet June, Fanieuse, Falla- 

 water, Fall Fippin, Winesap, Early Bough, Roinanstein, Maiden's Blush, 

 Tallman Sweeting, Milam Golden Seedling, Paradise Winter Sweet, Baily 

 or Pattorson's Sweet, Limber Twig, Early Pennoek, Domino, Keswick Cod- 

 lin The Rawles Jaiiette or Never Fail, of New England, in many locali- 

 ties was half killed. The Tnlpehocking, about three-fourths destroyed; 

 lied Kambo, three-fourths injured; the White Rambo, but little; the Michael 

 Henry Pipjiin, totally dcstroyi'd I own an orchard of about 200 trees, 

 but no nursery, and living north of the parallel of 42", I think I liavo had 

 an opportunity of testing the varieties I named above. The last winter 

 was very severe, the thermometer sinking to .30" F. I can discover no 

 injury to my trees, except one of the Early Harvest varieties, which appears 

 to be one-half killed. My oldest trees arc 11 years old this spring, and my 

 best bearer is the Romanite, and also the Romanstcm, a native of New 

 Jersey, and I suspose well known to some members of the Club. I 

 addressed a line a few weeks ago to the Club, soliciting some information 

 if well decomposed oak sawdust is a good application for fruit trees, and 

 the answer was they have had no experience. I will ask the Club if they 

 ever applied chip manure to apple trees, and what were the results. .My 

 system of treating trees is to train very low tops and cultivate the land." 

 Mr. Solon Kol)inson. — Several members of the Club have used chip man- 

 ure with beneficial results. 



KOSEBUGS AND GrAPE BlOSSSOMS. 



A fiirmer's boy writes from Ridgolield, (Connecticut wo suppose,) that 

 lie accidentally ascertained that a white cloth spread over a grapevine 

 while in bloom keeps olT the rosebugs. fie sa>'s: "I have often seen the 

 ro.sebug spoken of as fiod for poultry. Will your Club tell me, through 

 the Tnhitne. what kind of a fowl (except a toad) will feed on Rosebugs, 

 md what they can be had for by the thousand ?" 



Mr. Solon Robinson. — 1 will answer a part of this question. I know by 

 . bscrvation tliat young turkeys will eat rosebugs. I cannot say that they 

 will gather them of their own accord from the bushes, but when gathered 

 in a cup, which ia the plan we practice to keep them from destroying the 

 blossoms of the vines, and fed to y<»ung turkeys in a coop, tliey eat them 

 freely. I have not tried the ex|)eriment, but have no doubt that young 

 ducks also would eat rosebugs. Tin; inference fnun the above, that toads 

 • at bugs, is worthy of consideration. Toads are truly friends of the far- 



