AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 189 



of Buckeye mowing macliines, steam plows, and thrashers, we ought not 

 to talk much about exterminating thistles." 



Bugs on Plants a?id Vines. — Mr. Robinson read further from the same 

 letter, an inquiry what to do to get rid of the small brown bugs, about the 

 size of a pin head, which have made their appearance this year, and feed 

 upon all sorts of vines, cabbage, beets, tomatoes, &c. They are as nimble 

 as flees, and will jump as far. The striped bugs I can manage, but these 

 new pests I cannot. 



John G-. Bergen, of Long Island — Those bugs are not new with us ; 

 they are old enemies. They are called black jacks. With us Scotch 

 snuflF is the usual remedy. They are Tery destructive to plants while 

 young. The best remedy for the striped bug is to plant seads enough to 

 feed the bugs. Let them eat part of the plants while the others grow. 



A. P. Cumings — If you will cut your vine leaves and scatter wood 

 ashes, it will keep them off. If the bugs get on the under side, that must 

 also be covered with ashes. 



Mr. Bergen — The striped bug is most troublesome in small gardens. 

 Mr. J. Van Brunt, now present, has twelve acres of cucumbers growing at 

 this time — say 20,000 hills. Of course he could never affh all his plants. 

 His remedy is to plant early and get a good start, and then plant more 

 seed in the same hill at a later period, so that the bugs could have young 

 plants to eat while the older ones grow and get too big for the bugs. 



Andrew S. Fuller — I have kept off the striped bug with whale oil soap. 

 Onions have been recommended ; but they arc of no account. 



Win. Richardson, of Albany, stated that a gardener kept off the bugs 

 by a little piece of paper- -say six inches long — tied to a stake, and stuck 

 in the hill and left to flutter over the plants. 



Dr. Crowel. — The little black bug is kept off by salting the soil. Cab- 

 bages will bear any amount of salt. The striped bug is kept off by dust- 

 ing the plants with any dry dust as well as with ashes. 



Mr. Bergen. — A board box, a few inches high, will keep off the striped 

 bug. 



Dr. Trimble. — Some of these bugs lie dormant many years. The oock- 

 ehafer is three years under ground. 



Wm. R. Prince. — I should like to know what proof there is of insects 

 lying dormant for years. I believe that all insects come to life when the 

 revivifyng principle affects the egg or the seed. 



THE STRAWBERRY QUESTION. 



This subject was again introduced, and the following report of the com- 

 mittee appointed at the last meeting was read and adopted, after a long 

 discussion : 



New York, June 13, 1859. 



Report of the Committee of five, upon the six best kinds of St raw ber- 

 ries to cultivate for family use. — The committee appointed at the last 

 meeting of the Farmers' Club, to recommend six varieties of strawberries 

 for garden culture, beg leave to make the following report: 



