PROCEEDINGS OF THE FARMERs' CLUB. 235 



the auspices of the London Society of Arts, of which Prince Al- 

 bert was president. ,£350,000 sterling had been raised for that 

 exhibition. He hoped some ingenious American citizen might 

 invent a practicable tillage machine, to be presented at the In- 

 ternational exhibition, which would rapidly pulverise the soil, 

 and put it in proper condition for planting. There w^as now no 

 machine in existence capable of performing this labor, but he 

 trusted one would be brought out at the exhibition, already allu- 

 ded to, which would reflect credit upon American genius and 

 American industry. The secretary made some further remarks 

 relative to the general absence of the curculio and other destruc- 

 tive insects during the present year. 



Mr, Carpenter, of Harrison, N. Y., also spoke with reference 

 to the ravages of the curculio, which had heretofore proved so 

 destructive to the plum, but which had almost entirely ceased 

 the present year. For those who still found themselves annoyed 

 by this insect he would offer a remedy tried by a friend of his, 

 and said to be effectual. His friend had a plum orchard con- 

 taining two hundred trees. The curculio destroyed the major 

 part of his plums. His plan to stop their ravages was to inclose 

 his orchard with a board fence seven feet high. This he white- 

 washed on the inside. He then coated the ground with a mixture 

 of salt and lime, and has hever since found a plum hurt by the in- 

 sect. Mr. C. gave a rule as regards apples, particularly Newtown 

 pippins, that they should never be picked as long as the leaves 

 remained green. It was a peculiarity of all winter apples that 

 they continued to increase in size while the leaves remained green. 



Mr. Doughty, of New Jersey, said that he had seen as much of 

 the insect this year as formerly, though he had gathered more 

 plums, owing to the increased crop. He was glad to know of a 

 remedy. Rosebugs had not troubled him this year, though a few 

 years since he had had quantities of them on his shrubbery. He 

 attributed their absence to the use of whale oil soap, with which 

 he had syringed the plants affected. 



Mr. Weaver, of Porter, said the bugs had literally eaten up all 

 the grapes ho had raised during the year, and thought, in his 

 locality at least, the ravages of the bugs were fully as extended 

 as usual. 



Solon Robinson asked for information relative to the potato 

 disease, giving some of his own ideas on the subject. The best 

 variety of potato to withstand. the disease, bethought, was the 



