122 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



travel so as to carry them backward, at the same time lifting the soil, 

 which, while held on the spade blades, is shaken to insure its disintegration, 



WOEKING OF THE MACHINE. 



The ground selected for the experiment was a piece of rye stubble and 

 potato ground, the potatoes having been dug; the soil a clay loam. The 

 rye stubble contained much grass, and the soil very compact. In the 

 stubble, the machine dug the ground about three feet wide and from five 

 to eight inches deep, displacing all the soil, but failing to pulverize it, so 

 as to leave it in good tilth. It was then tried on the potato plot; here it 

 worked to the depth of eight inches, and left the soil in much better con- 

 dition. A second time going over with the digger demonstrated that the 

 principle, as applied to this implement, is a correct one; for in no imple- 

 ment now in general use can the soil be so thoroughl}' mellowed to the 

 depth to which it is disturbed. It is calculated to do for the field what the 

 spading fork does for the garden. 



The power required to operate this digger is an objection; although the 

 above experiments were made with a pair of horses, yet the labor was too 

 severe for a single team, to do a day's work. Your committee believe that 

 this objection may be removed by decreasing the number of spades to one- 

 half now used in the machine, and the form of the spades so altered as to 

 insure the thorough breaking of the lumps, and at the same time decreasing 

 the power required to work it. Your committee are of the opinion that, 

 with the changes proposed, the implement will be efficient and valuable. 



WAI. S. CARPENTER, 

 JOHN G. BERGEN, 

 I. P. TRIMBLE, 



Committee. 

 On motion, the report was accepted and adopted. 



Peach Tree Borers. 



Mr. Carpenter inquired if he could use hot water at this season to destroy 

 borers in peach trees. 



Dr. Trimble. — That is all nonsense to talk about killing the borer with 

 hot water. Dig them out. 



Mr, Carpenter said: I have, and killed several trees in so doing. The 

 hot water can do no more. I believe it may be used safely at some 

 seasons of the year. What I wanted to know is, whether any member had 

 tried it at this season, when the tree is in bearing. If no one has, I will, 

 and report. 



Mr. George H. Hite. — I have a kind of soap that harness makers use. I 

 don't know what it is made of, but it is a good preventive of the borer, I 

 keep the tree clean, scraping away the dirt, and even sweeping occa- 

 sionally, and apply this soap as a plaster. 



The Limber Twig Apple. 

 Mr. Norman Matteson, of Berwick, Warren county, Illinois, says in a letter 

 read to the Club: 



" I am pleased and benefited in reading the doings of the Farmers' Club 



