332 



THE ILLINOIS FAKMEK. 



Nov. 



server, and his results are entitled to our attention. 

 It is just such information that we want. 



^f- 



Nails and Peaeh Borers. 



Concord, Oct. 16, 1863. 

 To the Editor of the Illinois Fanner : 



Dear Sir — I Siiw an article in the October num- 

 ber of your vuluable paper headed "Nails and 

 Peach Borers." The writer of the article states 

 that he has tried driving nails in his peath trees to 

 prevent the ravages of that little pest, the Peach 

 Borer ; but all to no eifect. And he . asks the 

 question, why your subscribers and the friends of 

 fruit culture cannot make up a purse, to stimulate 

 inquiry — to be paid the successful discoverer of 

 Bome practical remedy for the peach growers' worst 

 pest. If you shall see fit, through the medium of 

 your paper, you may inform Mr. K. (the writer of 

 the article above-mentioned) that I do not ask any 

 compensation for the discovery I have made of a 

 preventive of the Pench Borer, which has proved 

 successful thus far, with mo, for the last five years 

 in succession. But for his benefit, and all those 

 who may have an interest in peach culture, I would 

 say that my remedy is, first, to cut out with a knife 

 all the borers to be found in the trees. Sometimes 

 they will work down beneath the surface of the 

 ground, where the earth has shrunk away from the 

 tree and left au open space, which should be exam- 

 ined closely; after which the earth should be 

 solidly packed around each tree. Then, with a 

 brush, apply gas tar entirely around each tree next 

 the ground, and in making the application be care- 

 ful to let the tar nin down on the ground, so as to 

 prevent the borer from going between the earth 

 and the tree. The application need not be more 

 than two inches wide around each tree, but it 

 should be made annually. The same remedy I have 

 applied to my apple trees of different sizes, from 

 two to eighteen yeara growth, with perfect success, 

 for the last five years. I never wish a more vig- 

 orous growth than my trees have made since I used 

 tar on them. The tar can be had at any gas works 

 where gas is generated for gas light in any of the 

 towns and cities. I get that which I use at Jack- 

 sonville, for ten cents per gallon. If any person 

 wishes to see the effect gas tar has had on about 

 three hundred of my trees, I should be happy to 

 wait on them at almost any time. 



M. J. Pond. 

 Our readers will thank Mr. Pond for the above, 

 though a repitition of last year, as will be seen on 

 page 170, vol. VII. It would appear that another 

 year has more strongly impressed upon him its 

 value. Next season we shall avail ourself of this 

 remedy. Mr. P. is a careful and intelligent ob- 



Egypt as a Forcing Country. 



Muscatine, Iowa, Oct. 20, 1663. 

 M. L. JDunlap, Editor Illinois Farmer : 



Deab Sir : — Great importance has of late been 

 attached' to the uplands of Southern Illinois as a 

 fruit region ; indeed, for some years past there has 

 been great activity among American pomologists 

 in searching out the most favorable locations in our 

 vastly extended climate for speedy fortunes in their 

 favorite professions. Enterprises of tiiis character 

 are seldom or never unattended with some degree 

 of speculation, which is corrected by practical ex- 

 perience ; and devoting much study to the subject 

 of protecting trees and plants aga'.ist the climatic 

 emergencies of different locations, have given rise 

 to some reflections on the subject suggested in the 

 above caption. 



The very great extremes presented in the climate 

 of the State of Illinois, stretching as it does from 

 north to south over nearly four hundred miles of 

 country, in the very heart of North America, may 

 perhaps be better appreciated by stepping a little 

 to the north and to the sonth of her domain for 

 climatic examples. 



A gentleman from Wisconsin, passing this way 

 some three or four weeks since, in pursuit of a 

 more genial climate, had located in Wisconsin six 

 years before, with full confidence that he could 

 raise fruit in that climate ; but late frosts had in- 

 jured his vines four years of the six — once killing 

 the entire new growth when four feet long, which 

 nearly killed the entire plants. 



A correspondent from the same State, in the lat- 

 itude of St. Paul, under date of Aug. 11th, writes: 

 " The showers come very opportunely now, doing 

 the corn much good, which was injured by two 

 frosts in July." 



Another writing from the same region, Septem- 

 ber 10th, says : 



" Our season has been disastrous to our farmers, 

 beyond all precedent. A severe drouth and an 

 early frost blasted their hopes for this year." 



We met an acquaintance tho past summer who 

 had resided at Prescot some twelve years. He 

 had planted fifty dollars worth of trees— had been 

 killed, each about as many winters as they had 

 grown summer's. The roots were old enough, he 

 said, to bear apples if the tops had not been so 

 often injured. 



The residents of Southern Illinois will regard 

 themselves as fortunate in the possession of a much 

 milder climate ; indeed, the advantage of ten 



