THE AMEEICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



97 



UNIVERSAL REMEDIES. 



We liave received from Mr. J. Cochrane, nur- 

 seryman, of Havana, 111., a copy of a circular 

 strongly recommending Best's Patent Fruit 

 Tree and Vine Invkioratok, from -which we 

 cut the following elegant extracts : 



This Fruit Tree and Vine Invigorator is the most use- 

 ful comhination of ingredients ever offered to any peo- 

 ple, in any country, for the purpose designed. * « To the 

 healthfultree its use can be productive of no harm; its 

 only eflcct when the system of the tree is in order being 

 an increase of siip or growth of the tree. •■■ * In order to 

 cause a tree or branch to produce fruit, all that is ne- 

 cessary is to check iu some manner the too fre« circula- 

 tion of its sap. This can be done by using Best's In- 

 viGORATOR. •■■ * Wlien applied to the tree it penetrates 

 every pore — destroying the worm in the heart, and by 

 connecting with the mineral substances of the earth 

 destroys the cause and prevents the creation of any de- 

 structive insect. It will preventCurculio from stinging 

 the Plum. It will kill the Peach-grub; and if used 

 early in the Spring will prevent the creation of the grub. 

 It will destroy every insect that trees or vines may be 

 efl'ectert with, in any climate. It will increase the 

 growth of trees and vines one-tliird yearly. It will jjre- 

 vent mildew on berries. It prcvints iiiildew and dry- 

 rot on grapes, and invarialily matures them large in 

 connection with the mineral substances of the earth, it 

 produces a healthy sap that swells the tree, causing the 

 old biirk to peel off from the body, while a beautiful 

 new, green bark takes its place. It drives all disease 

 from the body of the apple tree, and escapes it oil from 

 the branches: and the foliage. It gives such life and 

 strength to the tree that the severest atmosphere of 

 winter will not effect the branches. It produces a vig- 

 orous bud, and with such strength that no frost can 

 eflect it. Apples will not rot when, put aamij to Veep. It 

 will kill potato lugs and parasite, and pre'xents potato 

 rot. It will prevent weevil or rust in wheat, and also 

 prevent fly from touching it. It prevents moles limu 

 taking corn, and destroys the cut- worm and chintz Img. 

 It has been used by thousands of the best men iu the 

 country, and they are all living and ready to testify to the 

 truth of the above statements. In eight cases" out of 

 ten it gives health to trees, so they will bear perfect 

 fruit. By using the Invigorator in the spring, it never 

 fails in aiiy instance. By using it in the fall and spring, 

 or two successive springs, so as to give health to the 

 tree, the fruit will Ije |ierfect, smooth, without sjH'eks. 

 very large and IVi'e Irorn worms. Single ••Individual 

 Rights," witli full instructions for mixing and using. 

 sent free by mail, on receipt of price, $.5 01) each. 



To all which we reply as follows : 



1. This remedy is warranted to destroy Bor- 

 ers, Curculio, Peach-grub, Potato bugs. Weevil, 

 Hessian fly, Cutworm, Chinch bug and general- 

 ly every insect that trees or vines may be efl'ect- 

 ed [affected?] with." Now, the insects actually 

 named here belong to no less than four different 

 orders, and are, many of them, as distinct from 

 one another as a Mole is from a Monkey or a Bear 

 from an Opossum. Is it likely then that the 

 same combination of drugs can be equally ob- 

 noxious and deleterious to all of them? Does 

 not ever)- farmer know that, even in the case of 

 two such closely allied animals as the cow and 

 the sheep, the sheep will eat scores of weeds that 

 the cow will not touch? But insects are not 

 the only animals that this wondertnl Panacea 

 operates upon! It also "prevents moles from 

 taking corn!" Why not saj' that by pouring a 

 barrel of the Invigorator into the Upper Missis- 



sippi, it will cure all the citizens of New Or- 

 leans of the vile habit of chewing tobacco? 



2. Animals, however, are not the only organ- 

 isms that the Invigorator is death upon. It is 

 also death upon four distinct kinds of plants, 

 namely, mildew and dry-rot on grapes, rot in 

 the potato and rust in wheat; for all these four 

 so-called diseases are now known to be nothing 

 but invasions of certain parasitic funguses ; and 

 yet upon the grape vine itself, the potato itself, 

 and the wheat itself, instead of exercising any 

 deleterious influence, this miraculous panacea 

 showers down life and health in the most pro- 

 fuse abundance ! Strange that the same remedy 

 should discriminate so nicely between different 

 plants, and yet slay all bugs whatever without 

 any discrimination. For it will be observed that 

 this wonderful mixture is warranted to kill, not 

 only the potato bugs that are our enemies, but also 

 the " parasite " that preys upon the potato-bug, 

 and is consequently one of our best friends. 



•". We learn that if we apply the Invigorator, 

 the severest frost will not " eftect " [affect?] the 

 bud or the branches. Then according to Mr. 

 Best they can go to work and grow tigs and 

 oranges in Maine ! Only " invigorate " them 

 sufficiently, and oven forty degrees below zero 

 won't hurt them. 



4. '• Apples," wo are told, '• will not rot when 

 put away to keep." Will not rot for how long? 

 Does the Invigorator change summer apples in- 

 to winter apples? AYliy not say at once that 

 rotten apples, by touching them with the In- 

 vigorator, become in three minutes' time as 

 sound as they ever were? 



n. We have heard of blowing hot and cold 

 with the same breath. But how the same in- 

 vigorator can, as is claimed, both increase the 

 flow of sap and at the same time check the flow. 

 of sap " so as to produce fruit " is more than we 

 can explain. 



And yet, in spite of all these and a hundred 

 other such absurdities, plenty of men who think 

 one dollar too much for the American Ento- 

 mologist will cheerfully pay Ave dollars for an 

 "individual right" to mix and use the new 

 Patent Liquid Manure. Like almost any other 

 manure, this secret composition may likely 

 enough stimulate the growth of their trees, but 

 in no other way can it possibly, as is claimed, 

 protect those trees against the attacks of all in- 

 sects and all diseases without exception. 



Saf'Aflock of ants, ten miles in width, is said to 

 have recently crossed the Shasta Valley, in Cali- 

 fornia. Can any of our California exchanges 

 confirm this statement? 



