QUESTIONS ASKED AND ANSWERED. 



5 



2758. The Buffalo Tree-Hopper.— This insect has 

 lately developed into a serious orchard-pest in several of 

 the western states. It is a small greenish or yellowish 

 creature, about one-third of an inch long, and generally 

 rather common during the late summer and early autumn 

 months. Its form has been compared to that of a beech- 

 nut. Its mouth consists of a sharp beak which it inserts 

 into the bark, to suck the sap. The eggs are laid in 

 the upper part of the twigs of apple, pear, maple and 

 various other fruit and shade-trees, mostly late in sum. 

 mer. They hatch the following May into small, active 

 greenish hoppers, somewhat like the adults in appear- 

 ance, which insert their tiny beaks into the tender bark 

 and suck out the sap. They become full-grown about 

 mid-summer, and feed in both the young and adult states 

 on a great variety of plants. The female punctures the 

 bark by means of its ovipositor, leaving scars, which 

 constitute the principal injury sufTered from the pest. On 

 old trees this is not so serious as in young orchards, 

 where it causes an unsy mmetrical and unhealthy growth 

 that is often quite injurious. It is always more difficult 

 to prevent the injuries of an insect that feeds upon a 

 variety of plants, both wild and cultivated, than one 

 which is confined for food to the single crop injured. As 

 a rule it is also more difficult to fight those insects which 

 get their food by sucking, than those which bite. The 

 Buffalo tree-hopper combines both of these characteris- 

 tics, so that from the nature of the case we may expect 

 it to be a difficult insect toovercome. In the larvalstate, 

 says Prof. William Sanders, before the power of flight is 

 acquired, the insect is easily caught and destroyed ; but 

 t is not easy to suggest a remedy forso active a creature 

 as the perfect insect is. It can not be killed by any 

 poisonous application, as it feeds only on sap. It has 

 been suggested that where they are so numerous as to 

 injure fruit-trees they may be frightened away by fre- 

 quently shaking the trees, as they are very shy and tim- 

 orous. It seems to me that the insects might be success- 

 fully fought, just after hatching from the eggs, by spray- 

 ing with kerosene emulsion. The infested trees should 

 be carefully watched during May, and as soon as most 

 of the eggs are hatched the trees should be thoroughly 

 sprayed. In those cases where the trees are infested by 

 bark-lice as well as the present pest, the same spraying 

 may be made to kill both. By destroying the progency 

 of the eggs in this way, the crop of egg-laying specimens 

 will be reduced, but it will not necessarily prevent the 

 hoppers which develop in neighboring localities from in- 

 vading the orchard to lay eggs.— Clarence M. Weed, 

 N. H. Agricultural College. 



2698. Catalpas for Timber.— In " Bulletin No. i, 

 Forestry Division, Department of Agriculture," is the 

 following : " In Mississippi county, Missouri, 250,000 

 catalpa-plants are in cultivation by the railway company, 

 and the experiment promises satisfactory results ; but 

 sufficient time has not elapsed since planting to speak 

 with certainty." A large section has also been planted 

 in Kansas. " In 1877 C. P. Huntington sent a box of 

 catalpa-seed (C. bignonioides), with a strong recommen- 

 dation that it be tested with a view to cultivating a planta- 

 tion for tie-timber. The wood of the catalpa is coarse- 

 grained and light, but it has the reputation of being the 

 most durable under ground of all timber. Cases are 

 quoted of its lasting in the ground eighty years and 



upward without showing signs ot rot (Ohio Agricultural 

 Report, 1871). I learn from the report of the company's 

 agent that these trees, which are now seven years old-, 

 have attained a height of from 50 to 60 feet and are from 

 8 to 12 inches in diameter." Bulletin No. i is a report 

 on the relation of railroads to forest supplies, forestry, 

 etc., and can be obtained free of charge by merely re- 

 questing it of Hon. J. M. Rusk, Secretary Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. C. — James Shepard, Ct. 



2734. Willows Poisoning' Water. — Allow me to say 

 positively — It is not true. There are 230,000 varieties of 

 willow, none of which are poisonous. During the life- 

 time of the writer there have been added more than ico 

 species to the already existing 116. Someof the varieties 

 are used medicinally. " Salicin " is a well-known 

 remedial agent extracted from the willow, used as a febri- 

 fuge. In some instances efficacious in chills and fever, 

 where quinine is objectionable. In Eyppt a decoction 

 of the willow catkins is used as a remedy in malarial 

 fevers. Among all, there is not one species of poisonous 

 character; and the conclusion may surely be drawn that 

 in planting trees by the water-side nature was beneficial 

 rather than deleterious. In concluding, I propound a 

 conundrum: Why is a weeping-willow like a murderer ? — 

 Jno. O. Bronson, M.D., Duchess Co., N. Y. 



2709. Composting- of Nig-ht-Soil.— In Marblehead, 

 where every farmer for the past tvi enty years has used 

 from 20 to 70 cord annually, we first make beds of muck 

 if possible, but if that is not obtainable then the next 

 best absorbent that we can obtain. These beds areabout 

 eighteen inches in depth. We surround them with a 

 bank of similar material, about four feet high, and into 

 the receptacle thus formed we shoot the night-soil from 

 a water-tight box. When filled, barn and sea manure is 

 thrown on top; the whole mass is pitched over and 

 roughly mixed together early in spring, the frozen lump 

 found being thrown on the outside. In a week or two 

 the mass is again thrown lightly over, which usually 

 causes it to develop heat by the introduction of air. No 

 trace of night-soil can be detected in it by the eye. We 

 use this compound on all our crops with excellent result. — 

 J. J. H. Gregory. 



2687. Pruning- the Marechal Niel Rose.— The latter 

 part of February or beginning of March would be 

 about the best time to prune this rose in the section of 

 country mentioned (eastern Virginia), or it could be 

 pruned any time after New Year, and before growth 

 begins. The way is so to plan the operation that the 

 tender shoots miss the late severe frosts. The spur sys- 

 tem gives about the best results. The leading shoots 

 should be trained in their full length, and not be shortened 

 at all. These long shoots produce laterals which in turn 

 yield roses. After these laterals have flowered, they 

 are cut back at pruning-time to one or two eyes, accord- 

 ing to the option of the pruner. Occasionally one of the 

 old leaders is cut out to encourage the growth of younger 

 ones. — H. W. Smith, La. 



2675. Rose Mildew.— Hyposulphite of soda is used 

 at the rat e of half an ounce to ten gallons of water. If 

 the roses are growing outdoors, the mildew may be 

 kept in check by the use of the ammoniacal solution of 

 copper carbonate applied faithfully with a sprayer about 

 every three weeks or oftener, as the case may seem to 

 require.— H. W.S., La. 



