206 
NEW YORK FARMERS 7 CLUB. 
and commence by mowing or cradling, or doing any 
other severe work, a single hour in the afternoon, 
and two hours the next morning. Increase an hour 
each day, and at the en l of a week o ie may mow all 
day long, without being particularly fatigued, and 
never injured. Although we utterly detest racing, 
trotting, and foot matches as at present conducted, or 
anything which borders on gambling, or is attended 
with cruelty to animals; yet the hard working man 
would do well to learn the principles, or physiolo¬ 
gical reasons of training men and animals to do the 
wondrous feats they frequently perform without the 
slightest injury to themselves. Indeed, at the risk 
of being laughed at for the expression, we will say, 
that to be able to work hard and easily during har¬ 
vest-time, one should go into training , and be put in 
condition , nearly the same as if preparing for a great 
foot match. Only think of a man running twenty 
miles in two hours with ease as was recently done 
in England. It was condition produced by training 
which enabled him to do this. The ancient Greeks 
and Romans trained , that is, got themselves into 
condition for their sports, war, and the chase; apd 
the North American Indians, though ignorant of the 
physiological reasons for it, taught by experience of 
its great advantage, did the same. If, then, it be so 
advantageous in an idle, foolish, or grossly wicked 
cause to prepare to acquit ourselves with distinction, 
how much more imperative with the husbandman on 
whose labors depend the very existence of mankind, 
to do the same ? But this is delicate ground, and, to 
our knowle Ige, untrodden ; we therefore forbear say¬ 
ing more at present, only wishing that we could per- 
suaie our farmers to study animal physiology. It 
would enable them to improve the breed of man as 
well as domestic animals; save them many a dis¬ 
ease; add to their longevity and happiness; and 
qualify them to do more work and with greater ease to 
themselves; and if we must incite by a selfish con¬ 
sideration, they would thereby make more money. 
There is an art in doing work which few ever 
give themselves the trouble to study. Mr. John R 
Pitkin, of Woodville, L. I., in the N. Y. Farmer and 
Mechanic, thus admirably describes that of mowing, 
the practice of which enabled him to easily beat the 
strongest and most active competitors. 
“ 1st. The scythe should hang naturally and easily, 
and, as I have said before, it must be kept in first 
rate order. 
k ‘ 2d. As you approach the standing grass, let the 
heel of the scythe move to the very point of com¬ 
mencement, and let it stop the instant it has done its 
work. Thus there is nothing lost by a backward or 
forward swing. If the grass stands up so as to ad¬ 
mit of moving on, measure the utmost capacity for¬ 
ward of your scythe, take a quick easy gait, moving 
your right foot well up towards the standing grass, 
and your body with it, though leaning back, by 
ben ling the knees a little forward, so as to bring 
your whole weight to bear upon the scythe, without 
twisting the body from right to left (as many do), 
thus giving ease to each clip, and ability to repeat 
in an advanced position, without fatigue. 
Note. —If you swing 6 inches too far back, and 
G inches.too far in pointing out, it makes 24 inches 
Ijsi! Then apply the same strength to a scientific 
forward motion, and you will find it difficult for or¬ 
dinary mowers to keep up.” 
NEW YORK FARMERS’ CLUB. 
This excellent club continues its regular meetings 
at the American Institute, twice a month. At the two 
last, various subjects were discussed. 
Peach P/ees .—Among the means that appeared in 
certain situations to have been successfully used to 
prevent the destruction of peach trees, were lime, coal 
ashes, blacksmith’s cinders, put about the trunks of 
trees, soot and hot water at the roots, when the earth 
is dug away—others had planted tansy round them, 
or twisted leaves of tobacco and fastened them around 
the bodies of the trees. In particular situations, by 
these means, trees continued to flourish and bear foF 
a long course of years. Facts were stated, showing 
that, in other places, some of the same means were 
applied and utterly failed. Mr. Travers stated that 
coal ashes had failed altogether. The efficacy of 
tobacco, however, was not contradicted by any one. 
Mr. Hopkins, whose letter was read at the last meet¬ 
ing, commending this article, has addressed another to 
the Club, enclosing a letter from Mr. Frazer, show¬ 
ing that a strong decoction of tobacco applied to the 
roots, after the ground had been dug away, not only 
destroyed the worms, but proved to be a powerful fer¬ 
tilizer. Mr. Pike, of New Jersey, said: A sharp 
penknife or wire, is the best remedy I have discovered 
for the peach disease. The destroying grub insinu¬ 
ates himself under the bark of the tree. No ordinary 
application can reach him. Tobacco juice alone will 
not do. My penknife has cut out thousands of 
them. After I have cut them out, I apply to the bot¬ 
tom of the tree a compost of lime, ashes, and cow 
dung ; I add then tobacco. My diseased trees, treat¬ 
ed in that way, have partly recovered their health. 
I have set out fifty thousand trees. For my part, I 
am convinced that this enemy insect is bred under the 
bark. I have taken out the young ones, that must 
have been hatched there. Guano has been mentioned 
as a vermifuge—but how can it get at the grub ? 
Pulverised glass might answer, perhaps, for its par¬ 
ticles are sharp. Oil is a good application—I have 
tried soft soap. Look at John J. Boyd’s peach trees 
on Staten Island; he gives them whale oil, and their 
health is excellent. A member stated he had wit¬ 
nessed the good effects of the application of hard soap 
to peach trees. The soap was applied in April, 
June, and late in the fall. An orchard treated in this 
manner four years, was now very healthy, not a 
single tree had died during that period. Dr. Under¬ 
hill said: Either take the worm out of the tree first, 
and then apply preventives of their renewed attacks, 
or first apply preventives ; I have examined them 
well. The hole made by the worm in the bark is 
covered by the exuding gum, so that then nothing 
can enter the hole to destroy him. He seals up his 
hole in that way. It is a small white worm with a 
red head. I have watched it in all its stages. In; 
two years it spins its cocoon, fastening it to the bark 
near its hole. I have taken the insects out of their 
cocoons. But there is something more in this matter 
of diseased peach trees. I think that the forced 
growth given to young trees by our nurserymen, 
causes* their debility and premature decay. They are 
forced in rich soils; they grow five or six feet in a 
single year; their sap is abundant •, frost hurts them 
on that account, in hard freezing. This forcing is 
carried on to such an extent, that you almost make an 
annual of the tree—it becomes too tender—it is the 
