102 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[March, 
packing them as closely as possible, work soil well 
into all the spaces between them, and cover them 
with a ecuple of inches ; water if at all dry, and put 
■on a close-fitting cover. The barrel is to be set in 
a place sufficiently warm to start the rhubarb into 
growth, 55° to 65° being sufficient. The cellar of a 
house heated by a furnace is an excellent place, but 
a corner in the kitchen, or wherever there is the 
requisite heat, will answer as well. The buds will 
soon push, and when the stalks are large enough 
may be pulled for use. Growing in the dark, the 
stalks will be white and very tender and crisp. 
A New Potato—“St. Patrick.” 
That new potatoes have ceased to be novelties, 
may be said without making a very bad “bull.” 
The “Early Rose ” was such a blessing, as it gave 
potato-growers new hope, coming as it did, with an 
assurance that the crop was not destined to utterly 
disappear, that for some few years after its advent 
new potatoes were regarded with special interest. 
“ Early Rose ” was good, but with that discontent 
which is at the bottom of all improvement, we at 
once looked for something better. It marked more 
than a step in advance, it was a long stride, and 
after that we were willing to make short steps, pro¬ 
vided they all pointed forward. We never mention 
the “Early Rose,” without a mental recognition of 
our great indebtedness to Mr. Breese, its origina¬ 
tor, and hope that he may live long enough to receive 
the acknowledgement that is so justly his due. 
It is not a little gratifying to remember that we 
had a share, in not only making its great value 
known through the American Agriculturist , but also 
in sending the precious tuber to great numbers who 
would not otherwise have known it for several 
years. Following the “Early Rose,” there came other 
new varieties, first a few, then tens and scores, until 
a new potato, instead of being a matter of great in¬ 
terest, came too frequently, and soon there was a 
deluge. At the present time, a new variety must 
be remarkable indeed to attract attention ; numbers 
of really excellent kinds, in the abundance of others 
equally good, have appeared during the past ten 
years, and have dropped out of sight—not because 
they were not really good, but because they were 
in no respects better, than others already in cultiva¬ 
tion. So when a new one comes forward now, it 
must be compared with very high standards, and 
unless it can present some other claim than the 
mere fact that it is new, it stands a small chance. 
Therefore, when so experienced a cultivator as 
Peter Henderson tells us that in the “ St. Patrick” 
he has found a variety that possess “in a high de¬ 
gree,” “ all ” the important characters that he con¬ 
siders essential in “a faultless market potato,” we 
feel sure that it must be worthy of trial, “St. Pat¬ 
rick,” we are told, is a deseendent of “ Garnet Chili ” 
and “ Early Rose ”—good stock indeed. The 
“ Early Rose,” being a seedling of “ Garnet Chili,” 
this is an illustration of the utility of a kind 
of “ in and in ” breeding that has been prac¬ 
tised among animals with excellent results. The 
exterior appearance of the “ St. Patrick,” is given 
in the engraving; according to Mr. Henderson, it 
has a smooth white skin, a few shallow eyes, and 
cooking without hard core or hollow center, and un¬ 
surpassed in quality. The plant eminently hardy 
and prolific, with a vigorous growth and compact 
habit, maturing with the “Early Rose,” with but 
few small tubers. “ St. Patrick ” originated with a 
prominent agriculturist of New England, who has 
raised hundreds of seedlings, this being the only 
one among the number that he has been willing to 
offer. The new variety starts with an excellent 
endorsement, and we shall watch for the results 
of its extended cultivation with much interest. 
The Currant Fruit-Worm. 
If the insect enemies Of the currant,— and goose¬ 
berry also, for the same insect usually attacks 
both,—are not increasing in number of kinds, they 
are rapidly becoming more wide-spread, and more 
numerous as individuals. The currant is too valu¬ 
able a fruit to be made an uncertain one by reason 
of insects. Only a few years ago the caterpillars 
that destroyed the leaves, so called “Currant 
Worms,” became so numerous that many gave up 
currant culture altogether. White Hellebore came 
to the rescue, and this pest is no longer dreaded by 
any one who deserves to have currants. Within 
the past ten years a caterpillar that attacks the 
fruit, has appeared in widely separated parts of the 
country; this has within a few years increased with 
great rapidity, and iu some localities is now as seri¬ 
ous a pest on currants and gooseberries, as the leaf¬ 
eating caterpillars were not long ago, threatening, 
if not arrested, to make the culture of these fruits, 
uncertain and unprofitable. This is no doubt a 
native insect, that has within a recent period found 
its way from the wild plants—where their presence, 
being of little consequence, was not noticed—to the 
plantations, where, finding food in abundance, its 
increase has been rapid. The insect was not known 
to entomologists, or at least was not described, 
until Doct. A. S. Packard gave a figure and descrip¬ 
tion of it in his “Guide to the Study of Insects,” 
in 1869, and the same year Prof. Riley added largely 
to its history, in his admirable Report on the Insects 
of Missouri. Inquiries received during the past 
year show that this is a case demanding prompt at¬ 
tention, and that growers of currants and goose¬ 
berries everywhere should be on the look out for 
the enemy, and make a combined effort to check its 
spread. The first step in operating against insects 
is to learn their habits ; some of our letters show 
that the habits of this are far from being under¬ 
stood. The perfect insect is a little moth of the 
size shown in the engraving—from Packard. Its 
general color is a pale gray, with markings of darker 
color and of white. The moth appears in spring, 
lays its eggs on the young fruit or in the flower, 
and the young caterpillar or “ worm,” makes 
its way to the interior of the fruit. Its presence is 
first made known by the young fruit when partly 
grown turning prematurely red. When the bunch 
is examined, many of the berries will be found to be 
mere shells; the “ worm,” having eaten the con¬ 
tents of one, passes to another, lining its passage¬ 
way with silk, and thus many of the berries will be 
found to be hollow shells, joined together by these 
silken tubes. The insect is not usually discovered 
until the mischief is done ; then efforts should be 
directed towards preventing future trouble, and 
here a knowledge of its habits comes in play. The 
caterpillar completes its growth by the end of June, 
drops from the fruit to the ground, and finding a 
hiding place under leaves, or any sheltering rubbish, 
spins its cocoon, a little dark brown affair, of the 
shape and size shown at the left hand in the en¬ 
graving. It remains in this condition until the fol¬ 
lowing spring. It will be seen that the habits of 
this insect are much in favor of the fruit grower, 
as it does not, like many, make its chrysalis in the 
ground, but on the surface, and remains in this 
exposed condition for nine months of the year. So 
soon as the presence of the “ worm ” is detected in 
the fruit, there should be a careful picking; the 
clusters are already spoiled, and if the caterpillars 
can be thus caught and destroyed before they leave 
the berries, there will 
be great gain. This 
is the proper time for 
a wholesale destruc¬ 
tion, and the picking 
of the infested fruit 
will be labor well ex¬ 
pended. Some will 
escape and form co¬ 
coons, and broods 
of chickens may be made useful in hunting for 
and devouring them. There is one other point 
of attack that is worth examining—the insect iu its 
perfect or moth state. It is possible that when its 
habits are known, it may be trapped and destroyed. 
Tree Planting—The Ailanthus. 
SECOND ARTICLE. 
It was stated last month that we proposed to give 
a summary of Prof. C. S. Sargent’s remarks on the 
Ailanthus given in a valuable paper on “ Trees and 
Tree Planting;” this paper being published in the 
Report of the Mass. Board of Agriculture for 1877- 
’78, is not readily procurable, and we hope to do a 
good service to tree planters by presenting the es¬ 
sential facts there given in a form accessible to all. 
It is not to be understood that this and the former 
article are in any proper sense a republication of 
Prof. Sargent’s paper, but a synopsis of its more 
essential portions. Last month we gave what re¬ 
lates to the Ailanthus as fuel. We now speak of the 
Great Value of the Ailanthus as Timber. 
The paper quotes the experiments made in the 
French dock-yard at Toulon, where it was tested as 
to its tenacity, or ability to resist a strain, in com¬ 
parison with the timber of European Elm and Oak. 
The average of seven experiments showed that the 
Ailanthus broke with a weight of 72,186 lbs., while 
the elm in a similar number of trials yielded to 
54,707 lbs., and the oak, in the average of 10 speei- 
j mens, broke under a weight of 43,434 lbs. Evidence 
as to the value of Ailanthus timber in exposed situa¬ 
tions, and as to its durability when set in the ground, 
is yet meagre, but the little that we have is favor¬ 
able. We cited several years ago the testimony of 
Mr. McCullough, of Cincinnati, as to the durability 
of small second growth, as grape stakes, a use to 
which it seems well adapted. Of its value for inte¬ 
rior work and for cabinet-making there can be no 
doubt, the wood possessing properties remarkable 
in so rapid-growing a tree. Prof. Sargent cites the 
case of a set of furniture made from Ailanthus- 
wood, in Providence, R. I. This furniture, which 
has been in use for some 20 years, is known to us, 
and we can confirm what he says of its solidity and 
beauty. The wood is at first a pale straw color, but 
grows somewhat darker with age, and takes a high 
polish ; w'hen cut to show the silver grain, it presents 
a satiny lustre that is very pleasing. The testimony 
of the mechanic who made the furniture referred 
to, is given by Prof. S., in which he states that in 
the matter of shrinking and warping he regards it 
“ as superior to walnut and fully equal to mahog¬ 
any.” He praises the economical manner in which 
it cuts up, the readiness with which it seasons, the 
facility with which it may be worked, with no un¬ 
pleasant odor in working it, freedom from any ill 
effects upon tools, and says : “ When its merits are 
known, its market value would be fully equal, I 
should think, to that of the best walnut.” From 
what we have seen of the wood we are quite sure 
