1880.] 
AMERICAN AG-IilC QLTQRIST, 
275 
powdered White Hellebore, either dusting it from 
a bellows, or mixed with water, as we have de¬ 
scribed at the proper time, in Notes about Work. 
The Raspberry Fungus. 
So soon as the leaves of the raspberry and black¬ 
berry bushes, both the cultivated and those grow¬ 
ing wild, have reached two-thirds their natural size, 
THE RASPBERRY FUNGUS. 
and sometimes before, they are frequently noticed 
to be covered on the underside with a number of 
large patches of orange color. This spring we 
have received numerous letters, containing speci¬ 
mens of the plants affected by this trouble with 
the anxious and important question: “ What can 
we do ; for this disease is destroying whole rows 
of our raspberry bushes ?” The trouble is a para¬ 
sitic fungus—a little plant which sends its fine 
microscopic “roots” through the substance of the I 
young growing leaves, and after a short time breaks 
through the surface and develops a vast multitude ! 
of minute spores constituting the fine dusty powder 
with a rich orange color. This fungus, UDlike the 
grape mildew and other similar and comparatively 
slow acting parasites, is so rapid in its development, 
and has its course so nearly run by the time it 
shows itself, that up to the present time no pre¬ 
ventive has been found. So soon as a bush is seen 
to be affected—and it usually attacks the whole 
raspberry plant if at all—the best way is to cut it 
down and burn it at once, thus clearing the ground 
of a useless bush and at the same time destroying 
a vast multitude of spores—or seeds as they might 
be called—that would otherwise find their way to 
other bushes and there reproduce the trouble. 
Horseradish Culture 
There are certain crops that may be classed as 
“uncertain.” There is a certain demand for them, 
but this cannot be increased, as the consumption is 
limited; and a small excess in the production, 
causes an over supply, and prices fall. Such crops 
are constantly fluctuating , the high prices obtained 
in a year of scarcity, induce many to grow them, 
and the next year will be one of glutted markets, 
and low prices. Again the culture will be aban¬ 
doned by all but a few, and prices go up again, 
and 60 it continues, an alternation of extremes. 
Those who grow such crops in moderate extent 
year after year, no doubt make money in the long 
run, while the outsiders, who take them up only 
after a season of high prices, not only make noth¬ 
ing themselves, but prevent the regular growers from 
making it. Hops are such a crop, Tobacco to a 
certain extent another, and on a smaller scale, 
Horseradish. Just now, to judge from inquiries, 
there is likely to be another Horseradish boom ; 
as many ask how to cultivate Horseradish, indi¬ 
cates that those who have never cultivated the 
crop, think of trying it; indeed, some know so 
little about the matter, that they ask where seeds of 
Horseradish may be had, and how much is needed 
for an acre ! Such are evidently not aware that a 
Horseradish seed would be a curiosity, that few 
persons have ever seen. The plant blooms freely, 
but, in this country at least, falls to form seeds. 
Horseradish is always grown from sets, obtained in 
preparing the roots for market. These are about 
the size of an ordinary lead-pencil, and 4 to 6 inches 
long. As they should be planted “ right side up 
with care,” the lower end is cut with a slant, and 
the top square. These sets are to be had of the 
seedsmen generally. Regular market gardeners 
grow Horseradish to the best advantage, as they 
put it on the same ground with their early Cabbages 
or Beets, planting it between the rows. Early cab¬ 
bages are set 18 inches apart in 2 foot rows, and the 
sets are put in midway between the rows, and as 
far apart as the cabbages; when grown between 
beets, those are in rows 18 inches apart, and the 
sets put in every two feet between the beet rows. 
When it is grown as a crop by itself, the Horse¬ 
radish sets are put at the same distances, i. e., 18 
by 24 inches. When grown with other crops, it is 
kept down in the hoeing, until they are off, 
when it has the ground to itself. The sets 
are put in with a long dibble, taking care 
that the top of the set is about 3 inches below the 
surface. When grown between market garden 
crops it is always sure of a rich soil, and flue roots 
are produced ; when grown by itself, the soil should 
be 'well enriched. It should always be dug in the 
fall or early spring, and never be allowed to grow 
more than one season. It may be planted any 
time during the month of May. In the family 
garden the same rule should be observed, i. e., to 
always dig it after one season. If left longer it 
gets such possession of the soil that it is difficult 
to eradicate it, and it becomes a troublesome weed. 
SADDLE-BACK LABVA. 
Stinging Caterpillars. 
Notwithstanding that caterpillars have no stings, 
we every year have complaints from people who 
are “ stung ” by them. Even the great, green cater¬ 
pillar, popularly known as “Tomato-Worm,” has 
actually been accused of stinging, and is looked 
upon as dangerous on account of the ornament it 
wears at its tail end. But while caterpillars have 
no proper stings, several of them are not to be 
handled roughly, as they have very sharp hairs 
which penetrate the flesh and produce a disagreea¬ 
ble sensation similar to 
that caused by a sting. 
SI 1 .11 Thehairsof some plants 
possess similar irritat¬ 
ing properties, notably 
those upon the pods of 
a species of Mucuna, one of the Pea Family, called 
Cowhage, which name has been singularly corrupted 
into “ Cow-itch.” These hairs, when examined by 
the microscope, are found to be exquisitely sharp, 
and furnished with still smaller barbs, all pointing 
backwards, and tending to prevent the removal of 
the hair. A quite large caterpillar, the larva of the 
Maia Moth, is found upon the Oak trees ; when 
full-grown it is about 2 inches long, and at that 
age bristles with much branched spines, which 
enter the skin very readily and cause much pain. 
But the caterpillar most complained of, and of 
which we have several specimens sent every sum¬ 
mer, is popularly known as the “Saddle-back Cat¬ 
erpillar.” It is so striking in its colors and mark 
mgs, being quite unlike any other caterpillar, that 
it at once attracts attention, and as the discoverer 
is likely to wish to show the curious creature to 
others, he picks it up and finds that it is not so in¬ 
nocent as it looks. The engraving, from Packard, 
shows the insect of its real size. The body is red¬ 
dish, with a very handsome light-green “saddle¬ 
cloth” spread over it; in the center is a broad 
elliptical reddish-brown spot, edged with pure 
white ; a most striking contrast of colors. At the 
front and rear are pairs of projections or tubercles 
which are bristly with black hairs, which, when the 
insect is handled, cause the stinging sensation. 
This caterpillar feeds upon most fruit trees, rasp¬ 
berry bushes, and even on Indian Com, of the silk 
of which it is said to be particularly fond. The 
perfect insect is a moth about an inch and a half 
across, of a rich, dark velvety brown, with a few 
small golden spots. It is never abundant anywhere* 
A Simple Wire Stretcher. 
A correspondent in Virginia, sends us very neat 
sketches of a device for stretching wires iu a vine¬ 
yard, for a fence, or wherever else a horizontal wire is 
to be stretched tight. We have no doubt that this 
affair will do the work, and do it well, but as it is 
too much trouble to make it and to use it, and takes 
up quite too much room when not in use, we do not 
give it, preferring a much simpler stretcher that we 
have used for years, and which is as affective as any 
device can be. If we mistake not, we found t in use 
in the vineyards of Steuben Co., N. Y. It is simply 
a cylinder of hard-wood about a foot long, and per¬ 
haps 3 inches in diameter ; this has a small hole in 
the center for the wire to pass through, and a hole- 
near each end, to admit a half or three-quarter 
inch iron bar, these holes being bored in opposite 
directions. This piece of wood, which may be a 
section of a limb of an apple tree, or any other, suf¬ 
ficiently strong, and may be formed naturally, true 
enough for the purpose, and two iron bars 18 inches 
or 2 feet long, make up the whole machine. The 
manner of using is shown in the engraving. The 
holes in the post through which the wire passes, 
should be at least half an inch in diameter, for the 
convenience of fastening. The wire being made 
fast to the post at the further end of the row, is 
passed through the opposite one, and through the 
small hole in the center of the cylinder; the rods 
being in place, turn the cylinder gradually—two 
persons are handier than one at the work—and 
when the wire is sufficiently stretched, one holds 
the arms to keep all 
taut, while the other 
drives a wooden plug, 
made ready for the 
purpose, into the hole 
in the post. This 
should be driven in 
firmly enough to keep 
the wire from slip¬ 
ping,and when driven 
home should project 
beyond the post for 
2 or 3 inches. Un¬ 
wind the wire from 
the cylinder, give it 
a turn around the end 
of the plug, and the 
job is done. If it be 
desired to slacken the 
wires in winter, unwind the end from theplug, drive;' 
it out by means of an iron rod, at the other side of 
the hole, and the wire can be as slack as desired. 
Liquid Manure tor tlie Garden.— It is a 
well established fact that the liquid is more valua¬ 
ble than the solid excrement of animals. It is- 
much quicker in its action, because all the elements 
are in a soluble state, and are, when applied to the- 
soil, more* uniformly distributed. Theie is a great 
waste of this valuable fertilizing substance partly 
from a lack of a proper appreciation of its value, 
but mostly from a failure to provide some simple 
and inexpensive means of saving and storing it. 
The extra cost of building the stable and grading 
the barn-yard so that all the liquid manure may 
flow through a channel to a tank or tight bottomed 
pond, is trifling ; but when the provision has been 
made, and the fertilizing elements thus saved are 
put to use on the garden, near by, the gain is 
marked, and the returns for time and trouble- 
are more than satisfactory. Try it for yourself 
WIRE STRETCHER 
