1884.] 
AMEEICAE' AGRIOULTUEIST. 
150 
and then a mouse came and looked to see what he had 
done. I tried to see how he had come there, where I had 
no use for liim, as it was the only place we had to store 
our books, papers, seed, etc. The next morning I wont 
out and looked the shanty over; on one end the boards, 
which run up and down did not meet, and 1 had neglect¬ 
ed to fit a piece in as I intended to do. As the gables 
lapped down over the sides, it made a nice place for 
mice to enter. I closed that up and set a trap, and 
caught the pioneer mouse. 
The ground squirrels make much trouble by digging up 
corn and other seed after planting. Some say tliat they 
will commence at the end of a row and follow the 
planter. A light charge of fine shot, or a pill containing 
some poison, may be dropped into their holes ; either 
will prove satisfactory, or the children can go fishing 
after them. Take a strong cord about ten feet long, 
make a slip noose at one end and tie the other to a short 
stick or cane. When you see one run into its bole, go 
and lay the slip noose around the hole and step back the 
length of the line ; in a minute you will see a head pop 
up, and if you don't move, the squirrel will come half¬ 
way out of its hole ; then give the line a quick jerk and 
you have the squirrel around the body, when you can 
dispose of him easily. 
The coyote or kit fox and badger ai*e numerous in 
some parts, and are very destructive to poultry, not 
well housed at night. These pests can both be taken 
by traps, using a heavy one with a double spring, and 
attaching it to a heavy clog by a long cord, strong enough 
to hold them. The coyote is a very neighborly beast, 
and unless wounded or trapped, it will visit you regular¬ 
ly every night. We were awakened one night by a noise 
on the roof of our shanty, and we could hear the dancing 
of a regular jig. The coyote went too near the edge 
and slipped ofi" the roof, hanging on the edge by his 
paws. Hearing a voice it was down and off in a second. 
I have seen them come to pick up the crumbs we threw 
out for the birds. I have not seen or heard the first 
house rat since coming to the Far-West. 
The ‘*C!amhrel” Men Have It.— 
Webster’s Unabridged says; Gammon: . The smoked 
buttock or thigh of a hog. . . etc.; Gailbrel : . . . The 
hind leg of a horse ; a stick crooked like a horse’s leg 
used by butchers in suspending animals which have been 
slaughtered for the purpose of dressing and weighing 
them ; ... to tie by the leg . . . etc. Worcester is nearly 
in accord with Webster. “ Gammon stick” may not be 
incorrect, but it is not in accordance with general usage, 
which is the authority for spelling and pronunciation. 
Scale Insects on the Oleander.— 
Mrs. M. J. Adams, Jefferson Co., N. Y., sends us leaves 
of the Oleander, upon the under-side of which are nu¬ 
merous scale lice, apparently the species known as 
“Broad-scale” {Lecanium hesperidium), which often in¬ 
fests plants in the window and greenhouse. From Vir¬ 
ginia, southward, this is the most common scale upon 
plants in the open air, and is very frequently found 
upon the orange. A very strong solution of soft-soap 
appiied with a brush—an old tooth-brush can be used— 
will usually remove the scale from plants with firm 
evergreen leaves, like Oleander and Ivy. An emulsion 
of kerosene, described on page 114, is very effective 
upon trees in the open air, and it may be applied to 
house-plants with a very soft sponge, washing the leaves 
with clear water after a while. 
Crops in a I*eacl» Orcliard. —Chas. 
E. Barrett, Hillsborough Co.,N. H., set out an orchard 
of peach trees in the spring of ’82. The trees are twelve 
feet apart each way, and are in splendid condition. He 
grew beans between the trees for two years and now is 
in doubt what to do, whether to plant some crop or to 
cultivate the ground without any crop. The trees are 
rather close. In the famous peach districts of Delaware 
and Maryland the trees are set twenty feet apart each 
way, and corn is the only crop allowed. The first year 
four rows of corn are planted, the first row four feet from 
the trees, and the rows of corn four feet apart. The next 
year the rows are reduced to three, and the next to two. 
The trees come into bearing in the fourth year, when all 
crops are discontinued, and the soil plowed twice a year, 
throwing the furrows from the trees in spring and to¬ 
wards them in fall. A small plow is used near the trees, 
and a somewhat larger one towards the center of the 
“middles,” as the spaces between the rows are called. 
Mr. B. asks if it will do to plant squashes in the or¬ 
chard. So far as the trees are concerned, if the hills for 
the squash are well-manured, we see no objection, but 
with trees so near together and a short season in a 
northern locality, we fear that the squashes will not ma¬ 
ture. If it is concluded to give up the ground entirely to 
the trees the cultivator should be used often enough to 
keep down the weeds. 
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packing, etc. 
Chat with Readers, 
Bermiida-Grass Seed.—.B. W. Francis, Conn., states 
that a leading seed-house offers Bermuda-Grass seed in 
its catalogue, and asks how this agrees with our statement 
that “ this grass does not produce seed” ? If our corres¬ 
pondent will look again he will find the statement to be that 
the grass had “ not been known to produce seeds in this 
country.” Seeds are produced elsewhere, but where, the 
seedsmen prefer to keep at present as a trade secret. 
Evergreen Vwx.iXe.— 'E.B.Vkamberlain," V7.Valley, 
N. T., sends us a bit from an evergreen tree which came up 
in his yard, and is different from any tree he has before 
seen. The tree is evidently the common Red Cedar in the 
juvenile state. Several evergreens, notably the Arbor 
Vitse, have, while young, foliage quite unlike that of the old 
tree. The Red Cedar is one that has, when young, foliage 
very different from that of the old tree. Sometimes it is 
many years before the tree assumes its regular leaves. 
Rye lor Hay.—2ID'. “ N. S. K.," Decatur, Ga., writes us: 
In reply to your inquiry about sowing rye for hay, I would 
state for the benefit of the readers of the American Agri¬ 
culturist, that I sowed about fifteen acres of rye last year, 
and cut in the milk, but made very inferior hay. Stock did 
not like it, and in fact only eat it when forced to do so. 
Oats treated in the same manner made very nutritious hay, 
and stock would eat it in preference to clear clover hay. 
Salt Upon Grass Eaiid.—TV. Brayton, Herkimer Co., 
New York., asks us if common salt would benefit grass¬ 
land, and bow much should be applied. The results from 
the use of salt as a fertilizer have been variable, according 
to the crop, the soil, and the distance from the ocean. Its 
indirect action in strengthening the straw of grain crops lias 
sometimes been marked, and it has been useful on plants 
that naturally grow near the sea. The safest way for him 
is to experiment, sowing broad-cast three to five bushels to 
the acre. Please inform us of the result. 
What is Celeriac?—Several have asked this question. 
The name “Turnip-rooted Celery” describes its nature. 
It is also called “Knob Celery,’ principally by the Germans, 
who are the chief consumers of it. 'The base, or proper 
stem of the plant, is enlarged to form a kind of bulb, which 
is the portion used. The plants are raised in a seed-bed 
like the common celery, and set in rows thirty inches apart, 
and a foot apart in the row, and given good cultivation all 
summer. Any suckers that appear should be removed. 
The tuber is used to fiavor soups, and is boiled until tender, 
and when cold, sliced, and dressed as a salad. 
Potato “Beauty of Hebron,”—A subscriber in 
Hillsboro Co., N. H., writes us that after trying nearly all 
the new potatoes for the last forty years, “ I believe that 
the Beauty of Hebron has more good points than any other 
one kind,” He sums up by saying that it is as early as 
Early Rose and several other early sorts which he names, 
and for yield equal to any others, “ and for table use they 
are all that could be desired. If I plant but one kind it 
will be the Beauty of Hebron.” This quite agrees with our 
own experience, and we have for several years relied upon 
this variety for our main crop. 
A Easting Cucumber.—Near the last of January, 
Olmsted, Esq., of New York City, brought us a cucumber, 
which though of large size was as green and fresh in appear¬ 
ance as a cucumber need be. It was taken from the vine 
in September last, and being of fine shape, was placed on 
the sill outside of the kitchen window to ripen up for seed. 
It remained on the outside until cold weather, when it was 
taken in and placed upon the sill inside of the window. 
After an exposure for some four months the cucumber has 
shown no signs of turning yellow. A singular freak, and 
could it be propagated might prove useful. It is by taking 
advantage of sports like this that valuable new varieties 
are often secured. 
Protection for the Strawberry-bed.—Z>. T. Jones, 
Ovid, N. Y.—The strawberry-bed that was covered last 
fall with straw, or material for winter protection of 
the plants, has still need of covering. It should be pulled 
apart over the plants to expose them, and be left to cover 
the soil. It will keep down all but a few strong weeds, 
which maybe pulled as tliey appear, and keep the soil moist. 
Another important service is in keeping the fruit clean by 
preventing tlie heavy berries from contact with the soil. 
Beds that were not mulched, should be given a covering of 
straw, if only to protect the fruit. In the absence of other 
material, corn-stalks laid lengthwise between the rows, 
have been successfully used. 
Trouble with Norway Spruce.—0. S. Lcte, Star 
Prairie, Wis. Our letter to you was “ returned to writer.” 
In substance we said that the Balsam Fir is a free grower, 
and if your trees liave made no progress after being planted 
several years there must be some error. Some dwarf ever¬ 
green may have been sent you by mistake. But your re¬ 
mark that your “ Norw'ay Spruce” loses all its leaves sug¬ 
gests the view that you have not a Norway, or any other 
spruce. "While the spruces shed leaves that are several 
years old, they are never without an abundance of foliage- 
enough to warrant the title of evergreen. It their leaves 
drop, it is impossible to guess what trees you have. When 
they are in full foliage send usja specimen. 
"Yerbelias from Seed.—Jtfrs. IF. C. Mason, Bergen 
Co., N. J. It is not difficult to raise verbenas from seed, 
and if these are of a good “strain,” the chances are that 
some fine flowers will be the result. To have them flower 
well the first year, the seeds should be sown early, in a win¬ 
dow box, and as soon as large enough to handle, the seed¬ 
lings should be transplanted to other boxes, or potted singly 
in small pots. When the weather is settled, prepare a bed 
of rich, light soil, and plant out the verbenas eighteen 
Inches apart. Shade the plants in the middle of the day, 
until they are established. If the seeds were from a good 
stock, a great variety in size and color of flowers will be 
produced. If any of them are desirable, tlie plants may be 
taken up before cold weather for preservation, or, if room 
is scarce, new plants may be made from cuttings. 
The Time for Hatching.—U. J- Janzer, Milwaukee, 
Wis., has been informed that there is a poultry estab¬ 
lishment in which hen's eggs are hatched in considerably 
less than twenty-one days, and asks where this remarkable 
“ hatchery” is located, and the process by which nature is 
improved upon. This is probably one of those newspaper 
items that wander about without any parentage. We have 
not heard that the time of incubation with the many incu¬ 
bators now in use, has been appreciably shortened, or that 
the old hen in this respect has been improved upon. Eggs 
usually hatch at the end of the twenty-first day. With espe¬ 
cially fresh and vigorous eggs the chicks may “ peck” a few 
hours earlier. With eggs that are not quite fresh, or from 
irregularity in sitting, the time may be extended one or 
two days. Nature and the hen fixed the date, and when eggs 
can be hatched earlier we shall gladly announce the fact. 
Insect Trouble in Grape Canes.—Mr. C. J. Stana- 
back, Abilene, Dickerson Co., Eans., sends us specimens of 
grape canes “ affected,” he says, “ with some sort of bug or 
fly.”—By cutting the canes lengthwise a row of long slender 
eggs may be found. Each egg is placed at an angle, the 
inner and lower end reaching the pith of the grape stem. 
This mischief is probably the work of the Snowy Tree- 
Cricket ((Ecanthus niveus ). Tliis cricket prefers the canes 
of tlie raspberry but also attacks the twigs of the peach, 
willow, 'etc. The cricket feeds upon the grape leaves, 
working at night when safe from observation. Many viue- 
yardists have been puzzled to know how their grape-vines 
were stripped of their leaves in a single night. The only 
known way of fighting this pest is to destroy the eggs by 
pruning and burning the punctured canes. 
A Small “Worm” in the GreenUonse.—“ i.” 
West Troy, N. Y., sends a drawing of a greenhouse pest, 
of which great numbers are found under the pots. Boiling 
water, lime, kerosene, and several other remedies have 
been tried without much success. The creature is not a 
true insect, but one of the Millipedes, or “Thousand-legs.” 
The one in question is probably an lulus, of wliich there 
are several species, often called “ Wire-worms.” The body 
is made up of numerous rings which are hard, black, or 
nearly so, and shining, with multitudes of legs. When dis¬ 
turbed they coil up into a ring. In Europe, where they 
appear to be more troublesome than here, traps are found 
more effective tlian poisons. Potatoes or apples are halved, 
the interior partly scooped out, and the pieces laid upon 
the soil, cut surface down. Also small flower pots, con¬ 
taining partly dried horse-droppings, are laid on their sides 
about the greenhouse. The traps, whether potatoes or 
pots, are examinedeach morning and their contents dropped 
into scalding water. 
Aspai'agus Beetle.-Mr. B. S. Harris, Providence, 
R. I., wishes to know the best method of fighting the Aspar¬ 
agus Beetle. He says tliey have been with him but a few 
years, and already threaten the existence of the asparagus 
beds. The beetle is blue-black with some brick-red mark¬ 
ings. The eggs are blackish and generally fastened to the 
young asparagus leaves. The first brood of worms appears 
in June, and feed upon the tender ends of the asparagus 
stems. A second brood appears in August. Long Island 
asparagus growers have longbeen troubled witli this Insect, 
and have adopted the following method of fighting the 
pest: Early in the spring, all the plants are removed from 
the beds, except those for market. The female beetles are 
forced to lay their eggs on these shoots, and as these are 
soon taken to market, no eggs are left to hatch out. This 
method would be very effective, were it not that asparagus 
grows wild in many places, and such plants, unless rooted 
out, become propagating places for the destructive worms. 
