AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
213 
1660 .] 
Pavements under Plum Trees. 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist. 
I have in my garden a very handsome plum 
tree, about 12 years old, which blossoms freely 
every year, and sets abundance of plums, but 
they uniformly fell off before arriving at matur¬ 
ity, until last season. One year ago last Spring 
I was advised to pave the ground under it with 
bricks. I did so, and the result was a full crop 
of fruit. Can you tell me what particular virtue 
there was in the bricks 1 Jersbyman. 
Morris Co., N. J. 
Remarks.— The plums dropped off probably in 
consequence of injury by the curculio. A careful 
examination might have shown their crescent 
shaped mark, illustrated upon page 165 of the 
June Agriculturist. When the pavement was 
laid, the insects were in the soil, in their larvae 
or worm like state, and the bricks prevented 
them from coming to the surface and changing 
into beetles. We have known a stone pavement, 
or a board flooring to have the same effect. 
There should be no cracks large enough to per¬ 
mit the small insects to escape. Where boards 
are used, it is well to cement between the cracks. 
A coat of cement (water-lime) is sometimes laid 
under the trees, as far as the branches extend, 
for the same purpose, and is quite as efficacious. 
The objection to this method is the partial ex¬ 
clusion of air and moisture from the roots, with¬ 
out which the tree can not long remain healthy. 
-- . -- 
A Cheap Tree Protector. 
Several species of insects undergo their last 
change in the ground, and then make their way 
upward to deposit their eggs upon the branches 
of trees. The well known canker worm, whose 
nests so often disfigure the apple, cherry and 
elm trees, is of this description. The worms 
(larvae) hatch in the Spring from eggs deposited 
the previous season, feed upon the leaves, 
making the tree look as if singed with fire, and 
when full grown descend to form their cocoons, 
and complete their transformations. In the Fall 
they commence emerging from the ground, and, 
according to Harris, continue to come out at in¬ 
tervals in mild weather until April, mostly, how¬ 
ever, in the months of October and March. The 
females are wingless grubs, and make their way 
by crawling up the trunks 
of trees, while the wing¬ 
ed males flutter about, 
and pair with them on 
their journey. Various 
means have been de¬ 
vised to trap them while 
in this stage. The ac¬ 
companying illustration 
shows a simple arrange¬ 
ment used by Raymond 
Irish, Bristol Co., Mass. 
A strip of sole leather 
about two inches wide is 
wound around the trunk of the tree twice, mak¬ 
ing a collar of double the thickness of the leather, 
and is fastened to its place by a single nail driven 
through the end. A piece of thick paper—tarred 
sheathing pajter is preferred—about six inches 
wide is cut to the form shown in the figure, and 
the hollowed edge tied around the leather on 
the trunk. The end of the paper overlaps two 
or three inches. This forms a kind of cap of 
conical shape, the lower edge standing out an 
inch or two from the tree. This cap is then 
covered with a mixture of tar and oil, used in 
such proportions as not to run, and yet remain 
sufficiently soft to arrest the progress of the in¬ 
sects. The paper will need coating several 
times during Fall and Spring, and they should be 
examined occasionally to see that the insects do 
not make a bridge of the bodies of their dead 
companions. Where no better protection can 
be obtained, this plan may answer a very good 
purpose. 
«• 
Houghton’s Seedling Gooseberry. 
While great attention has been given to the 
introduction of new and improved varieties of 
grapes, blackberries, currants, etc., the goose¬ 
berry has been much neglected. This is owing 
very much to the lack of success with the Eng¬ 
lish sorts and the small size and indifferent flavor 
of the native kinds. The gooseberry succeeds 
best in a cool, moist climate, hence it flourishes 
admirably in England. Our hot and dry Sum¬ 
mers are unfavorable to its healthy growth; a 
mildew usually attacks the foreign varieties when 
the fruit is about half grown. In the vicinity of 
Paterson, N. J., some of the gardeners succeed 
tolerably well with a few of the English sorts, as 
described in our last volume, page 275, but ordi¬ 
nary cultivators usually fail with them. It is quite 
time more attention was given to the production 
of new American seedlings. A few such have 
been originated, about the earliest of which was 
the Houghton, illustrated above. This was rais¬ 
ed, probably from seed of the native sorts, by 
Abel Houghton, of Mass., about fifteen years ago, 
and is thus correctly described by Cole, in his 
American Fruit Book. “ Rather small; oval; 
skin thin ; reddish brown ; flesh very fine, ten¬ 
der, sweet and superior, particularly for the des¬ 
sert. A prodigious grower and great bearer. 
Hardy; the only kind (at that time) free from 
mildew. Habits like Crown Bob. The best kind 
for general culture.” Since this variety was orig¬ 
inated, one or two new seedlings have been pro¬ 
duced which give as good promise as the Hough¬ 
ton. They are all of very easy culture, and can 
be propagated rapidly by layering the branches. 
Our Native Spruces. 
A correspondent asks, if there are, indeed, three 
varieties of Native Spruce, viz.: the Black, Red 
and White 1 
We reply that the Hemlock should have been 
included in your enumeration, for it is a verita¬ 
ble Spruce. But to your question : Some bot¬ 
anists make a distinction between the red and 
black, admitting, however, that the difference is 
so slight as hardly to be worth making. Dr. 
Gray, of Cambridge, says : “ Probably the red, 
white and black spruces are forms of one species.” 
Downing says: “ The black, or double spruce, 
sometimes called also the red spruce, is very 
common at the north,” etc. The White he con¬ 
siders quite distinct. Loudon speaks of the three 
as distinct, and goes on to describe them at 
length. (See his Encyc. of Gardening, p. 1170.) 
The seeds and cones of the red and black are 
so nearly alike, that a difference is hardly dis¬ 
cernible. Mention is made in some books, also, 
of “the Yellow American Spruce.” In our own 
view, the black, red, and yellow are the same va¬ 
riety, modified by difference of soil, latitude and 
exposure. But the White Spruce is plainly dis¬ 
tinct. Its foliage is silvery, greyish, like the 
common Juniper, and it surprises us that the 
difference is not apparent to every eye. 
-- I -»“•- 
Evergreen Trees from Seed. 
Seeds of evergreen trees, as purchased in a dry 
state at the seed stores, do not germinate freely. 
Nature sows them soon after they are ripe, cov¬ 
ers them lightly with the falling foliage, where 
they are partially shaded after vegetating, which 
is not always the first season. Follow these 
hints as near as may be, sowing the seed, or put¬ 
ting it in boxes of earth as soon as ripe, in the 
Fall. If dry seed is purchased in the Spring, 
soak for twelve hours in tepid water before sow¬ 
ing, cover lightly with scrapings from the woods, 
or with muck, and shade from the hot sun when 
up. If they do not vegetate during the Spring, 
pull the weeds in the rows and leave for another 
year. A hot-bed, propagating house, or prepared 
frame covered with glass and under entire con¬ 
trol, are better places to start them in. After the 
first season there is little difficulty in rearing 
them. In ordinary cases, it is preferable to pur¬ 
chase young trees from those who understand 
rearing them. 
Working the Soil around Fruit Trees. 
This is beneficial if properly done, otherwise 
not. The careless gardener strikes his sharp 
spade sheer down among the roots, cutting off 
the fibers, and doing vastly more hurt than good. 
If the roots near the top of the ground are cut off, 
other roots are caused to strike down into the 
cold subsoil. Hence come late, succulent growths 
of branches, which are sure to be winter killed. 
Instead of this rough treatment, keep the sur¬ 
face loose with a hoe, and mulch it in Winter 
with coarse manure. 
Coal Ashes for Walks. 
Probably the very best way to make a walk for 
the garden or pleasure ground, is to excavate the 
soil one foot deep, fill up with small cobble-stones 
or broken bricks and stones, cover with a layer 
of coarse gravel, and finish off with a coat of fine 
gravel, rounding over the same in the middle, and 
rolling it hard with an iron or stone roller. 
But in some places, good gravel is scarce, or 
difficult to be got at. As a substitute for this, 
we would recommend coal ashes. Make the 
usual solid foundation of pounded stones, then 
spread on the ashes, finishing off with a thin lay 
er of fine gravel or sand, giving the whole a thor¬ 
ough rolling. These ashes are abundant every¬ 
where, are so cheap that they can often be had 
for the carting away, they pack well on a walk, 
sometimes becoming as solid as stone, they wash 
on a side hill walk much less than common grav 
