AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST 
375 
THE APPLE BORER. 
Last astumn Mr. David Thomas, of Union 
Springs, N. Y., came into possession of a 
young orchard of about a dozen trees, each 
four or five inches in diameter. They had 
been much neglected, and were so infested 
with borers that he thinks not one of them 
would have survived a year without prompt 
attention. The presence of the borer is in¬ 
dicated by the orange-colored, sawdust like 
excretions thrown out from the holes near 
the surface of the ground, and the first thing 
was to find their entrance. This was in most 
cases easily accomplished by scraping all 
the pith thus thrown out away from the bark, 
and where necessary removing the earth 
away from the tree till the roots branch and 
seperate from each other. As soon as the 
holes are found a flexible twig is thrust into 
it, worked up and down till it reaches the 
grub, which is at once known by the peculiar 
crush, it occasions. A twig the eighth of an 
inch in diameter, and four or five inches long 
is commonly quite sufficient. Sometimes 
the holes are larger and more tortuous, so 
that it may become necessary to cut away 
a portion of the bark to obtain access, in 
which case care is taken to cut longitudinal¬ 
ly or lengthwise with the tree, so as to oc¬ 
casion as little injury as possible. It is ne¬ 
cessary to pass round several times during 
the season in these examinations, as new 
holes will often become visible that were not 
at first discovered. 
By this treatment all the trees we have 
mentioned have been restored to a sound 
healthy condition, with the exception of one 
that was so fare gone that it could not be re¬ 
covered. 
When the trees are taken at an early pe¬ 
riod in the attack, the removal and destruc¬ 
tion of the insects are very easy, as much so 
as that of the peach grub, the borer not im¬ 
mediately cutting deep into the wood of the 
tree. 
No remedy by way of prevention has been 
found equal to the application of urine about 
the roots—about a pint or less for small 
tress, and two or three quarts for quite large 
ones, the application being made about once 
a fortnight. 
CLIMATE AND PRODUCTS OF KEY WEST. 
A correspondent of the Savannah Georgian, 
in an interesting letter from Key West, July 
12th, gives the following account of the cli¬ 
mate and products of the place at the present 
time : 
The climate of this island was never more 
delightful than at the present time. Such 
cool bracing sea breezes in June and July as 
we have had, and are now having daily, are 
probably not often known in this latitude. 
Plentiful showers have fallen, and the earth 
is well saturated, and vegetation feels the 
effect and has put on a new coat. Flowers 
are bursting forth on every side, and the 
bloom and freshness of early spring in more 
northern climes meets you wherever you 
may turn. There are very few acres of 
land cultivated at all on this or on any of the 
neighboring islands, yet where the garden¬ 
er or planter has been, a bountifulfharvest is 
seen. 
The grape is now ripening. This delicious 
fruit has been but lately introduced on the 
island, and all the vines are yet in their in¬ 
fancy. Judging from the quantity and quali¬ 
ty of their production now, we dare not ven¬ 
ture to predict to what perfection they will 
arrive at a more mature age. We have late¬ 
ly seen single clusters that weighed oversix 
pounds. The flavor of the Isabella, the va¬ 
riety most grown here, is unsurpassed. The 
price at which they are sold fresh from the 
vines is 37fc- cents per pound, a sum that ought 
to remunerate and satisfy the most greedy. 
We believe that no attempt has been made 
to manufacture wine from this grape. In 
fact, its value, unprepared, forbids almost 
the experiment. The whole climate of the 
keys of Florida is capable of producing im¬ 
mense quantities of the grape. The climate 
and soil seem to be suited to its growth. 
The fig, both the white and blue, grow 
luxuriantly on the Keys. In three years 
time, fruit is grown from the seed. The 
fresh fig is a delicious fruit. The plant is 
hardy, easily cultivated, and requiring little 
care after being planted. 
Many varieties of the lemon are growing 
in the neighborhood ; but the lime seems to 
flourish best, growing to a large size, full of 
pulp, thin-skinned, and of a fine flavor. It 
is also a hardy plant, grows vigorous and 
rapidily. It is always bearing. The cocoa- 
palm is a longer time in coming to perfection. 
It bears in the sixth year, and is, after that 
time, never bare of fruit—crop succeeding 
crop in rapid succession. As a shade-tree 
it is valuable, and for beautv it has no paral¬ 
lel. ' 
LAW. 
BY STEVEN. 
Law is law—law is law ; and as in such, 
and so forth, and hereby, and aforsaid, pro¬ 
vided always, nevertheless, notwithstanding. 
Law is like a country dance, people are led 
up and down in it till they are tired. Law is 
like a book of surgery, there are a great 
many desperate cases in it. It is also phys¬ 
ic, they that take least of it are best off. Law is 
like a homely gentlewoman, very well to 
follow. Law is also like a scolding wife, 
very bad when it follows us. Law is like a 
new fashion, people are bewitched to get in¬ 
to it; it is also like bad weather, most people 
are glad when they get out of it. 
We shall now mention a cause, called 
“ Bullum versus Boatum it was a cause 
that came before me. The cause was as 
follows. 
There were two farmers ; farmer A. and 
farmer B. Farmer A. was seized or possess¬ 
ed of a bull; farmer B. was seized or pos¬ 
sessed of a ferry-boat. Now, the owner of 
the ferry-boat having made his boat fast to a 
post on shore, with a piece of hay, twisted 
rope-fashion, or as we say, vulgo vocato , a 
hay band. After he had made his boat fast 
to a post on shore, as it was very natural for 
a hungry man to do, he went up town to 
dinner ; farmer A.’s bull, as it was natural 
for a hungry bull to do, came down town to 
look for a dinner; and observing, discover¬ 
ing, seeing, and spying out, some turnips in 
the bottom of the ferry-boat, the bull scram¬ 
bled into the ferry-boat; he ate up the tur¬ 
nips, and, to make an end of his meal, fell to 
work upon the hay-band; the boat being 
eaten from its mornings, floated down the 
river, with the bull in it; struck against a 
rock ; beat a hole in the bottom of the boat, 
and tossed the bull everboard; whereupon 
the owner of the boat brought his action 
against the bull, for running away with the 
boat. After this, notice of trial was given, 
Bullum aersws Boatum, Boatum versus Bull- 
um. 
Now the Counsel for the bull began with 
saying, ‘ My Lord, and you Gentlemen of 
the Jury, we are counsel in this cause for 
the bull. We are indicted for running away 
with the boat. Now, my Lord, we have 
heard of running horses, but never of run¬ 
ning bulls before. Now, my Lord, the bull 
could no more run away with the boat, than 
a man in a coach may be said to run away 
with the horses ; therefore, my Lord, how 
can we punish what is not punishable ? How 
can we eat what is not eatable ? Or how 
can we drink what is not drinkable 1 Or, as 
the law says, how can we think on what is 
not thinkable 1 Therefore, my Lord as we 
are counsel in the cause for the bull, if the 
Jury should bring the bull in guilty, the Jury 
would be guilty of a bull.” 
The Counsel for the boat observed, that 
the bull should be non-suited, because, in his 
declaration, he has not specified what color 
he was of; for, thus wisely, and thus learn¬ 
edly, spoke the counsel—“ My Lord, if the 
bull was of no color, he must be of some col¬ 
or ; and, if he was not of any color, what 
color could the bull be of?” I overruled 
this motion myself, by observing the bull was 
a white bull, and that white is no color, be¬ 
sides, as I told my brethern, they should not 
trouble their heads to talk of color in the 
law, for the law can color any thing. This 
cause being afterwards left to a reference, 
upon the award, both bull and boat were ac¬ 
quitted, it being proved, that the tide of the 
river carried them both away ; upon which I 
gave it as my opinion, that, as the tide of the 
river carried both bull and boat away, both 
bull and boat had a good action against the 
water-bailiff. 
My opinion being taken, an action was is¬ 
sued, and, upon the traverse, this point of 
law arose, how, wherefore, and whether, 
why, when, and what, whatsoever, whereas, 
and whereby, as the boat was not a compos 
mentis evidence, how could an oath be ad¬ 
ministered ? The point was soon settled, by 
Boatum’s attorney declaring, that, for his 
client, he would swear any thing. 
The water-bailiff’s charter was then read, 
taken out of the original record, in true law 
Latin, which set forth, in their declaration, 
that they were carried away either by the tide 
of flood, or the tide of ebb. The charter of 
the water-bailiff was as follows ; “ Aquae 
bailiffiest magistratus in choisi, super omni¬ 
bus fishibus qui habuerant finnos et scalos, 
claws, shells, et talos, qui swimmare in fresh- 
ibus, vel saltibus reveris, lakis, pondis, canal- 
ibus, et well-boatis ; sive oysteri, prawni, 
whitini,shrimpi,turbutus solas ;” that is not 
turbots, alone, but turbots and soles both to¬ 
gether. But now comes the nicety of the 
law ; the law is as nice as a new-laid egg, 
and not to be understood by addle-headed 
people. Bullum and Boatum mentioned both 
ebb and flood, to avoid quibbling * but, it being 
proved, that they were carried away neither 
by the tide of flood, nor by the tide of ebb, but 
exactly upon the top of high water, they were 
nonsuited; but such was the lenity of the 
court, that upon their paying all costs, they 
were allowed to begin again, de novo .— West¬ 
ern Patriot and Republican. 
Women vs. Oxen. —A certain clergyman 
once addressing his audience in the northern 
part of New Jersey, had occasion to quote 
Luke xiv, 1G—20: “A certain man had a 
great supper and bade many, and sent his 
servant at supper time, to say to them that 
were bidden. “ Come, for all things are now 
ready.” And then they all with one consent 
began to make excuse. The first said unto 
him, “ I have bought a piece of ground and I 
must needs go and see it; I pray thee have 
me excused.” And another said, “ I have 
bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove 
them ; I pray thee have me excused.” And 
another said, I have married a wife, and 
therefore I can not come.” “ Now,” said 
the venerable clergyman, “ you see the man 
that bought the land merely wished to be ex¬ 
cused, the man that bought the five yoke of 
oxen merely wished to be excused ; but the 
man that had married the wife said positively 
—“ therefore (for this reason) I cannot come.” 
So you see, my hearers, that a woman can 
draw a man farther from God than five yoke 
of oxen!” 
