of fruit, in countless millions. They are particularly 
troublesome where the orchards have been heretofore 
left to their destruction, and more or less so every¬ 
where else. In the morning, early, and until they 
are full grown, they camp together in bunches on 
the tree, and a sharp-eyed man could sciape them oil’, 
with tho aid of a step-ladder to reach, and put them 
in the lire, thereby rendering services of the value 
of from live to ten dollars, or more, per day.—S. N. 
Ho i,m ks, Syracuse, A'. 1’. 
Hence, there is no doubt that the former were the 
larva: of this beetle, and that they undergo their 
transformations in the ground. Kollek recommends 
a strong tea or decoction of wormwood, as plants 
wetted by it will not be touched by the flce-bcetles. 
Perhaps a decoction of walnut leaves would be equally 
well, as suggested by Mr. Harris. A decoction oj 
tobacco is good where it can be applied. 
The Turnip-Flea Beetle, or Turnip-Fly, belongs to 
the same family, tig. I; /, the antenna:; g, the hind 
leg. It may be found on the turnip, radish and cru¬ 
ciferous plants generally, from May all through the 
summer. They are very injurious in gardens. 
ing, of Newburgh, and the Delaware Grape king, Dr. 
C. W. Grant, of Iona, I had the pleasure of showing 
them one of Mr. Foster’s Delawares, in fruit, in the 
fine grounds of the Hon. 0. lb Mattison. These gen¬ 
tlemen both pronounced it the genuine Delaware by 
the time they were within ten feet of it. No further 
testimony need be added as to the genuineness of 
this Grape: but it may not be out of place to say, 
that when the fruit was ripe I took the trouble, for 
my own satisfaction, of comparing it witli fruit that 
I had grown in my own grounds from Delaware viues 
that I had obtained from Dr. Grant, and I found them 
exactly alike in every respect. 
" Unfortunately the Foster Delaware has not been 
disseminated much, as its proprietor has been satis¬ 
fied with having a few old vines, producing a better 
quality of fruit than any of his neighbors; and not 
knowing its true name until the fall of 1859, be has 
propagated it, except a little by layering for 
HARDINESS OP NEW GRAPES 
The past winter has been well calculated to test 
the hardiness of the new grapes, as being, we think, 
more severe, and mere injurious to our old varieties, 
in this section, than any winter for the past ten years. 
Our crops of Isabellas, we think, w ill be very light, 
as vines left uncovered, as far as we have learned, 
nave suffered severely. J. Lakbowb, of Mammonds- 
port, a place becoming celebrated for its vine culture, 
writes us: “Our vines in this vicinity have become 
somewhat injured ny the winter, especially the 
Isabella, the Catawba wintering better. On the night 
of the first of May, we had a bad freeze which hurt 
the buds somewhat, but still the prospect for a fair 
crop with ns is very good, providing we have no more 
frosts. Peaches and cherries are killed, the like of 
which, so far as the cherrieB are concerned, we have 
never before known at this place." 
To-day we examined the vines on the grounds of 
Hiram Sibley. Esq., of this city, with a view of 
ascertaining the effects of the winter, and the com¬ 
parative hardiness of each, and made a few notes, of 
which our readers shall have the benefit. These 
vines are planted in a well prepared border, the 
ground sloping a little towards the north, and are 
planted in a row running north and south, supported 
by a good trellis, made heavy, except the bottom and 
top rail. They are young, having been planted three 
years, and have remained fastened to the trellis and 
unprotected during the winter. The ends of the 
lateral branches were cut off in the fall. 
1. Northern Muscadine— Wood all sound and buds 
breaking. 
2. Isabella — Weod of all side-shoots killed to the 
bud at base. Wood all killed to within three feet of 
ground. 
3. Delaware — Four and a half feet high. Wood all 
sound to the ends of shoots, buds breaking. 
4. Diana — Six feet high. Wood all killed to 
within three feet of ground. All the Bidc-branches 
Ijfnquivic.si ana Answer $ 
Those of us who put oft’ till spring the business of 
clearing up the last year’s rubbish in our gardens, 
find, in the performance of that duty, ample employ¬ 
ment for the first days of weather warm enough to 
One unaccus- 
never 
the accommodation of his immediate friends. 
“And now what does this disinterested witness say 
of the Delaware during all this time that he has 
grown it? He showed it to me on an open trellis in 
his yard, and assured me that he had always grown 
the vines thus exposed; Baid he had never been in 
the habit of laying them down in winter; had never 
had the vines winter-killed so ns to injure them; had 
never known them to mildew; if they bad, he had 
never noticed it, and thinks he would have noticed it 
had it taken place. And, what will please ua all, he 
said his Delaware had never failed to yield him a full 
crop of most luscious Grapes annually, that had 
always ripened before our early frosts. 
11 It appears to me that no vine but a native, ‘to 
the manor born,’ could bear such, a severe test as Mr. 
F. has unwittingly given the Delaware, and come on 
with such flying colors. The past season was a very 
trying one for vines in this section. The most of 
them grow late. The Isabella, Catawba, and others 
of the same class mildewed very badly, ami did not 
ripen their wood as well as usual; but tho Delaware 
ripened its wood as well as the Concord, and was not 
more affected by mildew. I saw no rot among the 
tempt us to engage in out-door work, 
tomed to tho sight of any other than a constantly I 
well-kept garden, can hardly imagine the sorry ap¬ 
pearance one neglected in autumn presents in spring, 
nor what a change is made by bringing together and 
burning the old, dead stalks of the previous sum¬ 
mer’s fruitage and flowering. In the case of fruit- 
bearing shrubs, undoubtedly the best time to remove 
the canes not designed for the next year’s use, is 
immediately after the bearing season is over, as that 
gives the new stalks all the sap, thus maturing the 
wood more perfectly, preparing it to resist the winter 
cold more successfully, and produce a more abund¬ 
ant crop of berries the following summer. 
But, “ better late than never." If we neglected 
last summer and fall to pnt our blackberries and 
raspberries iu order for the coming season, let it be 
done in the spring, and as early as possible. Tho 
longer it is put off tho more damage is done to the 
expanding foliage and the starting fruit buds. If 
you have been accustomed to let Nature take care of 
such shrubs as she does in the woods, never thinning 
out the dead, useless stalks, you have m> idea how 
much brighter and fresher your garden will look 
after cutting away and removing all the wood except 
that of the last year’s growth, though not a leaf has 
started ou the canes left standing. Where old and 
new canes stand together in spring, one is apt to 
think, at first wight, that they are nearly all dead, so 
much more discernible are th 
out finding fault with something. This was not 
always bo. I had rather prided myself on having 
the mildest and best dispositions! wife in the com¬ 
munity,— one very near pel’ectiou, embodying all 
tho idealities of u true woman. No complaint with¬ 
out just cause. Now—well I hope that this ill nature 
will always end with the close of the day, and leave 
me six days for enjoyment. But, it’s my positive 
opinion that all those who are blessed (if that’s a 
proper term) with scolding and fretful wives, can 
date the commencement from washing day. It would 
bo some satisfaction to know bow many more there 
are In this soctiou, who are mourning over domestic 
scenes of discord and discontent, who, like myself, 
ere the marriage vow was plightod, had imagined 
that marriage was the acme of human enjoyment, 
the step-stone to perfect happiness. I’m safe in say¬ 
ing that l am not alone; but 1 guess a change has 
come over the spirit of their dreams as well as my 
own. I hardly believe that there is a man in Chris- 
endom, not, possessing the patience of Job, that 
nj dead ones by reason 
of their lighter color; and not till the old stalks 
have been trimmed away, does one recognize the 
wealth of promise the new ones afford. It is suffi¬ 
cient recompense for all the trouble of clearing out 
and destroying the old rubbish in a garden of small 
fruits, to see the livelier look it presents and the 
brighter prospect it gives for the coming harvest. 
lint if the improved appearance of a garden pays 
for the work of putting the fruit-bearing shrubs in 
order, tho greater ease of getting the berries when 
they come pays the second time. It, Is murderous 
work to pick berries with bare hands, running tho 
gantlet of old and new thorns—the old ones sharp 
and strong as the tooth of Time—the trouble being 
greatly aggravated by the difficulty of getting about 
in the almost impenetrable thicket of a two or three 
years’ growth of canes. 
The importance, too, of attending each summer 
to trimming the stalks of the current season’s growth 
J. Larrowk, Esq., of Hammondsport, N. Y., writes 
us under date of the 8th inst., inclosing “two bugs" 
which he had found upon his grape vines. Mr. L. 
says:—“One of them had eaten into the center and 
destroyed the bnd. I have for two or three years 
suffered very much from its depredation. I would 
like to know from you, or somo one that understands 
the subject, its habits, and means, if any, for its de¬ 
struction. Last year it destroyed nearly one-third 
of my grape crop, taking the principal bud; and the 
only fruit from a great many hills was from the 
dormant buds that came out after the first were de¬ 
stroyed. My neighbors are being much injured this 
season by this insect, and wo are very desirous to 
learn of a remedy.” 
This insect we have before described, and published 
a full description of the family in 1859, by Jacob 
Stauffer, Esq., of Lancaster, Pa. It is the Grape 
Vine Flea Beetle f (frajitndera chalybea), and belongs 
to an extensive family of leaf and bud-destroying 
insects. There are a number of genera, each embra¬ 
cing a greater or less number of species, which it is 
difficult, in many cases, to distinguish apart, owing 
BREAD, PIE AND CAKE 
Dociii.k Zinnia — Cuystau.izino Grasses. Can any of 
the Kurai.’s friends give information concerning the cnltiva 
lion of the Doable Zinnia? 1 have obtained a low mind, and 
would like to know something about planting them, ('an 
they hn transplanted; anil will they bloom from the seed the 
Hr-, ft year? Alio, ran anyone tell me through tho Rural, 
how to crystallize grasses v ith idumi — K,, Sandwich, Jlli 
Mis, 1801. 
The Zinnia may ho Bown in a hot-bed, or cold frame, or iu 
pots, or a box in the house, and transplanted to the open 
ground as soon as danger from frost is gone. It would do 
well under favorable circumstances, doubtless, In tho open 
ground. Good plant* net out about the lirst of Juno will 
llower in July, and continue during most of the season. 
To crystallize grasses, dissolve eighteen ounces of alum In 
a quart of soft water, (observing this proportion fora greater 
or less quantity,) boiling it over a slow lire in a close tin 
vessel, stirring it occasionally with a stick until it is dissolved. 
When it is nearly cold, suspend tbu subject to be crystallized 
by a thread from a small stick, laid horizontally across tho 
aperture of a deep glass or earthen jar, into which the solu¬ 
tion must be poured. The articles should remain In tho 
solution twenty-four hours, and then he taken out and sus¬ 
pended iu the shade to dry. If the subjects to bo crystallized 
arc put iulo the solution when it is quite cold, the crystals 
are apt to be formed largo, and the wanner the wlutiou the 
smaller will be the crystals. Its strength may be tested by 
putting a drop on a blade of grass, and observing it crystallize 
as it cools, Almost any llower or vegetable substance may 
be operated upon. Fancy baskets may bo made in this way, 
by first making a wire frame of any desired shape, twisting 
woolen yarn around the wires, and immersing it as directed 
for grasses. 
For winter bouquets it Is much better to growths Orna¬ 
mental Brasses and Everlasting Flowers, than to crystallize 
and color our common grosses and weeds. 
GiNUERBKKAri.- One pint of raolawes; half a pint 
of sweet milk; half a cup Of butter; one tablespoon- 
I'ul of ginger; one teaspoonful of sale rat ns, made 
fine, ami some salt. Stir the molasses and milk 
together till neither can be seen separate, then stir in 
tho saleratus, the ginger, and salt. The butter must 
be melted if the weather is cold, if not, rubbed iu 
tho Hour; make hard enough to roll, not soft enough 
to spread, roll out half an inch thick, wash with new 
milk before stamping, bake In a hot oven ten minutes. 
This is a sufficient quantity for four sheets. 
Brown Bread. — Three cups of corn meal; three 
cups of rye, or Graham meal; six cops of milk, or 
water; one teaspoon fill of soda; hull' a cup of mo¬ 
lasses. Bake in an iron basin three hours. 
Lemon Pie. One lemon; one cup of sugar; three 
eggs; two tablespoonfuls of cracker; butter, size of 
a walnut. Stir tho yolks with the sugar; grate the 
rind of the lemon and squeeze in the juice. <>ne cup 
of sweet milk to put in last., then bake as a custard. 
Beat the whites to a froth, add three tablespoonfuls 
Of pulverized sugar, a little lemon extract. When 
the case of the common black raspberry. That shrub 
propagates itself by tb ’ tips of tho canes reaching 
down to the ground .‘ to taking root, and in forming 
a new plant, tho vigor of the old one and its power 
of producing fruit are of course considerably dimin¬ 
ished. In regulating these bushes in spring, One is 
surprised to see how largo a number of stalks have 
grown so long as to fall over and take root. They 
should he shortoned-iu in summer. 
The old stalks of annuals and of herbaceous plants, 
such as peonies, phloxes, spira-as, Ac., give tho 
flower garden a rough, unsightly appearance In 
spring, and should be removed and destroyed as 
early as possible. It takes but a few days of spring 
weather to start up many varieties of flowering 
plants, so as to give the garden quite a fresh, lively 
look, if only It is cleared of the dry, dead stuff that 
covers them; otherwise, one must wait a long time 
for new vegetation to make much show beneath tho 
mass of brush left standing from the previous sum¬ 
mer’s flowering. a* 
South Livonia, N. Y., 1861. 
to their close resemblance and minute size. Fig. 1 
illustrates the Gastrophysa cyanic, a, the hind leg; 
b, the gradually thickened antenna:; c, the strong 
jaws. Fig. 2 is a female, sometimes seen as early aB 
the 5th of May, with their abdomens enormously 
swelled, and laying eggs on the leaves of the Rimer 
obtusifolitu . They are not known to do mischief, 
yet they are by no means free from suspicion, and it 
is well to have an eye on them. They so nearly re¬ 
semble fig. 3, the Graptodera chalybea, as to be 
readily taken for the same insect. This latter is the at fault in one respect, 
insect in question. Its antennic, fig. 3, d, are of a makiug a pavement, 
uniform thickness in the 11-joiuts, and its thorax ground 
has a transverse depression, which the other has not. 
Fig. 1 is copied from a specimen found January 2d, 
two inches beneath the soil, near a grape vine, “alive 
and kicking,” certainly not below the frost line. 
The colors vary greatly in the same species, as Mr, 
Harris also remarks, from a dark purple, violet, 
Prussian blue, greenish blue, to a deep green color, 
and not always steel-blue, as the specific name, cha¬ 
lybea, implies. 
Notwithstanding their hard names, long enough 
for a Polish count, they are not entitled to rank 
among the “big bugs;" but the wee creatureB are 
THE CURCULIO 
Messrs. Eds.: —In No. 1G of the Rural, I see A 
Reader” is making some “suggestions in regard to 
the Curculio.” It is one of the ten thousand reme¬ 
dies that are good for nothing, and the added note is 
Although I acknowledge that 
or in any way smoothing the 
so as to sweep it after jarring, as the note 
advises, is the sure thing, if anything is, allow me 
to Buggost, that any one who cambats the curculio 
on the supposition that if all under the tree are de¬ 
stroyed, his plums will be Haved, will find it labor 
lost; for the insect has wings, and is as perfectly 
possessed of the power of locomotion as any other of 
his species. In this section we had a good crop of 
plums last season; and I could see no difference in 
the success of those who used ashes, lime, syringing 
with various decoctions, Ac., Ac., and those who 
HOW TO MAKE MUFFINS 
CDDING — (Amateur .)— We can give no precise flay for 
ding fruits, Ac. The only general rule is when the buds 
well matured and before the bark becomes set. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: —Noticing an inquiry 
in a late number of your paper for making Muffins, I 
will give a recipe which I know to be excellent. 
Mix a quart of wheat flour smoothly with a pint and 
» half of lukewarm milk, half a teacup of yeast, a 
couple of beaten eggs, a heaping teaspoonful of salt, 
and a couple of tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Set 
the batter in a warm place to rise. When light, 
butter your muffin rings, turn in the mixture, and 
bake the muffins till a light brown.—J. A. G., Phelps, 
N. Y„ 1861 . 
In reply to Lizzie I send the following recipe for 
Muffins, which I think is excellent. Mix a quart of 
wheat flour smoothly with a pint and a hair of luke 
warm milk, half a teacup of yeast, two beaten eggs, 
a heaping tcaspuonful of salt, and two tablespoonfuls 
of lukewarm melted butter. Set the batter in a warm 
place to rise; when light, butter your muffin cups, 
torn in the mixture, and hake till a light brown.— 
A. U. P., Danbury, Ct,, 1851. 
Eds. Rural New-Yorker: — I saw the inquiry in 
your paper of May Ath, “ How to make Muffins?” I 
have just made some which are very nice. One quart 
of milk, (sweet); piece of butter the size of an egg, 
warmed in the milk; half cup yeast; two eggs; a 
little salt; flour enough to make a BtilV batter. Let 
it rise over night.— Amelia F. Hock, Durant, Cedar 
Co,, Iowa, 1801. 
Tiik Fine Cherries Destroyed. — About a week ago I was 
surprised to find, from close and careful observation, that the 
blossom buds of all our fine Heart and Bigarrcau Cherries 
are almost entirely destroyed by the Intense cold weather of 
February last. 
February last. Even the Duke, varieties, which are con¬ 
sidered very hardy, are extensively injured by the cold; but. 
tho late Kentish or Fie cherry, and the Mnrellos, are not, 
seriously damaged. Cherries have not been killed before by 
the cold in this locality Tor at leort a quarter of ft century. 
The coldest weather we have had in this Section of the 
country within the last thirty years, occurred on the 6th day 
of February, 1855, when the thermometer stood at 26" below 
zero; yet there was abundance of fine cherries the ensuing 
summer. On tho 7tli of February last, the mercury 
descended to 18 degrees below zero, and the fine cherries 
arc killed quite as completely as tbe peach. It must be that 
the fruit buds ditl uot ripen well before winter came on, In 
consequence of too much wot and warm weather late iu the foil, 
which probably caused an abundant flow of sail luto the 
trees, and thereby rendering the llower hudw unfit to endure 
the severity of the winter. ItoMla grape vines that have 
uot been protected, aru killed almost to the ground. The 
Catawba, Clinton, and Oporto, are but slightly injured. I 
trees of the French /'rune, which are badly 
Agricultural Association. A report by Mr. Riduway 
was published in 1834. Mr. H. Lk Kklx also wrote 
a prize essay on their history, which was read before 
the Entomological Society, and published in the 2d 
volume of their Transactions. 
In our own country they are by no ineaus unknown. 
Mr. David Thomas gave ahighly interesting account, 
which was published in the 20th volume of Sllli- 
man’s American Journal of Science and Arts, in which 
he states:—“These brilliant insects were observed 
by me in the Bpring of 1831, in Cayuga county, N. Y., 
creeping on the vines and destroying tbe buds, by 
eating out the central succulent parts. Some had 
burrowed even half their length Into the huds. 
When disturbed, they jump rather than fly, and re¬ 
main where they fall for a time without motion.” 
During the same season, these beetles appeared in 
unusually great numbers in New Haven, Conn., and 
its vicinity, and the injury done bytbemwas “wholly 
unexampled.” Some vines were entirely despoiled 
of their fruit budB, so as to be rendered barren for 
the season. In 1830 and 1831, be found the vine 
leaves infested by “small chastnut-colored smooth 
worms,” and suspecting these to be the larva: of tbe 
Chrysomela vitivora, he fed them in a tumbler con¬ 
taining some moiBt earth. “After a fortnight or so,” 
some of the beetles were found in the tumbler. 
have some young 
injured, tho blossom buds being all killed, and most or tho 
blanches. Apples and peais are in good condition and coin 
ing on finely.—8. Fousuav, I'rnm lan, iV. 1., 1861. 
Grape Vinks. — All wb<> observe the vine at this time, see 
that tho huds aro pushing forth as the van-guard of foliage 
and fruit, and that In many instances they come double, two 
buds from the same eye, which can only get tho nourishment 
that would support one vigorous shoot, and, as a consequence, 
both are weakened. In order to regulate and remedy the evil, 
and got a strong and healthy growth of the vino and fruit, 
passing along my vines in tho morning tour of observation, 1 
carefnliy rub off tho smaller and weaker bud, leaving the 
other alone, to perform in pofectioa its vegetable destiny.—S. 
V. Holmes. Svrdcuse, JV. )'•, 1861. 
Fruit Trees and their Enemies. —Every person 
of natural good taste is a lover of good fruit, yet, in 
the war of nature, many enemies to the-gratification 
of such taste exist, that require from man an unre¬ 
mitting diligence, in order that these luxuries of 
both life and health may not be destroyed long before 
maturity. Not least among these enemies are tho 
apple tree worms just emerging from their winter 
house to prey upon the defenceless leaves, and buds 
Fruit-Growers’ Society ok Western New York.—T he 
regular Sommer meeting of tbiB Society will be held at Syra¬ 
cuse, on the 25th of June. 
August, I860, ha’ 
