A WOMAN’S ACRE. 
BT MBS, ANNIE L. JACK. 
No. 4. 
INSECT DEPREDATORS. 
Although I had often noticed that every book 
on gardening possessed its chapter on insects, I 
did not dream that in experience I should ever 
stand in need of such information; but a sum¬ 
mer's work proved to me that a knowledge of 
Entomology is necessary for the successful hor¬ 
ticulturist, and in the winter that followed we 
procured Harris' “Insects Injurious to Vegeta¬ 
tion," and made it a family study. The boys 
developed a taste for investigation, and, even in 
the depth of our severe whiter, would briug into 
the house for dissection twigs, branches, or cu¬ 
rious knots that often contained hidden ene¬ 
mies. The results given in this chapter were 
not attained during the tirst year of gardening, 
but the preventives are those now used to keep 
down insects and their wonderf nl progeny. Ever 
since my own inexperience and ignorance were 
such a source of extra trouble in gardening, I 
have advocated the need of this study being in¬ 
troduced into schools, where a knowledge of it 
would prove of great value to those who, in after 
years, may find it more useful to know how to 
get rid of the enemies that prey upon their grain 
or fruit than all they have learned of ancient 
history, or all they will remember of the length 
and breadth of Cape Awa. 
About the time my young currant and goose¬ 
berry slips were set out, the neighborhood was 
suffering from the depredations of the currant- 
worm, which destroyed the fruit and leaves of 
the bushes in every garden, and no amount of 
hand-picking could clear them of this pest. I 
turned to Fuller’s " Small Fruit Culturist," 
where the worms and moths are seen and de¬ 
scribed, and straightway I sent to the city for 
white hellebore. When washing-day came, we 
saved all the suds, boiled the hellebore in a little 
water, and after mixing thoroughly, watered ail 
the bushes that were in the old garden and the 
newly-set-out Blips. The consequence was that 
we had plenty of fruit, while many of our 
neighbors had only unsightly skeletons of their 
once thrifty bushes. At the present writing no 
one in this vicinity thinks of losing his fruit 
from this cause, all being duly impressed with 
the utility of soap-suds aud hellebore; and while 
the bushos are small, it is a very good plan to 
search for the eggs, which are laid on the under 
side of the leaves as soon as they unfold in 
spring. 
A child of five or six years, with an old tin 
can, will prevent much harm by picking off the 
infested leaves, which are generally near the 
ground, aud leave the plant none the worse for 
their removal. In all this work the sharp eyes 
of the children have been of immense value to 
us, and a slight reward occasionally, with the 
purchase of a good microscope, has added to 
their interest in the work. Often in the twilight 
of early summer-time, our insect-hunters beg 
for an old sheet, and by nets and tree-jarring 
capture throe or four quarts of the May beetle- 
a brown, horny insect that is included in the 
genus Melolonlha, and makes a disagreeable, 
buzzing noise among fruit and forest trees, as 
evening approaches. This is of some import¬ 
ance, when we consider that a single female de¬ 
posits two hundred eggs, and that the whitish 
grub, which is hatched in about fourteen days, 
lives for a period of from three to five years, 
destroys grain, and has proved very destructive 
among strawberry roots aud newly - sproutod 
corn. 
“Pretty creature!” said my lady frionds, as 
Johnny came in with a fine specimen of Papilio 
asterias ; “ Pretty creature! How could you kill 
it ?" But they did not know that the beautiful 
butterlly, with its rich, black, velvety wings and 
spots of yellow and blue, was once a caterpillar 
2j>£ inches long, aud fed on the carrots, parsley, 
or celery- used for their soup. We keep the 
squash-bug in subjection by dusting gypsum 
over the leaves after rain or heavy dew, and at 
the same tune hand-pioking all we can find. 
The Pieria rupee was for years destructive to all 
of the cabbage family, and as it was supposed to 
have been imported from England to Quebec in 
straw used for packing, we suffered from its 
ravages three years before the destruction of the 
New York gardens by this pest. 
No insect appeared bo formidable at one time 
as the CUsiocampa Americana aud sylvatica , 
which for some years so devastated the orchards 
and forests of Canada that in many sections 
they presented the appearance of having been 
destroyed by fire. The most effectual remedy 
against these is to collect the rings, which, being 
deposited upon the terminal Bhoots, are easily 
seen and, even in the highest, are reached by 
pruning-shears. Any bright winter day, after 
lessons, when the snow is firm, our boys and 
girls start out for an hour or two; the little ones 
carry their tins suspended from their necks by a 
cord, and each taking a row in the orchard. 
These rings are counted every night, the num¬ 
ber entered in a book under each name, and 
some seasons the actual count has been ten 
thousand rings, for which we pay the children 
one cent per dozen. Though tracts of woodland 
are near us and the Indian Reserve land is in 
our rear, we have been able to keep our orchard 
clear of the enemy, and the Clisiocampa has no 
chance to succeed in this neighborhood. The 
cost and trouble of clearing off the eggs at this 
season of the year are trifling, compared with 
the warfare against the caterpillars after they 
are hatched. For many of the different kinds of 
aphides the treatment of soap-suds and helle¬ 
bore is effectual, and the bark lice vanish from 
the presence of soft-soap, to which we often add 
a little sulphur, aHhes, and lime, with water 
enough to make a thin whitewash, which is 
rubbed well over the bark of the trunk and 
branches, several times during} the season. The 
potato beetle has not proved very destructive as 
yet, although sufilcient have appeared to require 
brushing off, which is easily done in small plots, 
with a wing or whisk, catching them in a pan of 
water. While dreading this formidable enemy, 
we can only say that by the aid of Paris green 
we intend to light it out “ if it takes all sum¬ 
mer," and not give up the potatoes. 
Our bug-hunting propensity may be looked 
upon as a foible, worthy only of a mild sneer, 
when bugs are dormant; but when the canker- 
worm aud codling-moth, the saw-flies and geom¬ 
eters become a pest, not at all laughable to con¬ 
template, those who sneer are fain to learn some 
of the chances of remedy. It is a cause for re¬ 
gret that this study is not more enoouraged by 
teachers aud enlightened farmers in country 
places, since through it, in gardening, orchard¬ 
ing, and farming, thousands of dollars might be 
saved; and i count as one of the benefits de¬ 
rived from my gardening experiments, the in¬ 
sight it has given me into the wonders and beau¬ 
ties of the insect world; 
And how the ant cons truces Us wondrous hill, 
Aud how the locust wing’s Its hungry flight. 
How horny beetles Nature’s ways fulfill, 
While Luna reigns, fair Empress Moth of night. 
- * « t - - 
SOME OF MY EXPERIENCE, 
In. 1 think, an October number, you request 
your lady frieuds to give their “ experience” in 
flower culture. Now as spriug is so near at band, 
if our experience is to benefit others, it is time 
it was given. My thirty years’ experience in the 
business has taught me many important facts, 
the first and most important of which is that the 
beauty of a flower garden depends, not on the 
great number aud variety of flowers, so much as 
upon the arrangement and the care they receive. 
A few years ago I received one of Dingee & Co- 
nard’s Catalogues. To tell the truth, it has been 
so difficult a matter to get Roses at prices we 
could afford, that when one of us was fortunate 
enough to secure a plaut, it waB kept hare of 
branches by all the others begging “cuttings." 
Bo I spoke to a few friends, and we concluded to 
send a dollar each. If it was all humbug, it 
would only prove one of fife's Jessous any way, 
and a dollar was not too much to pay for a good 
lesson. The Rohob came—forty of them—for 
which we paid live dollars and fifty cents. Oh ! 
how wo did watch their budding and blooming. 
Well, the Roses gave such satisfaction, that since 
that time, the agents in the place where I then 
resided send for hundreds every year. I must 
mention the fact that this firm, when I settled 
here in my new home, sent me a present of a 
great variety of Roses aud other plants, claiming 
that i had fully paid for them by services ren¬ 
dered by my correspondence with the Rural, 
Now to my plan:—Our lot is an elevation, just 
outside of town, in full view from every direc¬ 
tion. It contains three acres. The width iB one 
hundred aud eighty feet—length, three times as 
much. The house is about oue hundred and 
forty feet from the front street, thus giving a 
large lawn in front. There are two gates open¬ 
ing into this street—one near each front corner ( 
of grounds. A walk starts from one gate, run¬ 
ning past the house to the other gate, makiug an 
exact semi-circle. There are two others running 
around the houses to the garden and out-houses, 
making about five hundred feet of walk. These 
walks are five feet in width and filled with gravel 
to the depth of eight inches. Along each side the 
walks, are bods three feet in width ; within these 
beds are the Ever-blooming Roses, and between 
them I plant Verbenas, Phlox, Pansies, and any 
low-growing flower I fancy. Tall ones spoil the 
effect of the Roses. Along the front of the beds 
are those beautiful Pinks which our florists have 
brought to such perfection. J ust back of the 
flower-bed are the Hybrid Perpetual Roses and 
other taller growing shrubs so that nothing ob¬ 
scures the whole view. There are no hushes or 
anything but a few evergreens within the semi¬ 
circular space next the street, made by the walk, 
and a clear view is thus secured from the Btreet 
EW-YOBKER. 
and, in fact, from every direction. Last year I 
had near one hundred roses in bloom during the 
whole summer. 
Now I would say to all who wish to cultivate 
flowers, Get some of these Roses first; have the 
soil rich and clean, and among them plant only 
a few varieties of the best flowers—VerbenaB, 
Pansies, Phlox Drurnmondii, Pinks, and a few 
Geraniums. For a background, or beds at a dis¬ 
tance, a collection of Zinnias aud Petunias make 
a fine display. 
1 put on sun-bonnet, thick shoes and gloves, and 
went with the teamster, in an ox-wagon, into the 
woods for the best earth. With this earth we 
filled up the bed six inches; some of the roses 
were covered by this earth, others cut back. I 
did not cover or cut back the Hybrids at all, and 
although the weather was, for days at a time, six 
degrees below zero, I have not lost a single Rose. 
This spring I expect to add about fifty more to 
my collection. Aunt Lou. 
GRAFTING APPLE TREES. 
Will you please give the best method of graft¬ 
ing apple trees; also how to make the wax to be 
used, aud, in fact, all about it, andoblige several 
subscribers.—J. M. B., Utica, IU. 
Apple trees are generally grafted in spring, 
soon after the coldest weather is past, and be¬ 
fore the leaves expand. There are various 
methods of grafting in vogue among orcharding 
and nurserymen, but what is called cleft-graft- 
Flg. 1 
Fig. 2. 
mg is the one usually practiced. lu performing 
the operation, the main stem, if not more than 
an inch or two in diameter, is cut across, at al¬ 
most any Light from .the ground, up to a point 
where it would be desirable to have the tree 
branch out and form a head. If the tree is a 
large one, then the cions may be inserted into 
the branches in the same manner as in the main 
stem: and in other cases the sawed stump is 
split dowuward two inches or more, with a large 
knife or chisel, care being taken not to bruise 
the bark. Then a cion from a tree which we 
wish to propagate is cut. with two or three buds 
upon it, as shown in Fig 1, the lower end being 
cut on each side, in the shape of a long, Blender 
wedge. The cleft in the stock should be held 
open by a hard wood or iron wedge, driven into 
the center. 
When the cions are ready, insert oue on each 
side of the cleft, (as shown in Fig. 2,) being care¬ 
ful to adjust the outside of the wood of both 
cion and stock exactly even, aud then withdraw 
the wedge, aud the stock will grasp and hold the 
cion firmly in place. 
The end of the stock and the side clefts should 
be carefully covered with grafting wax, for tbe 
purpose of excluding air and water. When the 
stocks are small, only oue oion may be inserted 
instead of two ; but tbe latter number, of course, 
gives oue more chance of success than the form¬ 
er, although only one is to be left to grow be¬ 
yond the first few months, or after it is certain 
that a union has actually taken place between the 
stock and cion. On very small branches or seed¬ 
ling stocks, splice-grafting is practiced instead 
of cleft. To prevent the grafting wax from 
sticking to the fingers while applying it to the 
stock, a little tallow or some other kind of grease, 
may be rubbed on the hands and fingers, each 
time before taking hold of the wax. 
When cions are to be taken from trees in the 
same orchard or neighborhood, they may be cut 
aud inserted the same day, even if the buds have 
swelled considerably ; but as a rule, it is best to 
cut the cions from the trees early in the season 
or in winter, and then to bury them in sand or 
sawdust, aud put them away in a cool cellar. 
The cions should always be of the previous sea¬ 
son’s growth of wood, and taken from healthy 
shoots—not the largest or smallest, but those 
upon which the buds show a plump, healthy de¬ 
velopment. 
Grafting is a very simple operation requiring 
no great amouut of mechanical skill. A sharp 
knife to cut the cions, a larger one, or a chisel 
to make the cleft, and then a little care in ad¬ 
justment of tfie cion to the stock are about all 
the requisites for success, prov ided the opera¬ 
tion is performed at the proper season and with 
good healthy wood for dons. 
The apple, pear, plum, cherry and many others 
of our cultivated fruits, may be grafted iu the 
manner described, but the stone fruits, and es¬ 
pecially the cherry should be grafted earlier 
than the pear or apple, 
QRAFTINO WAX. 
There are various compositions used for a 
grafting wax, but we have never found one bet¬ 
ter than the following: One pound of tallow, 
two pounds of beeswax aud four pounds of rosin 
melted together, and then poured into water to 
cool. 
It may be taken out, a little at a time, aud 
well worked in the hands, aud then put up in 
convenient rolls for use. If it is to be used out 
of doors and in cold weather, a larger proportion 
of tallow may be put in to make it softer. Some¬ 
times waxed cloth is preferable to wind around 
tbe stock to hold clous in place, especially if 
they uro so small that whip-grafting has to be 
resorted to, and in that case the cloth may be 
dipped into the melted wax, while hot, or the 
wax may be applied to one side of the cloth with 
an old paint brush. 
-- 
SELECTION OF TWENTY - FIVE HARDY 
DECIDUOUS TREES AND TWENTY-FIVE 
HARDY DECIDUOUS SHRUBS. 
BY THOMAS MEEHAN. 
Acer saccharirwn —Sugar Maple. 
Acer ptatanoides —Norway Maple. 
Acer ilasycarpwn —Silver Maple. 
JEscuhts Ltippocastanum— Horse-chestnut. 
Fagus sylvatica —European Beech. 
Liriodendron tuUpifera —Tulip Tree. 
Laris. Europw.a— European Larch. 
Magnolia trtpetala Umbrella Magnolia. 
Quercus Jiobur European Oak. 
Satisburia adlantifolia— Ginkgo Tree. 
Taxodium disiwhum— Southern Cypress. 
Tilia Americana —American Linden. 
Fagus sylvatica purpurea —Purple Beech. 
Fraxinus Americana —White Ash. 
Fraxinus excelsior pendula —Weeping Euro¬ 
pean Ash. 
Sails Babylonica —Weeping Willow. 
Quercus Primus monticola —Rock Chestnut 
Oak. 
Platanus orientalis— Oriental Plane. 
Liquidambar Styracijlua Sweet-gum Tree. 
Magnolia acuminata —Cucumber Tree. 
Kuslreuteria paniculata . 
Castanea vesca —European Chestnut. 
JEsculus glabra —Ohio Buckeye. 
Acer mbrurn —Swamp Maple. 
Betula alba —The European White Birch—or 
Betula populifolia —The American. 
SHRUBS. 
Berberis vulgaris— Common Barbery. 
Cydonia Japunica—J apan Quince. 
Comus jlorida —Flowering Dogwood. 
Clelhra alnifolia —White Alder. 
Calycanlhus praecox (fragrant) — The Fra¬ 
grant-flowered C'himonanthuB. 
Cercis Canadensis —American Red-bud. 
Forsythia vindissima. 
Spiraea Reevesii. 
Spircea prunifolia. 
Lonicera Tartarica —Tartarian Honeysuckle. 
Pavia pare)flora ( rubra) — Red - flowered 
Horse-chestnut. 
Viburnum plicatum. 
Wiegela (, IHerciUa ) rosea. 
Amygdalita nana —Dwarf Almond. 
Prunus triloba— Double-flowering Plum. 
Azalea viscosa— Clammy Azalea. 
Berberis vulgaris purpurea —Purple Barberry. 
Cornua aUemifolin — Alternate-leaved Dog¬ 
wood. 
Ohionanthus Virginica —Fringe Tree. 
Cercis Japonica —Japan Red-bud, 
Leutzia gracilis— Slender Deutzia. 
Hypericum prolificum —Shrubby St. John’s- 
wort. 
Magnolia purpurea —Purple Magnolia. 
Rhus Cotinus— Smoke Tree. 
