APRIL 20 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER. 
low rotten. It must have been done late in the 
fall. I would recommend to any one who is 
going to grow it, to get the pieces of roots grow¬ 
ing (if thby are small), before putting it out, and 
to make the land rich. D. M. C. Bettis. 
Tolland Co., Conn. 
PEABL MILLET. 
Mb. Wm. H. Carson, 125 Chambers St., N. 
Y., is making a speciality of this. Among a 
great number of testimonials which he has re¬ 
ceived during several weeks past, we selected 
the following as conveying a fair idea of all: 
Kingsbokg, Fresno Co., Cal., March 16. 
“ I entirely agree with you as to its great value. 
’Tis very common here.” A. s. 
Miixtown, Berrien Co., Ga. 
“ If your Millet is the Millet we raise here, 
(and I think it is) there would be no particular 
trouble for us to raise or grow for seed. It is a 
slow seeder even with our long seasons, but we 
can out it five or six times and thon let it head 
for seed.” T . E , 
Tallahassee, Fla. 
“ I have been planting it for several years both 
as forage for stock of all kinds, even hogs—and 
as grain for chickens for which it answers an 
admirable purpose and I consider it the most 
valuable crop for most purposes I have ever 
raised.” B . y. 
Wo have prepared to test this Millet in our 
own grounds and we have some confidence that 
the result may prove in harmony with the many 
good things that have been said of this plant. 
APPLE TREE BORER. 
An article in the Bubal for March 23d, en¬ 
titled “To kill tho larvEe of tbo apple-tvee 
borer,” has attracted my attention. It, 1 thiuk. 
greatly magnifies the difficulty of destroying the 
“worm.” Let me hazard an opinion m regard 
to the arrangement therein described for killing 
tho pest. It is not practical to any extent. It 
would be of no use unless the nozzle were in¬ 
serted directly into tho chamber he has exca¬ 
vated for himself and whero he is; for the idea 
of over forcing any liquid through the mass of 
debris he leaves behind him, would iu nine 
cases out of ton utterly fail; for it would escape 
through the orifices in the bark, which ho makes 
to dispose of the surplus debris, when it is in 
his way. Enough for that. 
I have dug out thousands of these posts, hav¬ 
ing had a largo experience among orchards not 
my own and also among nursery trees. I never 
found a hole where one had entered closed by 
the growth of tho tree. Having removed the 
soil around tho base of the tree to expose the 
presence of the “ worm,” on clearing the bark by 
scraping it with the back of a knife, his presence 
is indicated by a little spot, and the extrusion of 
a greater or less amount of chips. If he is a 
juvenile, hatched the current year ; or only one 
year old, he will be found near and a little below 
the orifice and is easily destroyed; as he has cut 
but a small place beneath the bark and has not 
as yofc hurt the tree at all. If two years old, 
ho will be found further down tho root, having 
out a Bomewhat tortuous and continually widen¬ 
ing path and packed it hard with debris, involv¬ 
ing more and more tho woody structure. This 
downward path is generally about four inches 
long, very seldom six. He then turns and cuts 
his way up, generally keeping near the other 
path and passes the place of entrance, whereup¬ 
on ho oommoncos to out deeper, making a path 
in the sound wood and keeping entirely away 
from tho bark. He continues bis path upwards 
to about a foot above the place of entrance, outs 
to near the surface, retires to the excavation ho 
has made and goes through his last change, 
getting his wings ready for an aotive out-door 
life. 
I think the injury to the tree is principally 
done the first two years, while he is cutting be¬ 
tween the bark and wood. If there iB a hole 
through the bark in the body of the tree above 
the place of entrance, it is too late to look for 
him. He is gone—but if there is no hole, he has 
not yot got away. Iu that oase cut down after 
him, remove the dead bark and debris, and fol¬ 
low his path until you find an opeu chamber, and 
tbeu it is not generally difficult to dislodge or de¬ 
stroy him with a fine wire. An acquaintance 
of mine takes a small bit, and after finding his 
bearing, bores in and follows him up that way. 
It is a benefit to the tree to clear tbo path made 
of debris aud dead material. I have noticed 
that as long as the dead matter remains, no 
young wood is formed at the edges; and the 
healing process does not go on; but us soon as 
tho dead matter is removed and tho edges cut 
fresh and smooth, a now deposit of wood is 
made and the sear commences to heal up, and if 
the wound is not too great, it heals over. I have 
found some trees with so many old fellows that 
they wero entirely girdled and could not be 
saved. 
The method of prevention mentioned in the 
article referred to, is good; bnt not infallible— 
perhaps no method is infallible. The nearest 
to that, is to wrap the bottom of the tree, from 
an inoh or two nnder to a foot over ground, 
with doth or paper, from the first of May till 
the middle of September, when it should be re¬ 
moved, to enable the hark to harden that it may 
not be injured by the freezing of winter. An¬ 
other method of preventing mischief is to bank 
the trees with earth, four or five inches high, in 
the early part of the season; aud remove it in 
the fall and out out any borers that may be 
present, before they have done any harm. What¬ 
ever preventive may be employed, the trees 
should be carefully examined once or twice a 
year. 
Have any of your readers observed that buck¬ 
wheat sown in an orchard will keep away borers? 
I have lately come to take charge of a largo 
orchard, and find on examining the trees, that in 
a part of it where buckwheat was raised last 
year, there were none of the young larva;. Was 
the buckwheat the cause ? 
- 4 -*-*- 
OBSERVING INSECTS. 
B. riCKMAN MANN. 
Like other sayings which are sensible and true, 
the valnablo words of Mr. Gakfield, on paga 
71-75 of the present volume of the Rural New- 
Yorker, can bo applied to other subjects than 
those for which they wero written. I wish to 
apply them to my subject. The time of year is 
upon us when insects are coining forth from 
their winter rest to bogin active life once more. 
The insects which work for us, the insects 
which work against us, and the insects that 
ooncern us only on grounds higher than 
gain or loss of property are coming forth 
together. Who knows what they may bo, or 
where they may appear, or what they may do ? 
W ho will tell ns, after they have come, what 
they have been, or whore they have appeared, 
aud what they have done ? “ Our people want 
facts that are the result of careful observation 
and experiment," as Mr. Gakfield Bays. Per¬ 
haps few of the people oan oommand the ti ne 
or the means to experiment usefully, but all can 
observe, and observation is the basis upon 
which all our knowledge rests. 
Let, then, all who have the time and inclina¬ 
tion, collect and observe the insects as they 
come forth. Let them also observe the birds 
and the beastB and the flowers, if they oan and 
will; the more the better. Do not wait till the 
season is over before you try to tell what you 
have seen, or you will forgot a part aud perhaps 
got the rest mixed. Keep a noto book aud put 
down every day what you see, or, ir you do not 
put it down ttiat day, then when you put it down 
say you made tho observation “ yesterday,” or 
“ a week ago, " for iu this way you guard against 
the danger o r giving the same authority to long-re¬ 
membered observations as to those that are fresh 
in your mind. Make collections at the same 
time that you make observations. The most 
skilled entomologist sometimes mistakes in 
naming things he has only seen and has not had 
in his hand, or docs even worse than that. 
Sometimes entomologists carry their collections 
from one museum to another in this country or 
even to museums in Europe, to make Bure that 
they have given tho right names to their speci¬ 
mens. How much more necessary is it then, for 
unskilled observers to back up their statements, 
by showing tho specimens they have observed I 
If Mr. John Smith sends me a beetle which has 
been eating liia potato-vinos, and tells me what 
ho has observed about its habits, it does not 
matter to mu wdiether he calls it a beetle or a 
bug or a weevil or a fly, because I can find out 
what it really is, but if he tolls me what he 
noticed aud does not send me the insect, I can¬ 
not toll wbioh of the hundred thousand beetles 
or tw enty thousand bugs or weevils or dies it is, 
uiiloas I knew beforehand all that ho tells mej 
and then his story liaH no news in it. 
If he wants to follow np his observations, let 
him mark the specimen No. 1 or No. 2, or what¬ 
ever else he pleases, and write in his note-book 
what he observes about it: then he can get a 
name for it sometime. 
Middlesex Co., Mass. 
(gadrm. 
products, at least in the first preparations ; bnt 
it is far from true In the average. Of course, I 
speak of those who have the ground that they 
may dovote to the purpose considered. A sim¬ 
ple calculation of the cost of seed and labor, on 
the one hand, and of the valne of the average 
yield, on tho other, will show that my position 
is correct. 
In addition to this economical view, there are 
many advantages in having a garden. If one 
raises his own vegetables the earliest are as 
cheap as any other, or nearly so; whereas he 
who purchases must pay fancy prices for the first 
of any sort that appears in market. Generally, 
the earlier one can obtain any desirable vegeta¬ 
ble the more it is enjoyed. From one's own gar¬ 
den vegetables may be gathered and used while 
they are still fresh—nninjured by transportation. 
How often aro housekeepers oompellod to buy 
stale and unwholesome market supplios, simply 
because they must lia^p some and can get no 
others ? It is a great privilege to bo ablo to get 
the articles desired jnst at tbo time they are 
needed. It is also true that the family that has 
a good garden of its own, will use much more 
vegetable diet than it would if compelled to pur¬ 
chase every such article from another. Agaiu, 
one has a preference for certain vegetables, and 
knows the peculiar taste of his household ; thus 
being able to raise just what is most desired. 
But I emphasize the luxury of the gardon in an. 
other sense. Town folk need the extract of the 
fresh green country which is furnished by gar¬ 
den and lawn. They need the exhilarating exer¬ 
cise of work in tho gardon. They need the rec¬ 
reation that is secured by taking interest iu the 
growth of what they plant, watching its changes 
and eujoying its promise, atwl, at last, going 
every day or two to gather whore they have sown 
and toiled. More interest in gardens would 
give more tone to the nerves and more vivacity 
to the spirits. 
The country skeptic says:—“I haven't time 
to fool with tho garden ; for I must attend to 
my crop.” He will roughly plant one kind of 
potatoes, a quantity of late cabbage and some 
corn-field beans. Through spring and summer 
he will scarcely realize a change in diet for self 
or family, until the Idle corn is large enough lo 
use and tho late boans and potatoes aro ready 
for the table. Possibly be may have had some 
turnip salad in early spring. He has been mak¬ 
ing cotton at a cost of about ten cents a ponnd, 
to Bell at the same rate. Perhaps ho is most 
busy about corn or wheat that costs him not 
much loss than the market price. His table has 
had^vma of those appetizers, none of those nat¬ 
ural anti-febrile acids, none of these cooling 
gifts of the garden, which impart to the wiser 
so much of pleasure, comfort and health. He 
might as reasonably wear his winter clothing all 
Bummer, as to eat his winter diet all summer. 
His privation would be more excusable, if it 
were not at the actnal reduction of profit. 
Chapel Hill, N. 0. 
SALSIFY. 
We have endeavored by several notes this 
season to call the attention of farmers to the 
value of this toothsome and healthful vegetable. 
The seeds may be sown as late as the middle of 
May, and as we have said, the esculent roots left 
DOES THE VEGETABLE GARDEN PAY 1 
PROFESSOR A. W. MANOUM. 
There are two olasses who say that it does 
not. One class resides iu town and the other in 
the country. The town Bkeptio says “ Labor is 
so high aud there aro so many little expenses in¬ 
volved, that I regard it cheaper to buy my veg¬ 
etables than to raise them ; and therefore I will 
not cultivate them." 
This may bo true of a few kinds of garden 
m the ground until next year to be used as 
wanted or taken up late in fall and stored iu the 
pit or cellar. Sow seeds in drills a foot a-part 
and thin ont so six inches in tho row. For 
tho many different methods of cooking Salsify, 
see Domestic Economy Department, back num¬ 
bers. The accompanying cut shows the plant 
and an easy way of doing it up in convenient bun¬ 
dles for the market. 
PLUM CULTURE IN OHIO. 
M. B. BATEHAM. 
I find by letters addressed to me, that much in¬ 
terest is felt by fruit-growers and nurserymen in 
regard to the success of the extensive plum or¬ 
chards that aro known to have been planted in 
this State, and also as to whether snch planting 
is still going on. 
In reply I would only say that of the 150,000 
plum trees which I estimate are set in orchards 
in Ohio, probably not over one-fourth arc as yet 
of bearing age, and of those tho greater part 
are of Damson aud Wild Goose or other native 
varieties, and located in the southern parts of 
the State. For two or three years past the crops 
have been mostly failures excepting of Dam¬ 
sons. These have borne fair crops in most lo¬ 
calities, and the older orchards have been quite 
profitable, though not quite as reliable as was 
formerly supposed—owing to frequent injury by 
spring froBts. A good deal of planting of these 
is still going on, but I do not think that any 
more trees of all kinds were sot the past year 
than were killed of the iarger varieties by the 
previous winter. The Shropshire Damson is tho 
kind preferred, and the trees are grown on peach 
roots, budded close to tbo ground, so that when 
transplanted the juncture is set a little below 
the surface; then no injury is done by grubs, 
and iu many cases plum roots aro formed above 
those of tho poach. Bearing orchards of such 
trees are so thrifty and productive as to lead 
planters to prefer them to those on plum roots; 
but it is thought that none of the larger PlumB 
do well on the Peach— especially as tho kind of 
soil preferred for plum orchards is more clayey 
than is congenial to the Peach. It is found 
that the curcnlio is loss injurious on clayey than 
on sandy lauds. The Damson crops, however, 
are not oommonly much affected by this insect; 
partly because the fruit usually sets so full that 
it needs thinning by this or other means. It 
may be that as the orchards become older the 
inaeots will increase in them so as to render it 
necessary to combat them as is done iu the finer 
plum orchards. 
The Wild Goose Plum has been quite largely 
planted in two or three counties around Cincin¬ 
nati, but contrary to my advice. Several orch¬ 
ards bore fruit five or six years ago, but have 
failed each year since, owing to the early bloom¬ 
ing of tho variety, and its consequent liability to 
injury by spring frosts—hence, no further plant¬ 
ing of it is likely to be done, aud the oroh&rds 
will probably be top-grafted or cut away. 
Of the finer Plums—Lombards, Prunes, etc.— 
there are perhaps 50,000 trees in different parts 
of the State, mostly north of the center. A few 
thousand of these bore one or two fine crops 
about five years ago, and Borne of them were 
damaged by overbearing. Since then only par¬ 
tial crops have been realizod, arid some thou¬ 
sands of younger trees have since been killed by 
severe winters; hence the amount or planting 
has not been great for a year or two, though I 
hear of a considerable amount being done this 
spring; and complaint is made that trees of the 
kinds desired eonnot be found iu sufficient num¬ 
bers at tho nurseries. 
WINTER KILLING. 
I visited tho past fall the noted plum 
orchards of tho Messrs. Brown, in Huron 
county. Tlx'ey have planted about 7,000 treep, 
but the greater part of their youngost orchard, 
two years planted, was killed to tho ground by 
tho previous winter—as were several hundred 
trees of older growth. They have also lost many 
trees from the same causo in previous years. 
This winter-killing is not so much inconsequence 
of the severe cold, as the condition of the trees 
when winter sets iu. The mischief is evidently 
a result of the shedding of the leavos during hot 
aud dry weather in the latter part of summer, 
followed by tho starting of the terminal buds 
and a fresh flow of sap on acoonnt of moist and 
warm weather early in autumn, leaving the wood 
sappy during the winter. Frequently it will oc¬ 
cur that tufts of new leaves put out at the tips 
of tho young shoots, which continue green un¬ 
til killed by severe frosts in November. Some 
varieties, I was told, are more liable to this 
trouble than others; but I could not discover 
much difference. 
Tho remedy, I think, must bo found in the 
ohoice of soil, or its preparation for planting—to 
secure such depth aB will induce tho roots to go 
, deep enough to resist the effects of drought. 
Or, what amounts to the same thing, have the 
Boil worked so deeply that it wi l absorb and hold 
moisture sufficient to withstand drought; then 
the leavos will uot fall prematurely. 
Mulching is another means of contributing to 
the same end, and will be found immensely ben¬ 
eficial both to plum aud pear trees. Apply the 
muleh any time after the spring rains aud sur¬ 
face cultivation, covering the whole ground with 
