22 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
JAN.JO 
salids, which are concealed under the ledges 
of walls, pailiugs, doors, window-sills, on 
hushcB, in hedges, on the trunks of trees etc., 
and crush them ; but on no account to de¬ 
stroy the dark-brown-coloied ones which are 
foil of the parasitic Pteromali. As the spring 
advances, ring or large bag-nets rnuy be used 
to catch the butterilies; and when tne cater¬ 
pillars arc large enough to be seen, hand 
picking is neither difficult nor laborious; or 
dusting the plants with heliebore powder, 
ire6h and genuine, would be wortn a trial, and 
It is very eliective in Borne instances.'' Bois- 
duval in his " Eutomoiogie liorticoie” gives 
but one remedy, that of catching the butterflies 
with iusecL ueta. Duponchel, in his work on 
"Caterpillars,” recommends as the most ef¬ 
fectual remedy, employing children to catch 
the buuerflios, aud destroying the pupaj. Dr. 
1 itch also recommeuds employing children to 
catch the butterflies, aud suggests placing pie¬ 
ces of Doardu beiween the rows of cabbages, 
elevated two or three inches above the ground, 
as places for the worms to pupate, wheie the 
pupie eau easily be collected aud destroyed. 
■His chief remedy appears to be killing the 
caterpillars by cutting them asunder with 
sciosors. He thinks topical applications of 
poisonous substances, such as hellebore etc., 
of no particular value. Prof. Riley repeats 
the recommendation to capture the butterflies ; 
also recommends trapping the pupae by plac¬ 
ing boaido between me cabbages, lie adds 
thaL the "saponaceous compounds oi cresy- 
lic add are eilecluai, and without objection 
as to poisouous qualities.” In addition to these 
remedies the following have also been rec¬ 
ommended:— Drenching with hot water; 
sprinkling with salt j drenching with brine; 
with weak lye, with dilute carbolic acid, with 
decoction of Eider; with decoction ol Dog- 
fennel, etc; dusting with hellebore, powdered 
lime, ashes, pulverized black pepper, meal, 
saw-dust, road-dust etc. 
I tried the experiment of catching the but¬ 
terflies with insect nets, and am satisfied that 
children, from ten to fltieon years of age, can 
soon be taught to do this with ease and ra¬ 
pidity. The butterflies move heavily aud 
rather slowly, alighting especially on cruci¬ 
ferous flowers ; a small bed of early radishes 
here and there, allowed to run to seed, will 
attract them, aud they may then be caught 
without running among the cabbages, which 
is one objection to this method of relief. But 
the efficacy of this method depends very largely 
on cooperation; for it is rather irritating to 
toil two or three days in the hot sun-shine—lor 
it is then they are most numerous—and as you 
think the enemy is about conquered, to see 
a fresh army pouring over the fence from 
your neighbor's garden which is left to shift' 
for itself, if a proper combined effort is made 
to capture the butterflies when they appear in 
the spring in a neighborhood, and are few in 
number compared with what the summer 
brood usually is, they may be so generally de¬ 
stroyed that with a little additional labor in de¬ 
stroying what worms appear, cabbages may 
be saved from injury. 
I tested by experiment most of the topical 
applications I have named, and found none 
of them to be eff ectual. The pests will eat with 
apparent unconcern when covered over with 
a tniek coating of lime, ashes or salt, and ac¬ 
cording to Dr. ifiteb, oi hellebore. Of the 
liquid applications tried the most effectual 
was a lye nude by mixing strong ashes in 
water, warm at the time Ubed, and applying it 
in as large quantities as the cabbages would 
bear. Unless ueed somewhat carefully, it will 
discolor the outer leaves of heads. Lime and 
brine were of no value whatever; elder de¬ 
coction killed a few; other applications gave 
similar results. Adding my experience to 
that of numerous oLher persons throughout 
the State, who were experimenting, I am 
satislied that no application yet suggested 
will prove of any real value as a remedy 
for this cabbage worm, which, though ap¬ 
parently so tender and delicate, is, in fact, 
exceedingly hardy aud teuaceous of life, much 
more so than most leaf-eating caterpillars. 
Although the list of materials tried is a 
rather long one, yet 1 am not prepared to say 
there is no topical application that will destroy 
the worm without materially injuring the 
cabbage. The fact that the species and its 
congeners have long been injurious in Europe 
without such a remedy having been discovered, 
renders the likelihood of such discovery doubt¬ 
ful, but not conclusive. If some method of 
applying kerosene ean be devised that will not 
injure the cabbage, it may be effectual. Dry, 
pulverized cayenne pepper, if not too costly, 
might be beneficial. There are also numerous 
other substances which might be suggested 
which I had no opportunity of testing, which 
it would be well to try. Placing a leaf of the 
cabbage on llie top of it at night, as a means 
of drawing them together, hue been recom¬ 
mended, but the indisposition of the worms to 
leave the leal they are on, prevents this from 
proving as beneficial as It appears theoreti¬ 
cally to be. One serious drawback to any such 
remedy, eoold one be found. Is that although 
one brood of worniB be destroyed, unless there 
is combined action on the part of our neigh¬ 
bors, we will bo overwhelmed by a second 
swarm from the surrounding gardens, and by 
the time these are destroyed, our cabbages will 
be comparatively worthless. 
It behooves the gardeners, therefore, to as¬ 
certain if there is auy inode of cultivation by 
which the cabbages themselves may be en¬ 
abled to resist tlichu attacks. Notwithstanding 
the general destruction where the insect was 
abundant, a lew persons succeeded in raising 
a full crop of flue, large heads. Upon inquiry 
1 icuud that in these cases it was owing almost 
entirely to two facts .-—First, the ground 
was made as rich as possible. Second, the 
plants were brought forward a little earlier 
than usual—some two or three weeks in ad¬ 
vance of the usual time—aud were pushed to 
headiug by extra culture. As heretofore 
stated, if firm heads are formed the worms 
will do them, in this section, at least, but lit¬ 
tle injury. Our early varieties suffered uo in¬ 
jury from the worms. How far this is true in 
reference to northern latitudes I am unable to 
suy. Certain varieties ol cabbage, 1 noticed, 
suffered less than others, chiefly, as appeared 
to me, on account of their firm heads, und 
headiug at u rather early stage of their 
growth. 
In concluding my notes on this species, I 
would urge further experiments with topical 
applications, but would recommend togardeu- 
ers to rely chiefly on the following means:— 
Capturing the butterflies, especially the epriug 
brood; killing the worms, using scissors lor 
this purpose; earlier pluming; selecting this 
firmest-headed varieties; and giving the plants 
as vigorous growth as possible, by enriching 
the soil and thorough cultivation. 
file chief objection to the earlier planting is 
the difficulty of preserving the crop lor winter 
use when the lull is warm, as it was last win¬ 
ter, How far this can he accomplished the 
gardeners must decide. 
papers, and in conversation. Winter is the 
ODly opportunity that farmers have to im¬ 
prove their minds, aud a few hours each day 
should he spent in intellectual culture; but 
when the head begins to ache from long-cou- 
tinued reading by the fiicside, it is a bint that 
out-door exercise is needed. Whenever I see 
an orchard with the trunks and branches dis¬ 
figured by lusty sprouts and black, dead 
branches, or a pair of bars where there should 
be a gate, or farm implements out ol repair at 
the beginning of the busy season, I am led to 
believe that the owner has not made good 
use of his winter leisure. 
Chemung, Co.,N. Y. G. A. Goff, Jr. 
STONE FENCES. 
W. J. FOWLER. 
#rm Sojnrs. 
WINTER WURK FOB FAKMEKS. 
As long as the ground remains unfrozen 
Lheie is little excuse for idleness upon the 
lurin, but when the curth becomes snow¬ 
bound and the Boil frozen so as to be impen¬ 
etrable by lurin implements, we naturally 
seek the couilorts ot tile fireside, leaving 
it only when occasion requires. The farmer 
who has been diligent aud persevering during 
the seasons of seedtime and harvest, is cer¬ 
tainly deserving of all the roposu he needs 
in winter, but there is danger of excess in that 
direction, which is detrimental both to health 
aud successful farming. H we will use a lit¬ 
tle thought we will find means of employing 
our winter leisure, which will prove pleasant 
aud profitable. 
Broking Fruit Trees. —The orchard Is a 
department of the farm that too often suffers 
from neglect. The best lime to pruue fruit 
trees is a subject upon which farmers disa¬ 
gree ; hut, all things considered, there is pro¬ 
bably uo better lime than February or March. 
At that period farmers usually have Jiuie else 
to do, and the work will be more thoroughly 
done than It would lie if postponed to a more 
busy season. The warm days of February fur¬ 
nish an excellent lime for tree pruning. With 
a short ladder, a strong pruning knife aud u 
fine-toothed saw, the farmer should go over 
his orchard every year. When two branches 
are rubbed together by the wind so that the 
bark is marred, one of them should be re¬ 
moved. Dead and broken limbs and spronts 
should be cut off aud wherever the shoots 
have grown so thick as to interfere with euck 
other, they should he thinned out. Whenever 
itis found necessary to eutoffalarge branch, 
the wound should be sealed as soon us the 
surface becomes dry, with a coatiug of white 
lead or common paint. This prevents a waste 
of sap aud preserves the wood from decay. 
The Farmer's Shop.— A good workshop 
containing such tools as can be used to advan¬ 
tage by the farmers, should be found on 
every farm. A room with a stove in it and 
large enough to permit ol the construction of 
a hay rigging, a gate or portable fence, will 
furnish a place where many hours may be 
healthfully and profitably spent in the most 
inclement weaLher of winter. Here a great 
deal of repairing may he done that would 
otherwise find its may to the professional 
mechanic. New tools may be built, that will 
be needed on the farm, or harnesses may be 
oiled and repaired and a great many things 
.that will suggest themselves may be done. 
In mild weather the thoughtful eau find pro¬ 
fitable out-door work, such as repairing out¬ 
buildings and cutting up fallen branches 
from trees. 
I do not mean to be understood that every 
hour in winter should be spent in labor. 
Every farmer should speud a portion of his 
winter leisure la reading good book* and 
One of the oldest kinds of fence is the 
stone wall, and, despite some objections, it is 
likely to retain its popularity for localities 
where huge bowlders cover the ground. The 
special advantage of the stone fence is its 
permanence, and to secure this to its fullest 
extent the wall must be well laid and have ad¬ 
equate drainage. It is a common mistake to 
suppose that piling very heavy stones upou 
each other is a protection against frost. The 
expansion of water by freezing will rend as¬ 
under the strongest vessel, provided no other 
way of escape for the imprisoned water is 
provided. Huge bowlders will he tipped over 
and thrown down as easily as if they were 
smaller und the -more of them there are on 
the wall, the heavier becomes the work of 
rebuilding when time and frost have done 
their work. But on land that is naturally or 
artificially drained, a full stone fence with¬ 
out rails or posts is most reliable and perma¬ 
nent. The stones need not be large, but they 
should bo well laid and net less than throe 
and a half feet above grouud, including the 
bank. It is better to lay the foundation one 
foot below the surface to protect from frost. 
The bank also serves the same purpose. It 
requires a great mauy stones to make a wall of 
this discretion, two feet wide at base aud, in¬ 
cluding foundation, four and one half or five 
feet high. To the beginner the temptation 
will he etroug to build a half wall and top off 
with stakes and rails. But if u permanent 
fence is desired, the temptation should not 
be yielded to, aud if the place does not need 
a permanent fence, stone should not be used. 
Removing an old wall, even if there are not 
half as mauy stones as there should be, eosts 
about as much as the laud it occupies is worth. 
Very mauy farmers have torn up such walls 
within the last twenty years, as reaping and 
mowing machines have mude small fields in¬ 
convenient to he profitably worked. Thou¬ 
sands more regard the uld division fences as 
nuisances, aud are only kept from removing 
them by the labor and expense aud the added 
fact that if the stones were out of the wall, 
they would ou many farms be as much in 
the way somewhere else. So difficult is it 
to decide where permanent fences are needed 
that it may he almost made a rule not to lay 
any wall except for outside fences. StoneB not 
needed for these or for building, had better 
he buried out of the way where they lie 
rather than he dug up and drawn away to be 
perhaps equally a nuisance after a few years 
In some other place. It is better economy 
generally to have such inside fences as are 
needed of such material that they can he 
easily changed or removed when occasion re¬ 
quires. When a farmer gets his rotation of 
crops exactly to suit him and adopts his fen¬ 
ces to it, the chances Hro that after a few 
years he or his successors will be compelled 
to change the rotation, so that the fences will 
not be adapted to the changed necessities of 
his management. 
Alonroe Co., N. Y. 
SrJiQnritltttrai, 
OTHER MAPLES. 
SAMUEL PARSONS, JR. 
Every lawn almost has Sugar Maples, Nor¬ 
way Maples, Silver Maples as well as Scarlet 
aud Sycamore Maples. Possibly after the 
Elm we find no deciduous tree more coniiuou- 
ly employed than these Maples. I have endeav¬ 
ored to speak with all due respect and admira¬ 
tion for Buck trees since their importance to the 
lawn planter is evident and great. The Japan 
Maple Polymorphum also has been aud is receiv¬ 
ing much well deserved attention. But It has oc¬ 
curred to me to ask how about the other Maples 
not commonly spoken of in connection with 
lawn planting. There are others we know. 
Wo believe, aud perhaps know them to be, in 
many ways, excellent ornamental trees. Yet 
We do not use them, if we know them, aud if 
we do not know them, then are we Badly defi¬ 
cient in law u planting knowledge und should 
ho enlightened- Let us look at a few of the 
HUMS striking. There ere half * 4amm at 
least, and I do not include among them several 
Japanese Bpecies that are as yet mere curios¬ 
ities of the botanist. 
Unquestionably the most familiar is Acer 
carupestre, the English Field Maple, common 
In Great Britain along road-sides and hedges, 
yet little used in America. Its neglect must 
arise from mere carelessness; for it is a pic¬ 
turesque little Maple, having neat, compact fo¬ 
liage aud otherwise special fitness for the 
office of either shrub or tree. Very hardy, 
easily managed and cheap, it is perhaps better 
tilled for certain positions than auy other Ma¬ 
ple originated out of Japan. It may not be 
yery choice, but it and its varieties are cer¬ 
tainly valuable in htwn planting. 1 wish it 
could on j t»y higher consideration and more 
general employment. 
The striped Maple (Acer striatum or Pcnn- 
sylvanicum), the Snake Maple, or st-pped Dog- 
wood is also one of the other Maples that 
though commonly known, especially in Amer¬ 
ica, continue to be slighted in our lawn plant¬ 
ing operations. 11 is a neat, compact, elegant 
tree remarkable for a striped, light-colored 
bark—whence the name. An Eastern Ameri¬ 
can Maple, it deserves, on that aecouut, even 
more attention, h«;ause we are thus assured of 
itH entire hardiness and fitness for our climate. 
The leaves are of good size and of a bright and 
cheerful green; round-headed, rather than 
pyramidal in contour, the general effect is that 
of a low tree, only somewhat larger than the 
English field Maple, (Acer campcstre). As we 
shall see agaiu, Acer striatum forms one of 
the most noteworthy types that may bo recog¬ 
nized as possessing their analogues in Japan or 
along the Anioor river. The flowers are green¬ 
ish-white. 
There are three other American Maples quite 
noteworthy, Acer spicatum, circinatum and 
macrophyllum, all natives of Americu, The 
last Is found in Oregon, has a large leaf six to 
twelve inches long, and a fine ornamental ap¬ 
pearance. itis, unfortunately, not entirely har¬ 
dy in Eastern America, a peculiarity Califor¬ 
nia aud even Oregon plants are apt to evince. 
The flowers, iu this case, are yellowish. 
Acer circinatum, the Vine Maple, is also from 
the Pacific (Joast, a round headed, low tree, or 
"spreading bush with thin, moderately seven 
to nlne-lobed leaves," aud small corymbs of 
purplish-red flowers. The leaves, in fact, are 
roundish or heart-Bhaped, and the contour of 
the entire foliage likewise more or less round, 
forming a feature ou the lawn, always pleasing 
and effective. Acer circinatum is a tree little 
known, but deserviug of very general employ¬ 
ment. Unlike Acer macrophyllum, it proves 
perfectly hardy in spite of its origin. The 
other Maple is Acer spiaatum, the Mountain 
Maple, a tall shrub or low tree common in the 
Northern States of America. The leaves are 
not specially etrikiug, but the flowers bloom 
latest of all the species. I have sought atten¬ 
tion for this Maple, not because of its superior 
excellence, although it is attractive enough iu 
its way, but on aecouut of its curious resem¬ 
blance to a Maple of the Amoor River, also 
termed A. spicatum. In Japan, If not iu the 
same region, we have repeated almost identi¬ 
cally the form of A. Penusylvanieum as A. 
tegmentoBiim. A. Pcnnsylvauicum, again, sug¬ 
gests somewhat the appearance of A. Colchlcum 
rubrurn (or mono, or icetum), another species 
belonging to the same region as the last. It is 
very carious to thus notice different forms of 
Maples almost repeating themselves under like 
conditions on opposite sidesof the globe. Japan 
is full ol these resemblances, analogues of kin¬ 
dred forms iu America. 
Acer Turtaricum Gennali is yet another inter¬ 
esting Asiutic Maple. The leaves are small, 
heai t-shaped, light-colored, andacuriousdrab- 
greeu, and the general contour istjiat of alarge 
spreading bush. It is not a new species or vari- 
®ty. R 1 b decidedly choice aud uncommon. 
Passiug from Maples of Europe and America 
we come to the olhxr Maples of Asia, to one or 
two of which I have just alluded. Indeed, 
species und varieties of Maples abound iu both 
the Amoor region and Jupau. 
First and perhaps foremost of the other Ma¬ 
ples of Asia, of which I desire to speak, is A. 
Colcblcum rubrurn, an old but choice Maple, 
somewhat hard to propagate, but always 
valued by those who know its excellent orna¬ 
mental qualities. Bright-red leaf-stems and 
leaves, the latter with triangular lobes, dlslin- 
guish the young growth of this Maple, and ren¬ 
der its appearance charming both in spring and 
fall. It has a smooth, ligbLcolored bark aud 
fresh, green, mature foliage. Strange to say, 
this Maple, commonly called Colchlcum, which 
makes it a native of the region of the Caucasus 
is distinctly declured by all good authorities a 
Japanese species, loffutu, mono, and perhaps 
trimeatum. This will readily account for the 
fact that it does not graft readily ou American 
or European Maples. A. Colchlcum (mono or 
lrntum) is one of the inoBt valuable of the other 
Maples, perhaps as valuable, ornamentally, as 
any member of the genus. 
In Japan we have, besides the numerous poly¬ 
morphic or palmatum varieties, Japonicum, 
Sicb o ld l a u rna, diabolic um, ruflnervum cratesgl- 
XoUu and the cmrioaa Aear •arpinlfollaia, a 
