1883.] 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
231 
“bleeding.” On an old and vigorous vine, 
many of the buds will be double, that is, two 
new shoots will start from the same bud. In 
every instance of this kind, remove the 
weaker of the two, carefully breaking it 
away without injuring the other. Watch 
the young shoots as they grow. As a gen¬ 
eral thing, each shoot has three clusters of 
little buds, which have yet to bloom, and 
the setting of grapes will follow. The vine 
usually produces three of these clusters, each 
opposite to a leaf. The fourth leaf has a 
tendril instead of a cluster, and so with the 
successive leaves. As the shoot is growing, 
pinch off the end when one, two, or three 
leaves can be seen beyond the uppermost 
cluster. We say “one, two, or three,” be¬ 
cause it really makes but little difference. 
One, if a good and healthy leaf, will perfect 
the fruit. It is well to have two in case of 
an accident to the one, and three may be left 
if more shade is desired. The pinching is to 
be done while the shoot is so tender that it 
may be cut with the thumb nail. At the 
time of this stopping of the shoots, pinch off 
the tendrils, and if the little cluster has, as is 
often the case with our native grapes, a 
tendril at one side of it, pinch that off. When 
the vine is wild and runs over trees, it needs 
the aid of the tendrils, but when the vine is 
trained, ever so rudely, they are a nuisance, 
being always in the way. If the shoot needs 
support, tie it. Soon after pinching the 
shoots, the remaining leaves will grow to a 
surprising size and often become thick and 
leathery. When the blossoms open, look out 
for rose-bugs ; they have a special fondness 
for grape blossoms, and will destroy many of 
them. In the cool of the morning visit the 
vines and shake off the bugs, catching them 
in a pan in which there is a little kerosene. 
On an old vine, in course of the summer, 
shoots will start here and there in all sorts of 
places. Unless a cane is needed where these 
volunteer shoots appear, rub them off at 
once. The remainder of the season the vines 
will require protection from insects and mil¬ 
dew. Fortunately the majority of insects 
are so large that they may be kept in check 
by hand-picking. If some of the caterpillars 
are too numerous for this, give them White 
Hellebore, as suggested under “Fruit Gar¬ 
den,” for currants. Whitish, or grayish 
spots, on the undersides of the leaves, mean 
mildew. Sulphur dusted on the foliage on a 
warm still day, will check it. Bellows are 
made for the purpose, but an old-fashioned 
bellows, such as were used in the days of 
wood fires, will answer. Fit a cork or other 
plug in the valve hole. Introduce through 
this hole some flower of sulphur, and blow. 
With a little practice, the sulphur may be 
sent out in a fine cloud, and that is what is 
wanted. In paved yards old vines often 
suffer for want of moisture, and provision 
should be made to utilize the soapy water on 
washing days. 
The Oyster-shell Bark-louse. 
Of the numerous troubles that beset the 
fruit-grower, none is more disheartening 
than the Oyster-shell Bark-louse. The scale 
is exactly of the color of the bark, which 
often becomes completely covered before the 
trouble is noticed. The name is descriptive, 
and the resemblance of the scale to a minute 
oyster-shell, or mussel-shell, distinguishes 
this from all other scale insects. The scales 
do not, as 
some suppose, 
cover an in¬ 
sect, but pro¬ 
tect the eggs. 
The mother 
insect died the oyster-shell bark-louse. 
last autumn, after providing abundantly for 
a continuation of her kind. These eggs will 
hatch at the end of the present month or the 
early part of June. The young lice are very 
minute, but the careful observer can dis¬ 
tinguish them as little whitish specks, mov¬ 
ing towards the newly-grown stems in search 
of a place on which to settle. When the in¬ 
sect has found a spot to its liking, it anchors 
itself for life. Thrusting her back into the 
tender stem, she sucks away and grows 
rapidly—for it is only the females that are 
such stay-at-home bodies. The males go 
about at will. When the female attains her 
full size she is found to be covered by an 
exudation forming the scale under which 
she dies, first laying her eggs. It would be 
inferred that the proper time for attacking 
the louse was, while yet active and before 
the protecting scale had formed. The diffi¬ 
culties in the way of this are : its minute size 
and the fact that at this time it is upon the 
young and tender growth which is readily in¬ 
jured. The scales themselves protect the 
eggs from all ordinary washes. The con¬ 
spicuous scales upon the trunk and larger 
branches, are usually those of former years 
and empty ; while the recent ones, those con¬ 
taining eggs, will be found on the growth of 
last year. On account of the difficulties in 
the way of exterminating this pest, those 
who plant orchards should carefully examine 
every tree before setting it. It will be much 
cheaper to bum every infested tree than to 
introduce this louse. If, after an orchard is 
planted, a tree is found, or even several trees, 
with this bark-louse upon them, we should 
advise digging them up and replacing by 
others, always burning the culprits. Several 
subscribers ask if we have advised the use 
of crude petroleum to destroy the louse. If 
we had a tree badly infested with this louse,, 
we should try crude petroleum, as such a tree, 
if the lice can not be destroyed, is better dead 
than alive. Those who have young orchards 
should examine the trees at once and prevent 
the spread of this minute, but persistent- 
enemy. 
Wrinkles or Folds on Merino Sheep. 
Washington and the neighboring counties 
of Pennsylvania, as well as the border ones 
of Ohio and West Virginia, make up one of 
the best Merino sheep districts of America • 
not inferior even in the goodness of their 
flocks to those of Vermont, although not 
quite so celebrated. The breeders here are 
beginning to be convinced that the large, un¬ 
sightly wrinkles in the skins of their sheep, 
are very injurious to the evenness and length 
of staple of the fleece, and have now deter¬ 
mined to get rid of these wrinkles as fast as 
possible. This they can do by selecting such 
rams and ewes as have the fewest and smallest 
wrinkles, couple these together, continue 
selecting in the same way with their progeny, 
and thus keep on until they show skins as 
smooth as those of the South Downs. 
It has been a mere prejudice, breeding 
wrinkles thus long on Merino sheep. As they 
come to us in the first place with these ugly 
folds in their skins, our flockmasters thought 
they must be kept up ; and thus they have 
gone on until the present day, greatly against 
their own interests and convenience. It 
takes a much longer time to shear a wrinkled 
sheep than it does a smooth one, and the 
wool on the folds is not so valuable as on 
other parts of the body. 
There is the same foolish prejudice in re¬ 
gard to horns, as it is thought these indicate 
greater constitution in the rams. If so, why 
not keep them up in the ewes, for these for¬ 
merly also often bore them. Breeders had 
the good sense to discard the ugly excrescence,, 
let them do the same now by the rams. 
- -tx»- 
Prepare for Drouths. 
The dimunition in milk superinduced by 
summer drouths is one of the farmer’s draw¬ 
backs. The check in the flow of milk is 
sometimes felt throughout the entire sea¬ 
son, even if favorable weather shall after¬ 
wards ensue, for when cows once fall off 
in their milk, it is hard work to bring 
them up again at this advanced stage 
of their yearly milk-giving period. Such a 
loss may be avoided by taking the precaution 
of sowing a small field of corn adjoining the 
pasture, or in some place where it will be 
convenient to feed. If sown at the usual 
time of planting corn, it will be large enough 
to use by the middle of July. Another piece 
may be sown later, for feeding in August. 
This will be found cheap and good food for 
milch cows, on account of its extraordinary 
succulence. Sorghum and millet are also good, 
but the com for a soiling crop is better. On 
most soils it flourishes during a drouth, when 
everything else suffers. The cattle can be 
fed in the pasture, lane, or yard, at regular 
hours. An acre or two will often help out 
wonderful]y in this way. and that which is not 
needed for feeding during the summer,- can. 
be cut and cured for winter use. W. D. B. 
